Evangelion Shirts, Hoodies and Clothing
The rise in the popularity of Neon Genesis Evangelion led to an incredible amount of merchandise and other goods being produced and sold all throughout Japan. Of course, this included figures and DVD sets like any other popular series, but the merchandise market Evangelion took advantage of the most was the clothing market. At the time, wearing anime merchandise wasn’t something that many people thought of doing, but it soon proved to be a very popular trend. Many fans began wearing a myriad of different kinds of Evangelion-themed clothing, including T-shirts, hats, hoodies, swimsuits, and more. Today, numerous clothing companies have formed partnerships and collaborations with the Evangelion franchise to help create a wide variety of wearable merchandise that anyone can enjoy.
Shirts and Hoodies
As one of the most common forms of clothing, it goes without saying that there would be plenty of designs to choose from when it came to Evangelion themed T-shirts, hoodies, jackets, and other tops. These designs can range from being so subtle and ordinary that only true fans would be able to tell that it was actually Evangelion themed, to incredibly vibrant and stylish designs that shout “Evangelion” to anyone that passes by, to anything and everything in-between. An example of the former would be the large selection of the designs created by Radio Eva, a special project that was created in 2008 to blend the lines between everyday clothing and Eva merchandise. While Radio Eva does not specialize in just shirts or hoodies, they still have plenty of designs that interested customers can choose from. One such design is a simple flannel shirt that comes in several colors and has “Longinus” printed on one sleeve and “Cassius” on the other - a reference to the two different spears used in the Rebuild movie series. The brand also features shirts in various colors and styles that have “Secret Government Agency” and “NERV” running down the middle, a subtle yet recognizable detail to fans of the series.
On the opposite side of the spectrum, there is clothing produced through a collaboration with ACDC Rag, a clothing company based in Harajuku that is known for its intricate and colorful designs. Although this company does not specialize in Evangelion merchandise, it has produced several designs of shirts and jackets for fans to choose from. These designs include a psychedelic Eva-01 themed shirt and jacket colored using a trippy pattern made up of shades of purple, green, and blue with the Unit itself placed front and center. Several shirts also feature pairs of characters together, such as a pastel-colored shirt with Rei on the front and Asuka on the back.
Other Clothing and Accessories
In late 2018, the shoe company New Balance collaborated with Evangelion to create three types of themed shoes that were all named after fictional events in the series called “Impacts”. The “First Impact” design is based on Eva-01 and is mainly colored with purple and green. The “Second Impact” design is based on Eva-8+2, a Unit only seen in the preview for the last movie in the Rebuild series, Evangelion: 3.0+1.0. The last design, “Third Impact”, is themed around the secret facility NERV.
A well-known Japan-based necktie company named Franco Spada has also created a variety of necktie designs based on Eva-00, Eva-01, Eva-02, and Eva Mark.06 from Evangelion: 3.0 You Can (Not) Redo. The company created these designs under the theme of “Fashion and Subculture” and claims that each tie is made with one-hundred percent silk that is sewed in the Nishijin district in Kyoto.
In December 2018, a new brand of Evangelion goods named “A.T. Field Evangelion Work” was announced. This brand is said to focus on creating goods focused on the Evangelion franchise that are tough and practical, yet stylish and fashionable at the same time. While not focused exclusively on clothing and clothing accessories, the brand has created a number of bags, hats, wallets, and more. Their bags can range from regular everyday backpacks to hiking packs and they both come in yellow, purple, and red - the colors of the three main Eva Units. A.T. Field Evangelion Work’s wallets come in two different styles, a zippered long wallet, and a somewhat more traditional bi-fold style. These wallets also come in the same colors as the bags mentioned previously and are also made with tarpaulin, an incredibly durable and water-resistant material.
Where to Find These Products
All of the products mentioned in this entry and many more can be found on the official Evangelion store’s website (though they may no longer be available for purchase). While the store is only available in Japanese, there is an “Overseas” tab available to curious customers living in other countries. That said, those interested in window shopping on the site are still able to do so freely as long as they can find their way around.
Links
Evangelion official online store (Japanese Only)
Announcement and details of A.T. Field Evangelion Work brand (Japanese Only)