Tee revolution: Colorado's FLUIDIAM T-shirts make a statement

Girl s Broken T-shirt, in white and red, has sizes in small, medium and large. $25. (Courtesy photo)

"Y ou have to stand apart from the rest," said Scott Roon, marketing guru for FLUIDIAM, a Monument, Colo., T-shirt company. "Otherwise you're just some other dipshit company."

Wearing FLUIDIAM's eco-friendly, 100-percent organic cotton tees is kind of like sporting an "I voted" sticker, Roon said.

"It's not just about buying a T-shirt," said Roon. "We want to infect the way you think about everything. We want people to be proud to wear it, like the 'Livestrong' bracelets."

The soy-based ink shirts' eye-catching logos, vibrant designs and clean lines encompass 1980s flair with a 2009 revolutionary mindframe.

Supporters can join forces with the "militia of global r(eco)nstruction" on the Web site, to collaborate with the company's mission "to r(eco)nstruct social behavior by gearing up like-minded individuals who are aggressively passionate about saving our planet's natural resources."

FLUIDIAM also donates 5 percent of its income to the Colorado Lynx restoration project in its Project R(eco)nstruct. The longhaired cat disappeared from Colorado in 1973 and has been listed as a "threatened" species.

Roon said the company has encountered some pressure to lower prices by switching to non-organic tees.

Roon said frankly, "non-organic is not an option" -- even though soy-based ink can sometimes be challenging as an application to various materials.

"We cannot and absolutely will not divert from that idea," said Roon. "I don't know if everybody else does, but I stay loyal to products of companies that actually stand for something. It makes me feel better about myself. If I have to pay an extra dollar for a T-shirt, then I will."

FLUIDIAM's tees are $25 each.

The company prides itself in supporting local talent, Roon said -- from artists to musicians, skaters and more -- through Team R(eco)nstruct.

"We want to support people who are really passionate about what they do," he said. "A lot of companies become a skate brand or a rock 'n' roll brand. We're not so much about aligning ourselves with a specific movement, but with a specific frame

Guy s Fluid I Am T-shirt, in white and blue, has sizes in small, medium, large and extra large. (Courtesy photo)

The '80s-style look worked for the company, as it parallels current fashion trends.

"We're all children of the '80s," said Roon. "This whole backswing into that style era couldn't have been better for us. We'd be wearing it anyway, so we might as well start making it for ourselves."

Oren Lomena, host of Fox Sports Net's "Rockies All Access" show, said he is a "huge, huge fan" of FLUIDIAM and often wears the T-shirts on the show.

"It's a very unique company," said Lomena. "The story behind FLUIDIAM is something I got drawn into. I like the look of the gear combined with the company's ecologically friendly take."

Lomena said he thinks the brand's style trumps the forefront of many other local clothing companies.

The hype may be great, but Roon sees bigger plans for FLUIDIAM.

"We want to sell a T-shirt that has a cool design," said Roon. "But we also want this grassroots movement to actually stand for something bigger. We just always want to go one little extra step."