No-Nonsense T-shirts
Designs
Exclusive. Elusive.
Welcome to my almost-personal world of Toubé Bäs. To some who don't get me, I say I am in the industry of 'fashion'. To you, I confesss that I am in the industry of 'mystique'. I don't shout about my designs on social media or invest in flashy ads. Thats not my style, it's theirs.
Toubé Bäs, instead, operates like a whispered secret, known only to a select few. It is shy, and loves to open up with just a certain set of individuals. With every passing era, I keep adding a layer of exclusivity to my t-shirts. Till 2014, the sales were limited to 501 pieces per design.
In 2018, I added a price sensitivity (to the 501-limit) making them more unbuyable by increasing the price with every t-shirt sold.
In 2021, I added a third layer of limit ... the geographical one ... to these t-shirts by limiting the sale of one piece of a design to one pincode. They called me crazy, I smiled back a them.
The latest dimension of elusivity and exclusivity - a much more personal one for you - was added in 2023, and implemented 13th October, 2023 (a Friday, of course) onwards - your mobile number/email address won't be able to purchase the same design twice. If you do buy a t-shirt here, it's that memorable one-time tryst.
A Toubé Bäs t-shirt is elusive for them, because its meant to be exclusive for you. I don't 'sell' a Toubé Bäs t-shirt, I share it.
You don't buy a Toubé Bäs t-shirt, you possess it.
Toubé Bäs, instead, operates like a whispered secret, known only to a select few. It is shy, and loves to open up with just a certain set of individuals. With every passing era, I keep adding a layer of exclusivity to my t-shirts. Till 2014, the sales were limited to 501 pieces per design.
In 2018, I added a price sensitivity (to the 501-limit) making them more unbuyable by increasing the price with every t-shirt sold.
In 2021, I added a third layer of limit ... the geographical one ... to these t-shirts by limiting the sale of one piece of a design to one pincode. They called me crazy, I smiled back a them.
The latest dimension of elusivity and exclusivity - a much more personal one for you - was added in 2023, and implemented 13th October, 2023 (a Friday, of course) onwards - your mobile number/email address won't be able to purchase the same design twice. If you do buy a t-shirt here, it's that memorable one-time tryst.
A Toubé Bäs t-shirt is elusive for them, because its meant to be exclusive for you. I don't 'sell' a Toubé Bäs t-shirt, I share it.
You don't buy a Toubé Bäs t-shirt, you possess it.
501 Pieces. Only.
Each one, and I mean every single one, of the designs on Toubé Bäs is as exclusive as ... a unicorn at a tea party. Once 501 tees of a design sell away, it is frozen. Forever.
Why 501, you asked me? Because 500 is too mainstream, and 502? Nah, that's just overdoing it. With 501, I've struck the perfect balance between rare and rad.
This exclusivity ensures that wearing a Toubé Bäs tee isn't just a style choice; it's a statement of belonging to an elite club.
So, here's my promise (if you still believe in them): Once a design hits that magic number, it's frozen in time, like a retiring superstar after a world tour. It goes in the Toubé Bäs Hall of Fame, frozen in time, and ready to tell tales of its glory days.
Of course, it means that I can't just sit on my laurels. Just because I create a couple of awesome designs doesn't mean I can sell them forever and keep minting money. To be a hundred percent transparent and open with you: deep down, I don't really want that too.
I want to be on my toes, always coming up with designs that catch your eye. It keeps me alive. I may be depressed one moment, but I can literally feel myself getting healed as I start working on a new concept here.
Why 501, you asked me? Because 500 is too mainstream, and 502? Nah, that's just overdoing it. With 501, I've struck the perfect balance between rare and rad.
This exclusivity ensures that wearing a Toubé Bäs tee isn't just a style choice; it's a statement of belonging to an elite club.
So, here's my promise (if you still believe in them): Once a design hits that magic number, it's frozen in time, like a retiring superstar after a world tour. It goes in the Toubé Bäs Hall of Fame, frozen in time, and ready to tell tales of its glory days.
Of course, it means that I can't just sit on my laurels. Just because I create a couple of awesome designs doesn't mean I can sell them forever and keep minting money. To be a hundred percent transparent and open with you: deep down, I don't really want that too.
I want to be on my toes, always coming up with designs that catch your eye. It keeps me alive. I may be depressed one moment, but I can literally feel myself getting healed as I start working on a new concept here.
One Per Pincode
Ever heard of t-shirts that are as rare as a blue moon? Well, now you have. Ever heard of a t-shirt business that wants to sell 'less'?! You're looking at one!
If someone in your vicinity has already purchased a specific design of a t-shirt from Toubé Bäs, you won't be able to get hold of one for yourself.
They will call me crazy (they already do!), but here's my deal: once one sale of a design is made in a geographical pincode (zipcode), it won't be sold in that pincode ever again. Yes, these t-shirts are territorial! WHen you buy a Toubé Bäs, in your wingspan you become the undisputed style champion rocking that particular design.
Now, most pincodes/zipcodes in the world carry one tenth of a million citizens - that's one lakh people. It means that when you spend these few hundred rupees on getting possession of a Toubé Bäs, you'll literally be, 'laakhon main ek'.
Beat that?
Just fyi: if you want to buy a design for your group or team ... you do it in one go. You are welcome to buy any number of t-shirts in one go and get them delivered to your pincode, but that's that. I won't be sending another piece of that design to the same pincode again - ever - even if it's you who wants to purchase it.
Why this? Why not sell more, why not make more money? If you know me, you know what my reply is going to be. At the t-shirt haven that is Toubé Bäs, I don't just sell clothes. I narrate stories, I make connections, I offer uniqueness, I encourage your individuality. The secret is: when I do that ... I encourage my own individuality too.
Picture this: you find a design that speaks to your very soul. You click, we connect, you buy, and ta-da! That design becomes *YOURS* and yours alone in your entire neighborhood. No copycats. No imposters around you. No pretenders to your throne. No one there to usurp your crown. While the t-shirts at Toubé Bäs are designed to touch you, the business model at Toubé Bäs is designed to make you feel what you really are: s-p-e-c-i-a-l.
If someone in your vicinity has already purchased a specific design of a t-shirt from Toubé Bäs, you won't be able to get hold of one for yourself.
They will call me crazy (they already do!), but here's my deal: once one sale of a design is made in a geographical pincode (zipcode), it won't be sold in that pincode ever again. Yes, these t-shirts are territorial! WHen you buy a Toubé Bäs, in your wingspan you become the undisputed style champion rocking that particular design.
Now, most pincodes/zipcodes in the world carry one tenth of a million citizens - that's one lakh people. It means that when you spend these few hundred rupees on getting possession of a Toubé Bäs, you'll literally be, 'laakhon main ek'.
Beat that?
Just fyi: if you want to buy a design for your group or team ... you do it in one go. You are welcome to buy any number of t-shirts in one go and get them delivered to your pincode, but that's that. I won't be sending another piece of that design to the same pincode again - ever - even if it's you who wants to purchase it.
Why this? Why not sell more, why not make more money? If you know me, you know what my reply is going to be. At the t-shirt haven that is Toubé Bäs, I don't just sell clothes. I narrate stories, I make connections, I offer uniqueness, I encourage your individuality. The secret is: when I do that ... I encourage my own individuality too.
Picture this: you find a design that speaks to your very soul. You click, we connect, you buy, and ta-da! That design becomes *YOURS* and yours alone in your entire neighborhood. No copycats. No imposters around you. No pretenders to your throne. No one there to usurp your crown. While the t-shirts at Toubé Bäs are designed to touch you, the business model at Toubé Bäs is designed to make you feel what you really are: s-p-e-c-i-a-l.
One Per Mobile Number
There's more! I keep finding ways to ingrain exclusivity in the very soul of Toubé Bäs. Afterall, what's the meaning of even existing if you cannot be exclusive in your own way, right?
So here's another pledge: I will ensure that each design finds a home with just one special individual per mobile phone number. Yep, that's right – one design, one phone number. If you use the same mobile number to re-order a t-shirt ... even if for someone else ... I will humbly apologise to you, but also remind you that when you're wearing a Toubé Bäs, you're wearing a piece of art that's almost as unique as your fingerprint.
Yes, we're in previously unthinkable times when people have two (or even more) mobile numbers at their disposal. I will see if I can find an algorithm to counter that so that I can be true to this pledge of mine.
However, let me poke you into imagining the sheer awesomeness of strutting down the street, knowing that your tee isn't just a fashion statement. Instead, it's a proclamation of your individuality. It's like having a secret handshake with fellow fashion connoisseurs - you instantly recognize each other as part of this elite, limited-edition club!
If you're the kind of person who craves originality ... who wants to stand out in a crowd ... and who believes that fashion should be as unique as you yourself are, then you've hit the jackpot. Dive in, find your one-of-a-kind tee, and get ready to turn heads because here, you're not just wearing an apparel. You're wearing a legend.
So here's another pledge: I will ensure that each design finds a home with just one special individual per mobile phone number. Yep, that's right – one design, one phone number. If you use the same mobile number to re-order a t-shirt ... even if for someone else ... I will humbly apologise to you, but also remind you that when you're wearing a Toubé Bäs, you're wearing a piece of art that's almost as unique as your fingerprint.
Yes, we're in previously unthinkable times when people have two (or even more) mobile numbers at their disposal. I will see if I can find an algorithm to counter that so that I can be true to this pledge of mine.
However, let me poke you into imagining the sheer awesomeness of strutting down the street, knowing that your tee isn't just a fashion statement. Instead, it's a proclamation of your individuality. It's like having a secret handshake with fellow fashion connoisseurs - you instantly recognize each other as part of this elite, limited-edition club!
If you're the kind of person who craves originality ... who wants to stand out in a crowd ... and who believes that fashion should be as unique as you yourself are, then you've hit the jackpot. Dive in, find your one-of-a-kind tee, and get ready to turn heads because here, you're not just wearing an apparel. You're wearing a legend.
No-Nonsense
At Toubé Bäs, designs aren't just colors splashed on fabric. No, they're mini manifestos, they're passion on sleeves, they're messages that scream, 'Hey world, this is what I stand for!'
I am not about abstract shapes or cutesy butterflies pasted here and there. My designs are like visual anthems, each one singing a ballad of passion and purpose. Whether you're crazy about saving the bees, love Panchamda to the core, passionate about empowering education, or just downright obsessed with pizza (because, let's be real, who isn't?), I have either got a tee that shouts about your passion from the rooftop, or I will make one for you.
Imagine wearing a t-shirt that not only looks rad, but also represents something you deeply care about. It's like bringing a literal meaning to wearing your heart right on your sleeve! The designs here aren't just dye on a fabric. They're conversations waiting to happen. They're high-fives from strangers who get your vibe, your passion, your fire. These t-shirts cannot really be 'manufactured'. They can only be manifested.
And oh, the causes! I've often teamed up with some incredible organizations, fighting the good fight for everything from breast cancer, standing with Nepal during that massive earthquake, and running strong with a crazy group of marathoners against smoking.
So, when you rock one of Toubé Bäs tees, you're not just stylish, you're a walking billboard for change. You're an advocate, a supporter, and a trend-setter ... with a meaning, with a cause. You, sir, are an 'influencer' for real - out there on the streets.
Passion, or cause. That's what I care about. And, thankfully, all of science hasn't been able to measure an emotion. No passion-or-cause is bigger than the other, or smaller. Whether you're madly in love with coffee (because, honestly, same here); into saving the planet; championing social justice; or simply love Major Dhyanchand ... my tees are your voice about your passion. Wearing one is like making a statement - all that without saying a word.
For the entire world, t-shirts are what they wear to hide their bodies. For you, though, it's different. These t-shirts don't hide. Instead, they reveal. These t-shirts aren't just shirts. They're your story.
One stitch at a time.
I am not about abstract shapes or cutesy butterflies pasted here and there. My designs are like visual anthems, each one singing a ballad of passion and purpose. Whether you're crazy about saving the bees, love Panchamda to the core, passionate about empowering education, or just downright obsessed with pizza (because, let's be real, who isn't?), I have either got a tee that shouts about your passion from the rooftop, or I will make one for you.
Imagine wearing a t-shirt that not only looks rad, but also represents something you deeply care about. It's like bringing a literal meaning to wearing your heart right on your sleeve! The designs here aren't just dye on a fabric. They're conversations waiting to happen. They're high-fives from strangers who get your vibe, your passion, your fire. These t-shirts cannot really be 'manufactured'. They can only be manifested.
And oh, the causes! I've often teamed up with some incredible organizations, fighting the good fight for everything from breast cancer, standing with Nepal during that massive earthquake, and running strong with a crazy group of marathoners against smoking.
So, when you rock one of Toubé Bäs tees, you're not just stylish, you're a walking billboard for change. You're an advocate, a supporter, and a trend-setter ... with a meaning, with a cause. You, sir, are an 'influencer' for real - out there on the streets.
Passion, or cause. That's what I care about. And, thankfully, all of science hasn't been able to measure an emotion. No passion-or-cause is bigger than the other, or smaller. Whether you're madly in love with coffee (because, honestly, same here); into saving the planet; championing social justice; or simply love Major Dhyanchand ... my tees are your voice about your passion. Wearing one is like making a statement - all that without saying a word.
For the entire world, t-shirts are what they wear to hide their bodies. For you, though, it's different. These t-shirts don't hide. Instead, they reveal. These t-shirts aren't just shirts. They're your story.
One stitch at a time.
From Me To You
Ever since 13th of February, 2009 ... when I launched Toubé Bäs this one thing has been an indispensible for me: my personal touch goes into every single order. I don't just run this show from somewhere top afar. I'm hands-on - deeply involved in every step of the process. A t-shirt that leaves the threshold of my studio isn't just a product. It's a piece of my passion and my dedication!
First of all: quality is my religion. I personally inspect every tee that I send off. For me, it's crucial that the t-shirts are 100% cotton, pre-shurnk, bio-washed, and resistant to any de-shaping. I'm like a hawk, ensuring each stitch is perfect, every print is flawless.
I want to say pompous marketing things like, 'Your satisfaction isn't just my goal ... it's my commitment', but I won't. My real goal is to get a good night's sleep ... and if I think I haven't sent you something that I am happy with, a good night's sleep is the last thing I will get.
Secondly, after spending more than a decade running this t-shirt business, I now have a little printing unit of my own. This only means that instead of relying on the assembly line that manufactures several t-shirts on the go, I can now pay personal attention to the t-shirt that I brew for you! This isn't some neo-capitalist manufacturing rut; this is something beyond.
Then comes the part which - suprisingly even for me - is something that I enjoy: the parcelling and the shipping! I believe I enjoy the nostalgia that comes with wrapping things into a parcel, or may be it's my love for stationery that I experience joy in seemingly silly chores like printing your address, packing the parcel, and shipping it away!
Any other e-commerce portal might use the word, 'Transaction'. I won't. When you buy a Toubé Bäs, it's not just a transaction ... it's a conversation!
Given that I participate in every step of the process which brings your tee to you, I don't make promises of the 'Two-day Delivery' or 'Next Day Shipping' kind. My personal due-diligence means that it takes somewhere between 5-8 days for your tee to reach you. I am confidently alright with that since I truly believe that delayed fulfilment beats instant gratification anyday of the week and twice on Sundays!
First of all: quality is my religion. I personally inspect every tee that I send off. For me, it's crucial that the t-shirts are 100% cotton, pre-shurnk, bio-washed, and resistant to any de-shaping. I'm like a hawk, ensuring each stitch is perfect, every print is flawless.
I want to say pompous marketing things like, 'Your satisfaction isn't just my goal ... it's my commitment', but I won't. My real goal is to get a good night's sleep ... and if I think I haven't sent you something that I am happy with, a good night's sleep is the last thing I will get.
Secondly, after spending more than a decade running this t-shirt business, I now have a little printing unit of my own. This only means that instead of relying on the assembly line that manufactures several t-shirts on the go, I can now pay personal attention to the t-shirt that I brew for you! This isn't some neo-capitalist manufacturing rut; this is something beyond.
Then comes the part which - suprisingly even for me - is something that I enjoy: the parcelling and the shipping! I believe I enjoy the nostalgia that comes with wrapping things into a parcel, or may be it's my love for stationery that I experience joy in seemingly silly chores like printing your address, packing the parcel, and shipping it away!
Any other e-commerce portal might use the word, 'Transaction'. I won't. When you buy a Toubé Bäs, it's not just a transaction ... it's a conversation!
Given that I participate in every step of the process which brings your tee to you, I don't make promises of the 'Two-day Delivery' or 'Next Day Shipping' kind. My personal due-diligence means that it takes somewhere between 5-8 days for your tee to reach you. I am confidently alright with that since I truly believe that delayed fulfilment beats instant gratification anyday of the week and twice on Sundays!
Me
If I had to borrow a tagline for myself, I would shamelessly repeat what the awesome Dr. Otto Gunther Octavius said for Peter Parker, 'Brillaint, but lazy'. These three words are what I identify with ... completely.
But copying isn't something that I shamelessly do, is it?!
So let's me try to be original. First of all, the most beautiful thing about myself is that I usually do not have anything to look forward to. It's one of the most liberating feelings in the world, and very few people have the fortune to find themselves in a cnofiguration in which they don't really have 'miles to go before they sleep', a configuration in which even though they might want just sit back and breathe in a relaxed manner, they are dutifully bound and obliged to run an errand - either for themselves, or for the people they care. So they postpone the breathing, and the relaxing, to sometime beyond their retirement.
When I stepped into the IIT Bombay campus in 1997 as an 18 year old, I didn't give a shit. Not because I didn't want to ... but I couldn't. You see ... IIT Bombay, in 1997, didn't even have a proper gate ... so I didn't even realise when that first step into the campus happened. I wanted to make a big deal about that 'moment', but I couldn't.
Symbolically, it turned out to be just the perfect first lesson for me. It took me less than a week to realise the hollowness of it all, to understand that I must not give a shit about making it to this over-awed and super-hyped institution. Over the next 5 years, I did everything that I could possibly do except for study engineering, and probably no one who has ever graduated from IIT Bombay can boast of a gradesheet which has an 'F' grade in 16 core courses. That statistic, to me, will remain one of the most glorious achievements of my life.
I could have chosen to drop out of the institute, but for a guy who's come from a middle class baniya family from a tier-2 city (Gwalior) ... dropping out of college was unthinkable. I cleared those 16 courses within a span of a year, and to my parents' relief, I graduated. They were happy that I didn't fail IIT. Little did they know that IIT - in many metaphsical ways - failed me.
I still don't give a shit about being an IITian ... but since *you* do, I make it a point to let you know. The day when you stop putting IITians on the pedestal, I will stop tom-toming about it. Deal?
Following my graudation, I have worked in every role imaginable in multiple industries - waiter, call centre caller (yes!), teacher, football referee, CEO of an IT firm, consultant, content writer, volunteer at a World Cup, coach, bookie, 'football scientist', professor, designer, copywriter ... what not!
While you can vet me at www.sorabhsodhani.com, here are some of the keywords that you can meta-tag me with: meditation, football, artificial intelligence, php, advait shree vidya, ultimate frisbee, pranayams, sql, community gamification, durga saptashati, e-commerce, 5000 metres, coaching, blockchain, shambhavi mahamudra, bitcoin, python, vipassana, sheersh-asan. corel draw, radio jockey, C/C++/Java, graphical designing, and - of course - t-shirts.
I have many brilliant things to unabashedly write about myself ... but being brilliant-but-lazy, I choose to take an extended coffee break. Will keep updating this particular space, I promise!
But copying isn't something that I shamelessly do, is it?!
So let's me try to be original. First of all, the most beautiful thing about myself is that I usually do not have anything to look forward to. It's one of the most liberating feelings in the world, and very few people have the fortune to find themselves in a cnofiguration in which they don't really have 'miles to go before they sleep', a configuration in which even though they might want just sit back and breathe in a relaxed manner, they are dutifully bound and obliged to run an errand - either for themselves, or for the people they care. So they postpone the breathing, and the relaxing, to sometime beyond their retirement.
When I stepped into the IIT Bombay campus in 1997 as an 18 year old, I didn't give a shit. Not because I didn't want to ... but I couldn't. You see ... IIT Bombay, in 1997, didn't even have a proper gate ... so I didn't even realise when that first step into the campus happened. I wanted to make a big deal about that 'moment', but I couldn't.
Symbolically, it turned out to be just the perfect first lesson for me. It took me less than a week to realise the hollowness of it all, to understand that I must not give a shit about making it to this over-awed and super-hyped institution. Over the next 5 years, I did everything that I could possibly do except for study engineering, and probably no one who has ever graduated from IIT Bombay can boast of a gradesheet which has an 'F' grade in 16 core courses. That statistic, to me, will remain one of the most glorious achievements of my life.
I could have chosen to drop out of the institute, but for a guy who's come from a middle class baniya family from a tier-2 city (Gwalior) ... dropping out of college was unthinkable. I cleared those 16 courses within a span of a year, and to my parents' relief, I graduated. They were happy that I didn't fail IIT. Little did they know that IIT - in many metaphsical ways - failed me.
I still don't give a shit about being an IITian ... but since *you* do, I make it a point to let you know. The day when you stop putting IITians on the pedestal, I will stop tom-toming about it. Deal?
Following my graudation, I have worked in every role imaginable in multiple industries - waiter, call centre caller (yes!), teacher, football referee, CEO of an IT firm, consultant, content writer, volunteer at a World Cup, coach, bookie, 'football scientist', professor, designer, copywriter ... what not!
While you can vet me at www.sorabhsodhani.com, here are some of the keywords that you can meta-tag me with: meditation, football, artificial intelligence, php, advait shree vidya, ultimate frisbee, pranayams, sql, community gamification, durga saptashati, e-commerce, 5000 metres, coaching, blockchain, shambhavi mahamudra, bitcoin, python, vipassana, sheersh-asan. corel draw, radio jockey, C/C++/Java, graphical designing, and - of course - t-shirts.
I have many brilliant things to unabashedly write about myself ... but being brilliant-but-lazy, I choose to take an extended coffee break. Will keep updating this particular space, I promise!