Choke tees and hoodies lend a Seattle aesthetic to the layered look

Springtime in Seattle comes with two certainties. One is that there is no way to predict what kind of day it's going to be. It could rain or snow; it could be cold or less cold; you might even get the fabled "sun break." (Good luck with that.)

That leads to the other certainty: You need a T-shirt and a hoodie to deal with those unexpected changes in atmosphere, and Choke Shirt Co. will clothe you in one of each for a price that won't break you.

Choke is the brainstorm of Matt Thompson and Jeff Gonzales, two design-minded former retail slaves who were inspired to take up the garment trade by Seattle's unflappable style and no-nonsense frugality.

"We wanted to offer affordable, stylish, good-quality things," says Thompson. "I'm an interior designer by training, and so I love Target ... they've taken the idea of fashion and good design and brought it down to a price point that's affordable to everyone. We wanted to be like that -- to offer really cool and artistic designs without your having to pay $50 for a T-shirt."

Choke's wares are indeed fashionable in appearance. Their bold designs -- some line drawings, some silhouettes -- are printed large on all-cotton garments in a muted, natural palette. They're available in a range of men's and women's sizes, and best of all, they're priced to move: T-shirts are $20, hoodies $30 and a logo scarf $15.

Thompson credits Choke's design aesthetic to the sights that he and Gonzales observe while simply walking around the neighborhood.

"The designs are inspired by traveling, by walking down Broadway, or walking through the zoo ... it can happen anywhere," says Thompson. "We take a lot of photos, and some of our designs are based on photographs that we've taken."

The company's locally inspired designs include "Freedom," a striking illustration of a bird bounding free of a cage; "Heart Swirl," which places its namesake organ in a scribbled whirl of artistic invention; and their "Classic Seattle" tee, which recreates the breathtaking city view from Queen Anne in a way no photograph ever could.

As for the name of the company, Thompson promises that there's no harm intended. "We couldn't come up with a name for the company," he says. "Finally, someone threatened to choke somebody if they couldn't come up with a good name. It's maybe a little meaner-sounding than our designs actually are."

You can get Choke style online at chokeshirtco.com, or check it out in person at the Fremont Market every Sunday.

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