You Think I'm Smiling?: Grumpy Winter Gnome T-Shirt

His hat is frozen stiff, his beard is full of icicles and the lantern is doing very little to help. Someone has clearly just told him to "cheer up." Arms folded on top of his splintered sign, this old gnome fixes you with the kind of stare that could freeze a pond, and asks the only question that matters: You Think I'm Smiling? A raven waits patiently on his staff, and a red squirrel carries on with its breakfast, unbothered. It's a detailed, darkly funny winter illustration for anyone whose resting face has been misread one too many times.

The folklore behind the design

Britain's household spirits were famously touchy. In Scotland the brownie, and in England the hob, would quietly do the chores overnight, threshing corn, sweeping floors and tending animals, as long as nobody made a fuss. Leave out a bowl of cream and all was well. But try to thank one properly, especially with a gift of new clothes, and it would take offence and leave the house for good. Gratitude, it seems, was the one thing they couldn't stand.

The modern garden gnome has had a rocky time too. For decades the Royal Horticultural Society banned gnomes from the Chelsea Flower Show as too garish. The ban was lifted for a single year in 2013 to mark the show's centenary, and the gnomes duly turned up, looking, one imagines, about as pleased as this one.

Material: 100% Cotton | Pattern: Graphic Print
100 % Cotton Medium-weight 5.3 oz/yd² (180 g/m²), tubular knit construction,
ribbed collar and shoulder tape
Dual printing: DTF (sleeves/inner neck) + DTG (main design) for crisp detail
Tear-away Product Features
label, OEKO-TEX® STANDARD 100 certifiedCovered by a 2-year warranty in the EU and Northern Ireland per Care Instructions
Machine wash cold (max 30°C/90°F), non-chlorine bleach as needed, tumble dry low heat, do not iron, do not dry-cleanGeneral Product Safety Regulation (GPSR)
EU representative: HONSON VENTURES LIMITED,
 gpsr@honsonventures.com, 3 Gnaftis House Flat 102,
Mesa Geitonia, 4003, Limassol, CY
Product: Gildan 5000. Made in Nicaragua. For adult use.
Directive 1999/44/EC.