Loot Crate’s Lvl UP+, the subscription service for gamer fashionistas, has arrived with its Futuristic payload of fashions designed to accent fans’ love of the super-science fiction franchises, Futurama, Bioshock, Mega Man, Rick and Morty, and Voltron. The supercool designs in this month’s subscriptions made this one extremely exciting to open, as these garments were all visually striking and great examples of what Lvl Up+ has to offer. That said, one item was disappointing to me, not stylistically, but in terms of its uncomfortable fit, which was a new feeling in this year’s Lvl Up+ experience.
The Futuristic Loot Wearable is an exclusive Futurama short sleeve hoodie with a repeating image of the cartoon’s logo, the Planet Express ship and logo, Fry, Leela, Bender, Amy, Conrad, Zoidberg, and Nibbler, as well as some other characters. The black cotton/polyester blend hoodie is a thin, light fabric that will be a good accessory to have with you on late summer evenings. Additionally, the garment also looks sensational, with the subtle figure art inviting a second and third glance, although my personal preference would be for a slightly less understated presentation of the Futurama art. This is just a quibble in the face of my first true complaint about a Lvl Up+ Wearable: the size runs extremely small. After taking my pictures to accompany the review, I excitedly put on the hoodie, and that excitement was stifled as I found that I had to wiggle my way into it. Donning this Men’s XL was like struggling into a Men’s Medium, and when I felt the tightening of threads when I tried to pull it off, I feared ripping it, but with care I did manage to remove it. Maybe if I wear it like a t-shirt, with nothing under it, I might be able to get some use out of it. Kudos are due to the designers that I REALLY want to wear this one, despite the garment’s excessively strict fit, which makes me feel what Bender calls “the worst kind of discrimination. The kind against me!” (Futurama s2e17 “War is the H-Word”)
Subscribers to Loot for Her (formerly the Lvl Up+ Accessories subscription) received an exclusive Bioshock racerback tank top from Next Level. The mantis green top is also a cotton/polyester blend, feels supple and comfortable, and looks as if it rests on the wearer very lightly, which I’m sure will be very appreciated in these last dog days of summer. The design is excellent, and the bold black silhouette of a woman and the beast’s red-rimmed yellow eye, amidst the varying shades of green, seem to be superimposed, which adds depth to the image. Consequently, this shirt will not only get looks, it may hold them for a little while.
Loot Socks subscribers received two excellent pairs of Bioworld crew socks this month, the exclusive Mega Man Buster Gun socks, and the exclusive Rick and Morty “Geez Rick” socks. Rick and Morty clothing is still relatively uncommon in western PA, and to be wearing a pair of Rick and Morty socks here is a minor fashion miracle. The Mega Man socks are a window into that franchise’s epic narrative, with the various robots in action poses.
Lastly, the Loot Tees offering this month was an exclusive Voltron Blueprint t-shirt from Lvl Up+ itself. This is going into my Fall collection, as it’s a soft but heavier garment owing to the 100% cotton manufacture.
Stylistically, this month’s assortment of items were all winners, with designs ranging from subtle to stunning, so that opening this month’s collection was an immediate feast for the eyes and no doubt many fandom fashion enthusiasts started gloating upon immediately opening theirs. I did find the cut of one of this month’s items to be problematic for me, but it was the first and only such example in the collections that NerdSpan has reviewed thus far.
The Futuristic collection has made the jump to hyperspace, and right now Loot Crate is taking subscriptions for the August Lvl Up+ collection, Anti-Hero, which will include an Archer wearable, a Harley Quinn Loot for Her, a World of Warcraft Loot Tee, and Suicide Squad and Punisher Loot Socks.
NerdSpan’s review of the core Loot Crate, which also sported Futuristic as its theme, is available through this hyperlink. We also reviewed Loot Anime episode 9, “Squadron,” which you’ll find over here.
Review copy sent by Loot Crate, LLC.
