Every time a YouTuber promotes their own brand, I hold down the “5 second skip” button until I get to the actual content of the video. While I enjoy a variety of content creators, I have a hard time making a strong commitment to one; I hate notifications, so I’m not even subscribed to a lot of my favorite social media stars.

In truth, I do feel a little bit of guilt—not enough to change my ways, of course—because I do recognize that these YouTubers are just supporting their livelihood. Regardless, very few articles on YouTuber merchandise catch my eye. Their products are either tacky, too in-your-face, or just embarrassing to wear. 

My view of YouTuber brands and merchandise remained unchanged for years; that is, until, a certain YouTuber by the name of Alberto “Bertie” Ruiz, better known as Tuv, first held up an article from his brand-new company.

Initially, the brand, earldoesntexist, didn’t really appeal to me. Tuv’s mascot, Earl, was very basic and uninteresting. While a simplistic design is usually something that I favor, the original Earl wasn’t bold enough. Despite this fact, I was minorly intrigued since the brand was quite independent of Tuv’s channel and wasn’t an advertising point.

However, several months later, Earl got a revamp.

With a rubber hose style and a bold expression, the new Earl is far more of a staple. I may be biased because I adore rubber hose art, but I believe it’s safe to say that Earl now looks much more like a recognizable mascot and brand with his altered design. The former Earl mascot remains as Tuv’s profile picture for nostalgia, but the changed Earl definitely stands out on all of Tuv’s products.

At long last, I finally made a purchase from earldoesntexist. Actually, that’s a lie, as I received two of his products for Christmas from my grandmother. I decided to choose the safe options with very discreet Earl images rather than a sweatshirt that boasted him proudly, so I received sweatpants with a small Earl logo and socks with little Earl faces stitched onto the top of each one.

While I would say that my experience with the sweatpants was an overall positive one, there are definitely some things that the brand could improve upon. For starters, the pants were built a little disproportionately. While I may just have an odd figure, the top half of the pants were rather slim while anything past the knee was a bit looser. Additionally, the pockets were in a bit of a strange position and the gray insides stuck out like a sore thumb.

Fortunately, despite the drawbacks, the pants are, overall, of relatively high quality for a budding brand. The Earl logo is stitched on rather than being printed, and the pants are warm inside without being heavy, making them a good pair of sweatpants for any season. The drawstrings are the perfect length and are a good texture too; they aren’t too slippery or too crusty.

The socks, on the other hand, have essentially zero downsides. If I had to be nitpicky, I would point out that the stitching on the logo is the slightest bit messy, but it is small enough so that it is practically unnoticeable. The texture of the socks is ideal for my preference: they are about the same length as the classic Nike socks but aren’t as stiff. They are still relatively thick, but the socks are not suffocating nor too warm.

Although I value both articles of clothing highly, I would be missing one intrinsic piece if I were to make an entirely Earl-themed outfit: a top. The selection that earldoesntexist is limited in shirt type but doesn’t skimp on color and design. Most designs have either a T-shirt or crewneck/hoodie option, but the most popular designs offer them all.

Personally, the “earl university” hoodie is the only design I’m not a huge fan of. It’s not unattractive by any means, yet it is very subtle—too subtle. The lettering is a play on college sweatshirts, but it is an overused concept and isn’t too original.

On the other hand, the variety of other designs featuring Earl are absolutely stunning. The latest drop features colorful art of Earl painting graffiti, which is original and active without being strange. The classic stitched Earl shirts are a win in my book as well with their simple yet snarky logo.

The seasonal drops contain some of the most high-scoring pieces in my book, though. Apart from the “earl university” line, the fall drop had cute back-to-school clothing and accessories. Better yet, the winter drop features holiday-themed art with amusing references to pop culture. It’s a little too much for me, but if I were a bit bolder, those crewnecks would surely be added to the cart.

Because nothing from earldoesntexist is cheap, I have been awaiting the perfect top to add to my collection. Hopefully, when the next drop happens, a new and unique Earl will be added to my closet.