5. "Elba Rocks" from Zazzle

One of the simpler Napoleon t-shirts available on the web, this one from Zazzle.com features a charicature drawing of the man himself, alongside the slogan "Elba Rocks".

Created by abrager, it's only available in white, and the shirt used is a "classic heavyweight t-shirt. Tagless design for ultimate comfort. Pre-shrunk, 6.1 ounce 100% cotton. Double-needle stitched bottom and sleeve hems. Loose, classic fit, wears well on anyone. Imported."

t's not the most eye-catching Bonaparte t-shirt out there, but I must say I like the sentiment. Napoleon's time on Elba has always been one of my favourite parts of his life. When he was exiled there in 1814, it must have been a devastating blow, but Napoleon quickly picked himself up and got down to business. Elba's 12,000 inhabitants soon realised that while the Allied Powers might have given him the title of "Emperor of Elba" as a sop to his vanity, Napoleon was fully committed to using what small powers he had, and in less than a year on the island, he put together a small army and a navy, passed legislation on issues as diverse as agricultural methods and taxation, and pushed ahead with work to develop Elba's roads and iron mines. Elba Rocks!

$15.95 from Zazzle.com, plus shipping. I couldn't find international shipping costs on Zazzle, but they use USPS Airmail Standard Shipping, so I think it's about $25. Alternatively, you can use your local Zazzle site. On Zazzle.de, for example, this t-shirt costs €14.85 plus delivery, which seems pretty reasonable.

4. "The Napoleon" from RVCA

OK, it's Word Association time. Here goes: Napoleon... Wellington... Waterloo... Giraffe... Corsica... Wait - Giraffe?

Nope, I don't get it either, but I love the look on the giraffe's face, and the fact that its clothes make it so immediately recognisable as Napoleon.

The shirt was designed for RVCA by skateboarder Kevin "Spanky" Long, and is available in four colours from the RVCA site (Black, Cement Gry, Marco Red and University Red), and other colours (red, gold) from online resellers such as Titus, Zumiez and Infinity Surfboards. RVCA don't seem to have many sizes on offer at the moment, but again, it looks like there's more choice over at their partner sites.

Easily the most unlikely Napoleon t-shirt I've encountered so far, and I think I'll buy one just as soon as I can find the right colour/size combo somewhere.

(Hat-tip: Thunderfrogs.co.uk, from "Top 5 Giraffe T-Shirts & Facts!")

3. "Napoleon Living" from Emperial Nation

In a clothing genre that tends to be dominated by digitally-printed monochrome designs, it's nice to see a new Napoleon t-shirt that boasts a soft touch print featuring "layers of shadow effects and gold foil highlights giving it a ghostly vibe", and a "signature epaulet in the lower right corner" (not on the shoulder, oddly enough).

Available in pink or white, this is a classy design from Emperial Nation, who specialise in historically-inspired clothing covering periods including the French Revolution, the Wild West and Ottoman Empire, to name but a few.

A large design on the front of the t-shirt is based on Andrea Appiani's 1805 portrait of the Emperor in good health, and decked out in some pretty robust finery, my favourite part of which is some kind of bandolier made of Imperial Eagles.

Napoleon Living is currently retailing for $41, down 9% on its original price. International shipping costs aren't listed on the site, but I've emailed Emperial to find out more. Details when I get them.

UPDATE: With incredible speed, Emperial Nation have got back to me to say the cost of delivery to the Netherlands is $25 for up to three shirts. Might have to buy one now...

2. "Napoleon In War Paint" from Threadless

This is a neat little t-shirt from Threadless.com, designed by Jesse Lefkowitz, and featuring Napoleon decked out in traditional native American warpaint.

I love the idea of Napoleon as an American, and often wonder what the modern world would be like if he hadn't sold Louisiana back to Thomas Jefferson. Back then, the French held a vast chunk of mainland America, going all the way up to North Dakota, and representing nearly a quarter of what is now the US.

Luckily for us though, Bonaparte sold up, and got on with the business of conquering Europe. In the meantime, America grew into the country we know today, and 200 years after the Emperor cashed his cheque, Threadless was born.

I've bought from Threadless in the past (this t-shirt), and delivery to Europe was prompt. The t-shirt cost me $25 and delivery was another $8. But that was 2006, and now in 2009 prices have plummeted, with most Threadless t-shirts seeming to cost $18, and classics like Napoleon In War Paint going for a very reasonable $9.

So price definitely isn't an issue for this design, but unfortunately availabilty is. Right now it's out of stock in all sizes, men and women, but I've just submitted a request for a reprint, so let's see what happens. If you'd like to join my one-man campaign, head on over to Threadless and help me bring Napoleon In War Paint back into print.