Man makes living by selling the shirt on his back

NEW YORK (Reuters Life!) - A T-shirt a day has kept unemployment at bay for an American man who is making about $85,000 a year by selling advertising space on his torso.

Jason Sadler, 26, a former marketing professional from Florida, founded his own company, www.iwearyourshirt.com, in 2008 with the idea to wear a T-shirt supplied by any company and then use social media tools to promote the firm.

For his human billboard service, Sadler charges the "face value" of the day so January 1 costs $1, while December 31 costs $365.

Sadler said this may not sound like a lot but it adds up to $66,795 a year if he sells out every day, which he did this year. He also sells monthly sponsorships for $1,500, adding another $18,000 to his income.

"I walk around, take photos, wear the shirt all day ... I blog about those photos, I put 'em up on Twitter, I change my Facebook profile ... and then I do a Youtube video," he told Reuters Television.

"I made about $83,000 this year."

The average U.S. wage is about $615 a week or about $32,000 a year, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Sadler has already begun filling his 2010 calendar so, in true entrepreneurial fashion, he is expanding services by hiring another individual to wear a shirt a day on the west coast of the United States -- and is doubling his price.

(Reporting by Reuters Television, Editing by Miral Fahmy)