A California business sells T-shirts with the names of Mom and Pop shops from around the country. Destee Nation was featured in a New York Times Magazine article by Rob Walker. Part of the proceeds goes to the business where the shirt originated. I could imagine a C.F. Sauers T-shirt selling well. Maybe with the slogan, "Spicy."

“Many have a vintage look and seem to advertise businesses from a bygone era, or to offer made-up riffs on such advertisements — a faux faded logo for Blue Moon Burgers, the dubious-sounding Tractor Tavern and so on. But each has a tag attached, giving the story of each business, as well as its address. “Then it hits them,” says Matt Morgan, the founder of Destee Nation. “These places are all real.”

This got me thinking about Richmond’s small business landmarks. What local shops already sell T-shirts with their logo or a slogan?

What shops or companies illicit such nostalgia or are such a part of Richmond’s fabric that they oughta be selling T-shirts?

In my travels, I've noticed that diners, hardware stores and general stores often cash in on this trend. One of my favorite read, "If we don't have it, you don't need it."

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written by Eddie Jacobs, June 19, 2008

interesting article aaron. i wonder when this fad of celebrating the banality of small businesses will become unfashionable. it used to be a pleasure to peruse thriftstores in search of the perfect rare tee-shirt (my favorite is an old louisiana tech shirt). Now that you can buy mass produced versions at gap, old navy, j. crew, etc., the luster has been taken off of the original garments.

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written by Matt Morgan, June 20, 2008

Eddie - I hear you. The fako shirts that have found there way to the big retailers have created nothing but an empty feeling in our culture... It is our hope the real thing will land differently on the American conscious. We're not big retailer - as you may be preparing to argue. We often carry shirts that sell only 20 copies a year! Gap wouldn't burn a silk-screen unless it's preparing to run 10,000 or more.

Keep the faith man!

-Matt
founder - Destee-Nation Shirt Co.

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written by Eddie Jacobs, June 23, 2008

Matt,
I wish you nothing but great success, I hope your customers enjoy the fact that they are being a real shirt as apposed to some crappola. Maybe one day- should a customer of your outgrow a shirt- I will find one of yours at a local thrift store! Knock em dead.

eddie

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written by Eddie Jacobs, June 23, 2008

apposed=opposed=hungover

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