Tees Worth Talking About

A bit about shirt brands

Just over a year ago, we started discussing the possibility of developing an online t-shirt/merch store. Specifically, a website that celebrates the local North Georgia towns accessible via the GA state route 515 highway. The idea was to come up with designs that incorporate the local towns, attractions, or even items these towns are known for, like apples to Ellijay, or roosters to Blue Ridge, and even Bigfoot to the Southern Appalachians. After numerous discussions, planning sessions, homework, and designs for the shirts, coupled with lots of trial and error, we hope we’re on track to realizing our dream.

During this journey, one of our first decisions was which brand of shirt we should use and why we should select a certain brand over others. After purchasing several types of shirts, conducting side-by-side comparisons, and drawing on our personal insights and preferences, we identified several favorites that we’ve incorporated into our designs. What I really like about our website is that we provide our end customers with product choices that we hope will meet various customer needs.

For example, I prefer shirts with thicker fabric, a slightly oversized fit, great color selections, and, in my opinion, a quality that feels better with every wash. As a result, many of my own personal shirt designs use Comfort Colors Products.  They’re available in long-sleeved and short-sleeved T-shirts; they look great and hold up well.

My partner absolutely loves light-weight fabric blends that have a snug fit and still hold up well over time. His favorite brands tend to be Next Level or Gilden because these shirt makers better fit his style. These shirts really do perform well in an active lifestyle, including hikes or numerous trips to the gym.

Most of our shirt selections to date have been Unisex selections. We made this decision since there’s a huge selection of these shirts, it seems to be the most requested, and many of our customers are used to shopping in this space with other companies.

Wendy, one of the owners, also asked that we incorporate shirt makers specific to women as well. To date, we’ve received good feedback on that decision, and it seems to stem from the fact that although some women prefer a Unisex selection, others prefer a shirt that is cut to specifically fit women. Examples of items you’ll note in these shirts’ comments are: semi-fitted, V-neck cuts, or even fitted shorter sleeves for our north Georgia summers. The cool part about our website is that you can sort through our merch based on your own personal choices.

Another owner, Joe (Wendy's husband), absolutely detests the scratchy labels in the back of the neck on some of the shirt brands.  Because of his desire not to deal with cutting out the labels, he tends to go with Hanes, Gilden, or Bella Canvas as these brands don’t have the separate labels attached to their collars. Joe also has a knack for creating great designs that make you think and smile. I know you’ll enjoy some of these designs under our 'Grin and Wear it’ category.

Ultimately, our team chose several shirt makers to help better fit the wants and needs specific to each of us. Because just like you, the four of us have different wants and/or needs when we’re looking to make a purchase. We’ve done our best to include comments or insights on each product to help you make an informed decision on what works best for you.

Happy shopping @ 515Gear.com!