What started as an idea forever and a year ago has finally bore fruit in the incarnation of WearPittsburgh: a localized apparel company cool t-shirts featuring fun, witty, and interesting designs that not only celebrate but also poke fun at Pittsburgh and surrounding neighborhoods.   These are great products – after trying out MANY prototypes, I can say these are high-quality and so very comfortable.

When you first dream up an enterprise like this, you can’t begin to comprehend all that will be involved in getting it going.  Planning, marketing, branding, designing, etc.  The thought of “Oh yeah, this shouldn’t be too hard!” really goes out the window.   It was a lot of work, talk, solicitation, feedback, opinions, and vetting.  Real life gets in the way too as you push onward.  And, fortunately, all startups have help:

My friends Amy and Robin for their wise counsel.

Katy D, who was able to peer into my brain for many of these designs and pluck out of my imagination what I wanted.

Cindy and Anthony at Big Big Design for the great website.

The great people and materials at Pittsburgh-based Spreadshirt, who is our material and fulfillment partner.  (Thanks Lindsay so much for introducing me to this at Podcamp Pittsburgh!)

All of our existing and future partners who have created and/or inspired such cool designs.

Everyone at Podcamp Pittsburgh and Bootcamp, as well as who offered their advice when getting a sneak preview… your opinions were so appreciated in tightening things up and getting things ready.

Finally – my close friends, family, and Mrs. Woy.  Without her eagle eyes and great advice, I would have never been able to get this off the ground.

I hope you enjoy WearPittsburgh, and will watch the store’s blog for new products as they are released on a regular basis.

The slow, inexorable expansion of the juggernaut known as Wal-Mart into nearly every nook and cranny in the United States has been a foregone conclusion for the past ten years.  Small shops, local legislation, picketing… all of these have been brushed aside by the apparition of Sam Walton and those awesome “George” series of belts and wallets.

The combination of mother nature, bad surveying, and general dumbassery struck a blow to goliath as Kilbuck Township will remain Wal-Mart free at least for the time being.

(Photo stolen shamelessly from Chicago Carless)