Own The Chicago Neighborhoods In T-Shirt Form

By Chuck Sudo in Arts & Entertainment on Jun 18, 2012 8:45PM

The Chicago Neighborhood's Project logo for Bridgeport. (Credit: Steve Shanabruch)

Steve Shanabruch's "The Chicago Neighborhoods" project has been moving along nicely since we last checked in on it in January, with the total number of neighborhood branded logos at 80. (Bridgeport is now represented, as you can see above. So is my home neighborhoods of Hermosa and Belmont Cragin.)

Shanabruch has slowed the pace down to two new logos a week and, for the person who can best say something by putting it on a t-shirt, most of the Chicago Neighborhood logos are now available on t-shirts.

"Ever since the outset (of the project) people were asking for t-shirts and other merchandise that featured the logos," Shanabruch said via email. " I was exploring numerous options, trying to figure out what would best suit the project."

Shanabruch eventually chose Below the Collar, which is part of the local company One Hour Tees, because they were able to host a web store and print and ship the shirts. Rather than silk screening the designs, these Chicago Neighborhoods t-shirts are "direct-to-garment" prints.

"I'd have to be very selective about which ones to offer if they were silk screened, but direct-to-garment lets me offer every single logo on a shirt, which is helpful because I wouldn't want to exclude a community just because I didn't think it would sell enough to warrant a run of silk screened shirts," Shanabruch.

"This way, everyone is happy."

Related:

Local Designer "Brands" Chicago's Neighborhoods
More Neighborhoods Get "The Chicago Neighborhoods" Treatment