Calgary Neighbouhood T-Shirts from Local Laundry

Wear your community pride on your sleeve with Local Laundry T-shirts.

It’s not uncommon for Calgarians to specify their neighbourhood when asked where they’re from, proud as they are of their respective ‘hoods. Now, thanks to Connor Curran’s Local Laundry, you can wear that pride on your sleeve with the company’s neighbourhood-specific T-shirts.

The idea for Local Laundry‘s locally themed shirts came about last year when Curran was studying in Sweden and wanted to tell his Swedish friends about the many different communities to be found in his hometown. “I was trying to explain to my friends in Sweden all the different communities within Calgary, and I couldn’t, really,” says Curran. He couldn’t find anything that represented Calgary communities that he could show his Swedish friends so Curran decided to create something himself.

Not having a background in design, Curran created the shirts using a simple online tool, giving each of the 15 initial neighbourhoods its own classic design. The shirts (from $32) are standard American Apparel, which Curran says was an easy decision on his part. “They’re sweatshop-free, quality, durable shirts. You can create great shirts and designs, but if they’re coming from China they’re going to fall apart after a couple of washes – no one is going to want them,” he says. “T-shirts are such a generic product that everyone knows, you have to start with quality.”

These first designs served as “proof of concept” for Local Laundry, showing that there is indeed a demand for what Curran is offering. He’s since introduced sweatshirts with YYC designs (from $55), and going into the spring, plans to introduce tank tops as well.

The next step is to be true to the name and make as much of the process as local as possible, with Curran reinvesting the money from sales into hiring local designers to create graphics that truly represent their communities. “I want local artists and designers to come forth and design their own T-shirt for their community, with local landmarks integrated or local inside jokes or puns, because then it’s truly local,” he says.

Local Laundry also aims to be give back to its communities, donating one dollar per shirt sold to a charity in the respective community. “I’m not in this to make a million bucks. I couldn’t care less about the money. For me, it’s a project to promote Calgary and the various communities within Calgary.”

For more information or to order shirts, visit locallaundryapparel.com.