Fits Most Sizes
Cleveland's Booming Indie T-Shirt Companies Offer Something for Everyone

Is there really a need for more than one indie clothing company in Cleveland? Would anyone dare to set up shop near the likes of the immortal Daffy Dan's and hope to succeed? You'd have to be young and foolish to try such a feat, right?

Actually, you'd have to be savvy and attuned to what Clevelanders really want. And that seems to be why more than one indie clothing company has been able to create a successful business in the area. And while there may be some competition for customers, most of the companies say they have found a sub-niche within the indie clothing marketplace.

It may have been the name that first got Big Cock T’z (later toned down to BCTZ) recognition in 2003, but the company has managed to build a reputation as an innovative, and sometimes irreverent, T-shirt business. Logos like “Defend Cleveland,” featuring a pair of crossed handguns [pictured], and “Cleveland Lowlife,” a spoof on Miller High Life, define BCTZ’s edginess. “We tend to be non-PC,” chuckles MATT, who founded BCTZ with business partner Jeff. “If you can’t laugh at yourself, you’re in trouble.”

BCTZ concentrates on creating shirts that support the city, even if it’s in a rough-around-the-edges sort of way. “It doesn’t surprise me that there’s a lot of Cleveland pride,” says Nocente, who often sees people wearing shirts made by his company as he’s traversing Northeast Ohio and has shipped shirts as far as California.

While BCTZ targets all adults ranging from about 18 to 40 years of age, the majority of its customers right now tend to be male, according to Nocente. The shirts “sell like crazy” in skate shops and boutiques, he adds. This summer, BCTZ is revamping its website and unveiling a few new shirts to reach an even wider audience. “We’re trying to hit more vendors,” Nocente says.

BCTZ calls itself “Cleveland’s original rock-and-roll T-shirt.” While other indie clothing companies have popped up over the last few years, all of them seem to be respectful of who came before them and careful not to tread on any toes.

Mike Kubinski and Jeff Rees kicked around the idea of creating a national clothing brand a few years ago. The two young entrepreneurs knew they had to start on a smaller scale though to build capital and a reputation. “We decided to gain a niche market in Cleveland,” says Kubinski. Out of that goal, the indie clothing company C.L.E. Clothing Co. was born.

C.L.E targets the 25-to-35-year-old market with shirts like “It’s still the Jake to me,” “Beware of Dead Man’s Curve” “Richfield Coliseum: Palace on the Prarie” [pictured] and “216: Respect the Code.” The company’s motto is “Spreading Cleveland Pride, One T-Shirt at a Time.” C.L.E. also has a line of shirts honoring the Browns, Cavs and Indians.

To make it into C.L.E.’s lineup, a shirt has to pass a rigorous test: “We make sure we want to wear it ourselves,” Kubinski explains. “That process has been working so far.”

It looks like people outside of Cleveland want to wear the shirts as well. “Lots of our customers are out-of-state,” Kubinski says. “They’re Clevelanders who moved away.” Kubinski adds that C.L.E. ships two or three packages to New York City every week, and that shirts have made their way to cities like Dallas and Denver.

C.L.E. has so far relied on word of mouth and e-mail blasts to market its products. “Our advertising budget consists of $70 for business cards,” Kubinski says with a laugh. The company is gradually expanded its T-shirt line, adding one-to-three shirts to its online catalog each month.

For some indie clothing companies, a niche means offering more than homage-to-Cleveland T-shirts. The T-Spot in North Olmsted offers a limited number of shirts bearing references to Cleveland; they include a distressed shirt that simply says “Cleveland Rocks.”

The majority of the company’s shirts run the gamut from novelty (“Don’t Hassle the Hoff”) to humor (“Talk Nerdy to Me”).

Some local indie clothing companies, including Boosters Brand, don’t even mention Cleveland on their online catalog. The Boosters Brand mixes edginess and humor with a splash of sophistication. T-shirts with sayings like “Fake or not, my LV (Louis Vouitton) is Hot” and “Boosters, A Brand of Thieves” are as much about style as they are about catchy phrases.

Indie clothing companies appear to be recession-proof. “Despite the economy, shops just keep ordering our shirts,” Nocente says.

Many of those involved with the indie clothing industry believe that competition among the companies is healthy—and relatively happy. “I think everyone’s trying to bring something different to the table,” Nocente says.

Kubinski agrees. “Everyone’s [niche is] pretty much different,” he says.

He even sees the possibility of local indie clothing companies coming together on some projects. “Maybe there’ll be the opportunity for some collaboration down the line,” Kubinski says.

From Cool Cleveland contributor Diane DiPiero ohiodianeATnetzero.com
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