These shirts have nothing but an outline of the Great Lakes on them. No promo for your friend's indie band. No logos. No cities, states, or any other political boundaries in the design. Just the lakes: Huron, Ontario, Michigan, Erie, and Superior. No explanation.

I started making these shirts back in 2003, as a subtle way for myself and friends to show some Midwestern pride. After bringing some to Ypsilanti's Shadow Art Fair, I decided to make a simple site to handle backorders and requests. That original site has morphed into the current greatlakesshirts dot com.

The whole concept - if it can be called that - turns on the fact that an aerial view of the Great Lakes is immediately recognizable to some people and unrecognizable to others. Wearing these shirts can be a nice way to meet other Midwesterners in far-flung corners of the globe or to give a quick geography lesson to someone who asks, "What's that random inkblot on your shirt?"

These shirts are printed in scheduled batches, because I need to have enough orders to make it worth the time and cost of high-quality screenprinting. I only stock limited color combinations and sizes, (which can be ordered using the 'Easy Order' option.) Items that are out of stock, as well as other color options and sizes, can be backordered (using the 'Back Order' option). My next batch will be begin in July 15th, 2010. All backorders placed before this date will be shipped by July 30th.

CUSTOM ORDERS

I can print almost any ink that can be mixed on almost any shirt color available. If you don't see what you want on the website, just contact me. Minimum quantity for bulk orders is 12 shirts at $20 each. (These shirts make great gifts for clans spread out across the globe, jerseys for soccer teams, and so on...) All orders over $239 - custom or not - get free shipping.

WHOLESALE

For wholesale inquiries, please contact me.

SHIPPING

All orders are shipped via USPS within 1-2 business of order placement. I try to minimize wasteful packing materials, so your shirt will arrive folded and may need to be washed before wearing.

RETURNS

Any returns/exchanged should be made within two weeks of original order, along with a clear email indicating reason for return/exchange. Customer assumes responsibility for shipping costs of return/exchange. Full refund will be given except for reasons of sizing error, which will incur a $2/shirt restocking fee.

FAQ

coming soon....