Nothing says startup like the company t-shirt — just look at the photos from our various events. Startup t-shirts are a way to get the word out about your own company, and some people love building a collection of shirts from different startups.
In a very scientific* poll conducted with our readers, we found most people are pretty into startup t-shirts. They love wearing them to events, using them as a conversation starter, building team spirit and repping their crew.
We asked our respondents to identify what they liked about their favorite shirt. They cited softness, simple and clean design, good typography and a strong concept.
“The best ones are about championing the wearer rather than the company,” said Ben Thompson, co-founder of GitPrime. “There's a higher likelihood that people wear them if you spend the extra money on high quality material, in the right size — not just XL — and don't forget to offer ladies’ cut tees, too.”
And because people style their t-shirts differently, we thought we’d include a few photos from some our respondents:
Ben Thompson,
“Dark on dark on dark.”
Jennifer Forker, /
“I rock mine with a skirt and wicked knee highs. If nothing else, it's amusing.”
Kathy Keating,
“I had a large pile of tech shirts in my closet from various events and didn’t know what to do with them… every time I looked at the pile, I was reminded about how collaborative and supportive the Colorado tech community is. I made the skirt as my way to acknowledge the strength of our community — and to gain back a shelf in my closet!”
Darren Stemple,
“I don't like to wear just t-shirts to work, so I'll pair it with a button up and jeans.”
Megan Sullivan-Jenks,
“We have employee-only shirts. This is an excellent way to represent the company, plus they double as new employee initiation. In true startup style, I wear my t-shirt with jeans and converse. Is there any other way of wearing them?”
Elissa Glorvigen,
“More clothes = less laundry.”
* Not actually scientific.
Have a unique way of styling your startup shirts? Share a pic on Instagram and tag us: @builtinco.
