The Sweet Look of Home — Reppin’ Puerto Rico With The Home T
When Dorothy clicked her ruby red slippers together, she didn’t say, “Relocation rules!’ or “Wow, this new city is the business!” Clad in her blue gingham print apron dress, she pictured her native Kansas and repeated the phrase, “There’s no place like home” until Oz seemed like a foggy, somewhat nightmarish dream. To this day, the adage “There’s no place like home” rings true so that, no matter where you reside, chances are you reserve a special spot in your heart for your old stomping grounds, for the place where you first rode a bike, where you carved your initials into a special tree, or where you swapped friendship bracelets with a classmate you were certain would be your life-long pal. For me, that place is Puerto Rico — more specifically, Guaynabo, the city in which I was born and where I spent all my formative years. Over the last 13 years or so, I’ve been living in New York City and have, to some extend, grown roots here, but I can’t say it’s ever felt completely like home. Given this, I completely related to the story behind the creation of The Home T, a T-shirt brand that allows customers to showcase their state pride. As it turns out, Ryan, the company’s founder, moved from North Carolina to New York City in May 2010 and, like me, he’s always battling a bit of a fish-out-of-water sentiment — no matter how many years go by. Through The Home T, Ryan could feel a bit closer to his true home in the South and provide others with a means through which they, too, could feel more connected to their home states.
Available in a gray or blue scoop neck style, a black V-neck style, a gray baseball top with 3/4-length sleeves in black, or even as a black tank top, each unisex T-shirt is made of insanely soft cotton. The tees are so cozy and soft, in fact, you’ll want to sleep in them. Each top features a graphic of a specific state or territory within the United States, screen printed so as to give it a worn-in, vintage-esque look. The word “home.” is stamped across the state’s silhouette, a clever way of solidifying the brand’s presence while also conveying the notion that, for the wearer, the locale depicted represents home.
Tees are available for all 50 states, along with outlying territories (like my beloved Puerto Rico). I was over the moon to see Puerto Rico among the offerings since, way too often, people forget that Puerto Rico, although not a state, is officially part of the United States (it’s a commonwealth) and was excited to rep my homeland without having to resort to kitsch-y designs with bandanna-wearing coquís, flag-emblazoned maracas, and such.
When I want to dress up my tee, I’ll just pair it with some dark jeans and add a colorful blazer. In the case of the outfit shown here, I paired it with a pair of Lucky Brand jeans and a red BCBGMAXAZRIA blazer with notched lapels and pronounced shoulders. I then gave the look a bit of edge via some clear lucite shades and a chunky, gold-toned ID necklace from Topshop.
Do you share the belief that there’s no place like home? Then visit TheHomeT.com and, for just $28, you can snatch up a shirt featuring your home state.
