Shop for a Cause: T-Shirts

Serengetee

As I look down the hall, I see a pastel t-shirt with a seersucker frocket. I don’t understand East students’ obsession with looking frat, even when we are in high school or looking southern-preppy even when we are as mid-western as it gets. To add an international touch to the frocket phenomenon, Serengetee t-Shirts are the perfect solution. Their variety of shirts and variety of frocket patterns intrigue me, and I think anyone can find a pattern of frocket that fits them. I favor the tribal patterns, but one can also find American flag patterns. As this organization gives back 5 percent of each purchase, I don’t consider Serengetee to be one of the most generous groups. However, they support 32 causes in 28 countries and have donated over $38,000. I see these products as adding a worldly view to East’s suburban outlook.

46nyc

What’s more attractive than a man who runs his own charity organization? Bachelorette contestant Graham Bunn started 46nyc, a company that sells T-shirts incorporating the number 46 in their design. The “46” comes from “for six”, the company’s motto, which means that they work for (4) ending six problems in the world today:  disease, abuse, poverty, birth defects, malnutrition and inadequate education. For example, in promoting Alex’s Lemonade Stand (a charity working to fight cancer), the shirts say “cur46le”. This clever approach to making a change in the world excites me, even though the design and classic fitted t-shirts weren’t the most creative.

Sevenly

Faded calligraphy surrounded by vines that flow into the shape of a globe is printed onto a t-shirt that reads “Be The Change you Hope to See in the World”. This is the look of sevenly.org, an organization that designs T-shirts to raise money for their charity of the week. From each purchase, $7 is donated to the cause and they have raised a total of $2 million, which is 25 percent of their total profits. The cause of the week ranges from Feed my Starving Children to National Autism Association. Sevenly is one of my favorite organizations because of the uniqueness and aesthetically pleasing nature of their designs. Rather than normal T-shirts, Sevenly prints on baseball tees, sweaters and dolman tees as well. While Sevenly succeeds in giving significant amounts of money to a large variety of charities, they also make a difference in the world through the empowering messages they print on each product.