Fashion

fashion Having a ‘tee talk’

Local boutique celebrates pop culture with unique T-shirts

By JEFFARAH GIBSON Tribune Features Writer jgibson@tribunemedia.net

Customised T-shirts with witty quote and slogans continue to be a hit with Bahamians.

And since boutiques are working hard to keep their designs on-trend – using new and clever pop culture references all the time – it looks like their popularity isn’t diminishing any time soon.

T-shirts with interesting, trendy and sometimes downright hilarious quotes printed on them are the choice for many who simply want a fun statement piece in their wardrobes. Not to mention, it is often a conversation piece.

The local Talk of The Tee Boutique keeps its eyes and ears tuned to pop culture and social media, and especially on what’s happening here in the Bahamas, to ensure their designs remain on-trend.

“I usually scout most of the sayings via social media, but I also love when my clients send in their ideas; it’s so fun,” said Alesha, owner and businesswoman.

“I call it having ‘tee talk’ with them. I find that most of them like the edgy and daring sayings. Some examples of sayings I have promoted so far are ‘Places You Can Stay For Free - Your Lane’, ‘A Vibe Called Blessed’, ‘Rich Aunty Vibes’, ‘My Face Will Say It Before My Mouth Do’, ‘Pray Even On Your Best Days’, ‘I’m Never Free, I Make Time’, ‘Sooner or Later Tings Ga Be Tings’, and so much more’ she said.

T-shirts sporting Bahamian vernacular and references to current local events are always a must-have.

“This past Independence holiday I had persons inquire about an independence line. I was on the fence about it, but I executed it, and it turned out amazing. In Bahamian flag colours, the sayings for that specific line focused on putting a spin on local trends such as ‘God Is Good I Misewell Tell Ya’, ‘I Spillagating All Summer 2021’, ‘Soon Tereckly Tings Ga Be Tings’, and the popular ‘Be A Pineapple, Stand Tall’ quote. I have since added all the independence sayings to my black and white line, calling it ‘The Bahamian Tee’, available through all seasons,” she said.

Staying on top of what’s going on in the world is extremely important when it comes to designing the T-shirts.

“You have some quotes that won’t be popular for a long time, that’s just how quick people change their focus on what’s trending. So every week I try to add a new piece to the collection that reflects what’s hot in the moment,” said Alesha.

“The holidays are our favourite time of the year, so we are excited to bring some Fall and Winter fashion trends to the Talk of The Tee Boutique’s line of offerings. We are hoping to take part in a few pop-up intimate events as well.”

While the boutique is fairly new, Alesha was in a partnership with another T-shirt brand for about two years before rebranding and officially launching as Talk of The Tee Boutique this June.

“We aim to have our customers ‘say it with a tee’ in fashion and in style,” she said.

“My experience in vinyl printing expands over three years, and with that knowledge I decided to do more research into making what I wanted to do. There was a T-shirt (streetwear) store I visited earlier this year out of the country that really inspired my focus on T-shirt printing. I had already had the idea to relaunch my business before Summer 2021, but only to do the same thing I have been doing before, you know, print custom tees.”

But this store she visited, had niche products and a business model that the young businesswoman immediately took note of.

“I noticed how they solely focused and narrowed their business down to a style, a colour and theme. It wasn’t all over the place, it was specific. I was so inspired to the point where I couldn’t leave the store without speaking with the owner and telling her about my venture here in the Bahamas. After my brief conversation with her and a friend of mine, my vision instantly changed and shifted to a theme,” she said.

“I love fashion, I love playing around in everchanging trends, I love to laugh and share relatable memes with friends, and my favourite colour is black. I did even more research on how best I could execute my ‘lightbulb idea’ and I narrowed it down to what I wanted to do, spending late nights teaching myself and seeking guidance. This delayed my launch for about two months, but it was well worth the wait.”

Today, Talk of The Tee Boutique offers custommade, to-order T-shirt designs, focused on the colours black, white, brown and shades of beige.

However, they still offer customised tees at a customer’s request for special events and for branding in all colours.

“When a celebrity or an Instagram famous person strikes gold by saying something silly that ends up going viral, the first thing they do is put the saying on a T-shirt. And guess what people do? They buy them. Again, it’s a never-ending trend that will never go out of style,” said Alesha.

“In the words of Karl Lagerfeld, ‘You can be the chicest thing in a T-shirt and jeans - it’s up to you.’ People shop with their eyes of course, so I encourage them with my tagline that says, ‘Carry your favourite quotes and saying around with you and say it with a tee’. Whether you want to dress it up with jeans or pants, some heels, and a red lip, or dress it down with some sandals and shorts and a nude lip, it can work for you, honey.”

Talk of The Tee Boutique can currently be found on Facebook at Talk of The Tee Boutique and Instagram at talkoftheteeboutiquebah.