An Ode to the T-Shirt

From Philantopic It's Labor Day weekend, the traditional end of summer. Like many of you, I'll be spending it in jeans and a comfortable T-shirt, relaxing with friends and recharging my batteries. Those who know me, know I love T-shirts. Not the $250 Brioni kind recently written up in the New York Times. No, I'm talking about tees associated with organizations and causes that throughout the years have shaped my life and life's work. I don't know what it is, but a T-shirt with an eye-catching design or clever slogan creates an instant connection between the wearer and others, even in unfamiliar surroundings. In 1966, for example, I was traveling across southern Cameroon and came across a boy on a bike sporting the logo of Slippery Rock State University. That shirt was a long way from home, but somehow it helped bridge the gap between us. As you might imagine, after more than four decades of social activism, my closets are stuffed with T-shirts that mean something to me. My collection is so extensive, in fact, that out of necessity we've had to adopt a household rule: Every time I buy a new T-shirt, I have to dispose of an older one. Rules were made to be broken, and I periodically flaunt that one. I mean, how could I ever part with my "Kaapu for Mayor" T-shirt (circa 1969), even though it hasn't fit me for...oh, twenty years. It doesn't matter. It just makes make me happy to remember all those times I wore it and, in so doing, gave a "shout out" to the first native Hawai'ian to run for mayor of Honolulu. Of course, in the years since tees have become the world's most enduring emblem of a social conscience. Today, you can buy a Gap T-shirt and contribute to the global fight against AIDS/HIV, tuberculosis, and malaria. You can wear a "Girl Effect" T-shirt produced by Nike. You can promote an anti-animal cruelty message by wearing any of a dozen different ASPCA T-shirts. And as more and more young people turn the upper half of their bodies into mobile billboards for a good cause, the message to nonprofit organizations is clear: Find a fair-trade T-shirt producer, find a wordsmith to craft a snappy slogan and an artist to create a great design, and start promoting. These two companies can help: Through its philanthropic division, Now and Zen Productions, one of America's largest suppliers of novelty tees, assists nonprofits and charities by selling their T-shirts at cost. The company also will donate an additional 10 cents on the dollar to charities and projects it supports through its "+A Dime" program. Colorado-based One Tribe, a branding and marketing firm that bills itself as "a new model for social enterprise," designs and sells 100 percent organic tees for a select group of not-for-profit clients. Not only are the T-shirts beautifully designed, but a hefty 50 percent of the purchase price ($46) is turned over to the nonprofit. The firm, which is currently working with four nonprofits, is accepting applications from other worthy causes. Got a favorite nonprofit T-shirt slogan that has stuck with you over the years? Use the comments section to share it with others. And have a great Labor Day weekend! -- Michael Seltzer