Merch That Brings Your Favorite Places To You
Many beloved establishments across the country are struggling. In Wisconsin, where I’m currently located with my family, our local and loved bakery we frequented since growing up shuttered just last week, largely because of the pandemic. When my sister heard the news, she said, “I’m so happy I got a sweatshirt the last time we went there.” I had passed on buying one of the bright red hoodies with the bakery’s name plastered on the chest at the time. I thought I could get the now-relic “next time,” not knowing that there wouldn’t be one. It’s sad to see a place you’ve loved for years close so suddenly.
2020 has been a reckoning to say the least, and there has been a re-emergence of the merch trend that first reigned supreme in 2016, The first wave of merch was mostly centered around commemorating special events like Rihanna’s Anti tour and Justin Beiber’s Purpose tour. Merch in 2020 looks a bit different. It has always been a way to support and represent your favorite places. But now, it feels like one way of bringing those places to you. Slogan tees, graphic sweatshirts, and tote bags support (or memorialize) favorite restaurants and shops, bring missed vacations home, and connect us to the cultural touchstones we haven’t been able to attend in months. In a small, tangible way, these pieces help connect us to our communities, even if just symbolically for now. Here, merch from The Met, Loewe, and more.
