i loved kansas city before kansas city was cool and that’s probably why i had so much fun putting this shoot together. i rounded up a collection of my favorite kansas city shirts for the january issue of her life magazine. what’s even more fun is that i got to style the whole shoot too. model harrison quinn brought his own pants and shoes and much of what model paige pelfrey is wearing came from my own closet.
one of the first to make my list is raygun. i’ve been buying raygun shirts online for years and i was thrilled when they opened a brick and mortar shop here in kansas city. as a native kansas citian i find that people who don’t live here are often confused by the whole kansas city, kansas/kansas city, missouri thing. there’s no better way to sum it up than with this too much city for one state tee.
next up is charlie hustle. if you haven’t heard of charlie hustle, there’s a chance you’ve been living under a rock. paul rudd proudly rocked a charlie hustle shirt when our kansas city royals were in the world series and the kc heart tank i own is a staple of my wardrobe. we had fun pairing the tank paige is wearing with what she and i like to call socially acceptable sweats, heels and a blazer.
i’ve been a long time fan of sandlot goods. katy bird started sandlot with a line of handcrafted horween leather goods (keychains, wallets and tech sleeves) before expanding to include leather bags like the one pictured below and her famous made in kc tee. i’ve worn this super soft tee so many ways but pairing it with this bold orange skirt, suede booties and a leather jacket just might be my favorite way to wear it. the jacket wasn’t originally part of the plan, but when katy walked in to the studio wearing it i literally stole that jacket right off her back. never mind that it was freezing and she really needed a coat. anything for the shot, right katy?
ocean & sea is a recent discovery and i’m obsessed. founded in 2013 by brendan and amanda o’shaughnessy, ocean & sea is the result of the their passion for design and illustration. two of my favorites are the ampersand tee and the heart hoodie but they’re making more than just tees. they’ve also got a great line of beanies, prints and stickers. and i could seriously get lost in their daydreams project. if you click that link be prepared to kill some serious time (and be inspired).
bandwagon merchandise was another new discovery for me. their kc monogram and kc streets shirts stood out as two of my favorites but they’re also producing some killer royals and chiefs inspired tees too. i liked working with the folks at bandwagon so much that we used them for the newly re-designed super bo shirts.
and how could we round up our favorite kansas city shirts without including baldwin? while this kansas city fashion power house is well known for their kc hat, the #repyourhood collection is garnering lots of attention these days. jason sudeikis, a big supporter of baldwin, wore the kansas city crew pullover on late night with seth meyers. and i’m seeing the well-designed market bag, a collaboration between baldwin and la-based apolis, all over town. i use mine on a daily basis.
the kansas city bred tee by collar for collar isn’t just another cool shirt. the collar for collar team passionate about dogs. they’ve partnered with organizations all across the country that are dedicated to rescuing dogs and finding them homes rather than keeping them kenneled for an extended period of time. half of the profits from every shirt sold directly benefit dogs in need. their signature kansas city bred tee features a tag on the neckline that symbolizes the impact your purchase has made toward saving dogs (your collar for their collar).
and last but certainly not least, is normal human. since 2012 they’ve been creating an original line of kansas city focused wears and wares. everything normal human designs is hand-printed in their westport store in small batches and they aim to use environmentally-friendly products whenever possible. my favorites from their clothing line include their kc hoodie and the kc crew neck sweatshirt (one of the softest sweatshirts in the history of sweatshirts). 
i hope you enjoyed this roundup. i’d love to hear what your favorites are.
thank you to all of the designers who lent clothing and to the talented team i got to work with.
models: harrison quinn and paige pelfrey of exposure model and talent agency
hair: erica johnson of double take salon and day spa
makeup: paige pelfrey
