Bar Bathroom documents Seattle’s boozier establishments through dozens of Instagram selfies in (varyingly graffitied) mirrors. Black Cat merch stands out in a sea of bar hoodies: Located in Belltown, which “holds a special place in the bar and restaurant community,” says the anonymous social media personality, this “solid dive bar” frequently introduces new, rock-tee-inspired designs that make repping local easy. “It’s a good way to promote local biz and strike up conversation when people ask you about what you’re wearing.”

Smith styles his forest-green Elliott Bay Book Company crewneck with a dad hat and a collared shirt—a look befitting the sweatshirt’s decidedly vintage vibes (though the longtime independent bookshop sells them new). “I feel like it’s fun to wear something that’s been in the community for over 50 years [the bookstore, not the sweatshirt]. It spoke to me as soon as I saw it,” Smith says. “Fifty years doesn’t seem long in the grand scheme of things, but for how fast Seattle is changing, it’s forever.”

Berg’s merch of choice, like the 60-year-old institution it represents, has some serious staying power: She nabbed the 1995 Seattle Opera Götterdämmerung tee when her parents took her to see the Richard Wagner epic at age 11, and had the remarkable foresight to size up. She’s still a big fan. “I picked it out from the gift shop because the flame design on the black background made it look sort of like a shirt for a metal band,” Berg says. “Which honestly, a five-hour opera that ends with the entire world on fire is kinda metal.” 

A black tank purchased at a 2022 Kitty Junk show holds a place of high esteem in Greenstone’s merch-heavy closet, which “actually collapsed” under the weight of his collection. “I’m constantly trying to stop myself from buying T-shirts from local bars and bands anytime I’m out. Even ones I don’t wear anymore I hang up in my closet as if they’re exhibits in a little pocket museum about my life,” he says. “To me they’re proof I’m a Seattleite, proof I had an impact on a little part of the city’s culture, and proof it had an impact on me.”

As the founder of Porchlight Coffee and the artist behind the coffee shop’s robust design arm (see above), Bolotin knows firsthand the impact merch can have on small businesses. “I appreciate it so much when folks buy merch or tell me that they saw a piece of Porchlight merch on the street,” he says. “When folks buy well-designed, well-made merch, it can really give a financial boost to those shops.” The understated Seattle tote from local clothing brand Freeman Seattle stands out to Bolotin for its “very pretty simplicity” and local manufacturing: “They make almost everything in-house in their sew shop, which makes it extra special.”

A brand with well over a century of Seattle history needn’t shout—the small leather patch on Chandler’s Filson apron, which has carried him from the maritime industry to the Seattle restaurant scene, does all the talking. Except, of course, when Chandler proselytizes. “As a young entrepreneur, I think about how incredible that is to transcend so many economies, style evolutions, and trends,” he says. “They have always represented the Pacific Northwest.”

Shao turns to Porchlight Coffee for its impressive variety of impeccably designed local merch: “As a born-and-raised Seattleite, I love the Seattle-inspired stuff Zack [Bolotin] makes for the shop,” from logo diner mugs to retro Seattle travel prints featuring the Space Needle as a sort of space-age carafe. “Merch is such an amazing example of pride in place,” Shao says. “It helps define neighborhood character and is a great way to support your favorites and spread the word.”