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KPBS Producer Andy Trimlett

Goes T-Shirt Hunting in San Diego

April 24, 2009

Recently, I grabbed my friend Lee and embarked on a grand quest to find cool t-shirts in San Diego. In normal times, shops that sell artistic t-shirts appear and disappear at Whack-a-Mole speed. But this economy has turned the San Diego t-shirt industry into a horror movie. The casualties we recorded Monday — Waffo, Future of Style, and the Rags store in Hillcrest — gone, gone, and gone. Waffo still lives online and Rags is open in Ocean Beach, but still, ouch.

But fear not! Many a fantastic t-shirt can still be found without resorting to a cold, faceless internet purchase. One of the first stops on our hunt now ranks as one of my favorite shops in town — FeeLit. This place sells records, wire sculptures, jewelry, and clothing — all from local artists. The t-shirts come from Stiska, who comes up with his particularly awesome designs over in Bird Rock.