What We Heart

Piper + Olive

by Char Vandermeer

$22-$36, piperandolive.com

Tired of the same old retro tees? Embarrassed that three of your buddies have the same Spoon shirt? Check out Piper + Olive, a playful collaboration between longtime friends Caren Goldstein and Barbara Overholser. Goldstein — a graphic designer whose work has long been appreciated by Philly's arts community — joined forces with writer Overholser just over two years ago to create strikingly simple, fun and imaginative tees and hoodies.

"I was looking for something that was more self-generated than my client-related work. We put what we want on a shirt and don't have to edit it," says Goldstein. Their peaceful yet political sensibility is tailored to women, kids and wee ones. "We like contemporary, new trends and also messages with meanings," she notes. Their collection is printed on American Apparel and Alternative Apparel; however, they're hoping to introduce more organic materials from a wider variety of vendors soon. Our favorites include the googly-eyed "gato" tee and the hot "fireball" onesie. Piper + Olive can be found in 12 stores nationally, including local boutiques Matthew Izzo, Lolli Lolli and Scarlet Fiorella.