A SIMPLE IDEA IN THE PHILADELPHIA FASHION SCENE GUARANTEES YOU WILL BE NOTICED

Contact: Joe Gallagher FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Cell: 215-262-2573
Email: joegallagher@phillyapparel.com

A SIMPLE IDEA IN THE PHILADELPHIA FASHION SCENE GUARANTEES YOU WILL BE NOTICED

Being loud, fabulous or a graduate of The School of Hard Knocks
was never enough. Until now.

If you were born and raised in Philly, you wear that fact on your lapel like a badge of honor. Most times it is as noticeable as the nose on Rocky’s face. But not always. The good news is, thanks to Philly Apparel Company, you will definitely be noticed now. To do so, you no longer have to wear the high-priced apparel of one of the local professional sports teams. Because this family-owned business sells Philly custom t-shirts, tank tops, hoodies and jackets at reasonable prices. One visit to their website www.PhillyApparel.com or their store in the 263 Marketplace in Warminster Bucks County, and you will have everything you need to silently broadcast to the world, “Yo! I’m from Philly! And I’m proud of it.”

My visit to the Philly Apparel Co location in Warminster, on a brisk but sunny Saturday, was well worth the drive from my office in Philadelphia. At the “Indoor Shoppers Village” known locally as the 263 Marketplace, there was quite a lot going on. Outside as well as inside. Before making my way inside I spent an hour strolling the large parking lot enjoying the free Motorcycle and car Show. There was music, free popcorn, a moon bounce, face painting, and more. The Warminster Police and Fire Departments were on hand showing off their state of the art crime fighting and fire prevention equipment. The U.S. Marines were in attendance collecting Toys for Tots. The atmosphere was carnival-like and the people were all extremely friendly.
Once inside, it was instantly clear why a friend had strongly recommended I take a leisurable ride to this very inimitable indoor marketplace to experience Philly Apparel Company first-hand. I was greeted with a friendly smile and a hearty hello from owner Joe Gallagher. The brick façade gave the appearance of a Philly street corner, rather than the corner space of a suburban indoor marketplace. I was impressed with the large variety of clothing and designs. Joe told me he has difficulty keeping the “I’m not loud, I’m from Philly” and “Fabulous and from Philly” shirts in stock. The “Philly University – School of Hard Knocks” is equally popular. No surprise there. He explained no matter the season, you can always purchase a heavy pullover hoodie, or a fitted tank top. “We will get a customer in December who needs a tank top for a trip to Arizona, or an order for a hoodie in August from someone going on vacation to Maine”, Joe tells me. “So we like to be able to accommodate all our customers year-round. And there is definitely no mistaking the theme. PHILLY. It appears in one form or another on everything they sell.

As I questioned Joe about his company, which he started in 2008, his entrepreneurial spirit was quite evident. Growing up in a middle-class neighborhood in Northeast Philadelphia, he explained how his father would always encourage him to be self-sufficient. Starting with a News Paper route, and then eventually to selling Soft Pretzels on Roosevelt Boulevard near the old Sears building. But like many of the young boys of his neighborhood, he would spend the next 10 years of his life bouncing from one minimum wage job to another. After graduating Cardinal Dougherty High School, in the midst of the Iran Hostage Crisis, Joe’s patriotism kicked in. “I felt a strong urge to go fight for my country, and I was tired of hanging –out on the street corner.” So he joined the U.S. Marines. He tells me it was the wisest choice he has ever made. Afterwards, while working in the Debt Collection Industry, he came up with the idea for Philly Apparel Co. At first he created a few t-shirts just for his personal use. But before long he was being approached by strangers who would inquire about where he had purchased the t-shirt he was wearing. “I joke that we should have named the company, “Hey. Where did you get that shirt?” So many people began to ask, that one day it hit him like a Dave Schultz punch. “I think I should try to start my own business.” Despite having just met him, after only 10 minutes Joe and I were talking and laughing as if we had known each other from the ol’neighborhood. But he was from Lawncrest and I was Fox Chase kid. To say he is a very likable guy would be an understatement. He is extremely proud of the fact he has taught himself everything he knows to this point about the apparel business. Including how to build and manage an e-Commerce website. “One of the most gratifying things about being a business owner is that I am guaranteed to learn at least one new thing every day about this business” Joe told me. One thing he has learned is that people from Philly are passionate about being from Philly. “When people come in, they want to talk about where they grew up, what school they went to, the bars they hung in. I love it.” Another reason why people are fond of Philly Apparel Co.? You may not believe this but not everyone in Philly is a sports fan. So now anyone can show their love for Philly. And you do not have to purchase clothing from one of Philadelphia’s four professional sport teams to do it.

For Philly Apparel Company, being in the 263 Marketplace is just one of the many – and often daily – well calculated steps Joe has taken towards bringing his business to national prominence. From the very beginning, being meticulous, methodical, and slightly cautious has been an integral part of his business plan. One thing is for sure. Joe’s confidence level is extremely high. To go along with the success of their website and the 263 Marketplace location, his clothing is already being sold in the largest mall in the United States. The King of Prussia Mall. In a store called Nestology. Research is also underway to possibly open an In-Line Store inside the Philadelphia International Airport early 2012. From the time Joe began “building his dream” in the basement of his home, he has often reminded himself – and anyone else that will listen.…”Success is marathon. Not a sprint.” His ultimate goal? To grow Philly Apparel Company into one of the most popular shopping destinations in the Philadelphia area. After talking to him for just a short period of time, I strongly believe he will succeed. Now if you will excuse me, I am going to put on my cool, new PHILLY hoodie, walk to my corner Pub to watch the Eagles, and see just how many “Hey. Where did you get that Hoodie?” questions I can answer. I’m betting there will be more than a few.
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If you would like more information about this topic, or to schedule an interview with Joe Gallagher, please call Philly Apparel Company at 251-262-2573 or e-mail at joegallagher@phillyapparel.com

About Philly Apparel Company
In the summer of 2006 I wanted a t-shirt that read Philly. I already owned quite a few Phillies, Eagles and Flyers shirts. Sorry, but I've never been a Sixers fan. Unfortunately a Philly t-shirt was nowhere to be found. Plenty of Philadelphia t-shirts though. So I sat down at my computer, drew-up some simple Philly designs on Paintshop, purchased transfer paper from an office supply store, printed them on my home HP printer, and then hand-ironed them onto some old blank t-shirts. Then the strangest thing happened. Whenever I wore them out, people would ask me, "Where'd you get that t-shirt?" Before long I was selling them to friends and family. Next, in my spare-time I learned how to build a website. And Philly Apparel Company was born.

We officially opened for business in May 2009. Currently located in beautiful Bucks County. As far as we know, we are the largest supplier of Philly gear in Philadelphia Pa. Or anywhere else for that matter. We sell it right here on our website, at our shop in The 263 Marketplace in Warminster Pa., occasionally at area outdoor markets such as Rice's in New Hope Pa. and The Piazza at Schmidts in Northern Liberties, in the heart of Philly. Our customers are people who want to stand-out from the crowd rather than blend in with it. We started with custom T-shirts for both men and woman, but have already expanded to hoodies, sweatshirts and tank tops for both men and women. By summer we plan to have hats and by the fall, jackets. We pride ourselves on quality, not quantity. Our love for Philadelphia goes into each and every garment so that you can wear it proudly.

Our Motivation
The fact is everyone says 'Philly'. Not just the people lucky enough to be born and/or raised here. It's common knowledge the people from Philly are passionate about being 'from' Philly. Oh, and not everyone is a sports fan. So we decided to give all those people a more fashionable way to show their love for our great city. We are not Ed Hardey or Juicy. And frankly, we don't wish to be. We believe sometimes less is more. Our designs are simple, because our message is simple. "We love Philly and we're damn proud of it."

About the Owners
My name is Joe Gallagher. Founder and co-owner along with my beautiful wife, Florence. We were both born and raised right here in Philly. I grew up in the Northeast, am a graduate of Cardinal Dougherty High School and a former U.S. Marine. Flo is proud to have grown up in South Philly. She is a graduate of Saint Maria Goretti High School and Temple University. Fate brought us together while working for the same company in Bensalem in 1989 and we have been inseparable ever since. Together we design and produce the apparel you see here on our website.

Our Goals
We firmly believe success is achieved one customer at a time. That success is a marathon, not a sprint. Each day we strive to find the best garment suppliers in America. Each day we work to improve our website, to make your shopping experience more pleasurable. To be the best, you have to offer the best. The best quality. The best service. The largest selection. We are working hard to bring our PHILLY gear directly to everyone. In the very near future we plan to open a store in Philadelphia. Then another. Then another. It's obvious we have what you want. So we are doing everything possible to bring it to you.

Philly Apparel Co.
5424 Silo Hill Rd.
Doylestown Pa. 18902

Press Contact:
Joe Gallagher (Owner)
Cell 215-262-2573

This release was published on openPR.