In my continuing series of featuring local sportswear brands that catch my eye – ones that make sports fan wear that would have kept my high school classmates from laughing at me – I am happy to feature No R Lifestyle, out of Medford, Massachusetts. I had the opportunity to exchange emails with Buddy Hanley, co-founder of the line, and ask him about what makes his Boston sports fan shirts stand out. He also has a special offer to extend to …On Being a Sports Girl readers at the end of the Q&A.
No R Lifestyle's Green Champions Shirt
Kat: Why did you found No R Lifestyle?
Buddy: While the general idea of Boston apparel is not novel, we wanted to give the people of Boston and its surroundings something different to wear. We’ve all heard the term Masshole and seen shirts with mispronounced phrases on them, and we wanted to do something different. We set out to create a brand that points to the common attitude and demeanor with which Bostonians live their lives. There really is a lifestyle common among all of us although we come from many different walks of life. The lifestyle is centered on the deep pride people have in Boston, and the whole New England area, and the most common identifier of this shared lifestyle is the No R accent. I’ve heard many say that people from the Northeast are cocky and arrogant; I say it’s more of a confidence and comfort. That’s the feeling we are going for with No R Lifestyle.
Kat: You have a goal of selling a shirt in all 50 states, and you have 10 states down. That’s a lofty goal for a business only 18 weeks old! Why did you set such a goal?
Buddy: When we first launched the website in January, we expected all of our sales to be local and concentrated our “marketing” in Massachusetts alone. We became excited when we quickly received orders from Pennsylvania, New Hampshire, and Maine in addition to Massachusetts and also realized that this brand is identifiable to anyone who has ever lived in or visited Boston, as well as those who are simply fans of the accent or the city itself. Because the ‘No R’ accent is probably the most recognizable in the world, we think it is a reasonable goal for No R Lifestyle to appeal to someone from each of the 50 states. The first year or so of No R Lifestyle is about establishing the name and idea behind it, and this is just another way to encourage growth and expansion.
Kat: What does being a Boston sports fan mean to you? Why is it different from other cities/regions?
Buddy: Boston is a sports town in the truest sense of the phrase. The city’s mood depends on how the Celts, Pats, Sox, or Bruins (Revolution, Cannons, and Blazers for some) did last night. I’ll never forget walking around Boston after the Superbowl loss to the Giants. Everyone I passed looked like they were attending a funeral. On the flip side, most Boston fans’ joy lasts only a day or so before its time to be “disappointed” by the next game, team, or season. This negativity is more applicable to the last generation of Boston fans. The last decade has really shaped a new breed of fans—fans with optimism. It will take some getting used to, but I think it will be good for the overall well being of New England.
Kat: You’ve obviously embraced your “No R” accent. What is your favorite word/phrase to say with that accent? (For example, I have a slight Canadian accent and I love saying the word “sorry” because of it.)
Buddy: For some reason I said two hours a lot while coaching baseball at Emerson College, whether it be two hours until game time, two hours of practice, or a two hour bus ride. All of these future television and radio personalities are quick to point out mispronounced words. “Two Owiz” quickly became a common phrase among the players who like to mock my Boston accent. I’m pretty sure they mimic the accent out of pure jealousy. A side note on the topic of the accent itself: I’m hoping with a lot of Boston based movies coming out in 2009 and 2010, that they finally get the accent right. I never understood why Boston actors absolutely overdo the accent that they grew up speaking, and other actors just completely butcher it (watch The Perfect Storm and you’ll know what I mean). It’s a pretty simple accent to nail; leave R’s off the end of words and add them on to words that end in A.
Kat: What’s next for No R Apparel? I see that you have added bumper stickers to the line – do you have any plans to add additional items, or have the items carried in retail locations?
Buddy: Ideally, at some point down the road we will have hundreds of different products ranging from onesies for babies to tire covers for jeep wranglers. In the immediate future, there are plans for hats to be released, and designs are being bounced around for hoodies to be produced in the fall of ’09. We are also contacting Boston area colleges in the hopes of doing some custom shirts with the University or College names on them. This whole experience is a learning process, and we love to hear feedback from customers and fans about what they want to see.
Most retail companies have already completed their apparel purchases for the year, so we have been unsuccessful in our attempts to get our products in stores this summer. If there are any retailers out there who would like to feature No R Lifestyle apparel, please let us know!
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Thanks, Buddy, for taking the time to talk. Buddy would like to giveaway shirts to a few readers of …On Being a Sports Girl. If you know the answer to the following Red Sox trivia question, email the answer, your name and email address to me at sportsgirlkat@gmail.com. The first three correct answers will be sent to Buddy to receive a free shirt!
Trivia question: What former Boston Red Sox player is the only person in Major League Baseball history to turn an unassisted triple play and hit for the cycle during his career?
Update 6/1/2009: The contest is now closed! Big ups to our winners!