Chapel Hill Leather Shop - The Only Real Thing Left T-shirt

David Honigmann owned and operated the Chapel Hill Leather Shop from 1964-1984. Located at 133 ½ East Franklin Street, his shop was always packed with customers wanting to buy his custom-made sandals and hand-made leather goods. 

 

 

 

 In the autumn of 1964, David and friend Betty Bishop began exploring Franklin Street for a storefront, so they could open up their own leather goods shop. They found a place upstairs at 133 1/2 East Franklin Street, which rented for only $35 a month, and they named it the Chapel Hill Leather Shop. 

 

 

 

 It was just one, big room, owned by Alexander Julian’s father, Maurice Julian. Word spread of David’s excellent craftsmanship, and the shop became very successful, very quickly. They were so popular, in fact, that advertising was never necessary. They just had a sign out front that read the Chapel Hill Leather Shop with a pair of sandals nailed to it, and another sign outside the entrance to the store, and that was enough to keep them in business. 

 

 

 

 By 1984 the added recession was making it even more difficult to keep the shop going and after twenty years in the leather business, they felt it was time to move on. (Via Chapel Hill Recorder)

Relive the memories from the Only Real Thing Left with this 70s t-shirt - vintage 70s tee CHAPEL HILL leather shop t-shirt Small soft thin burnout

 

my old clothes: tarheels edition part I

a few months ago i admitted my vintage t-shirt addiction and promised to share a few of my personal favorites here. 

then nacho died, sugarhoney arrived, and the second busiest month of the vintage year (october) steamrolled along, but here i am today with the first real glimpse into my own closetful of vintage treasures.

i spent 9 of my most formative years in chapel hill, nc. i love love love love UNC basketball. (i don't care about football. get rid of the team, fine by me). my tarheel ardor is diminished not one iota by the recent academic scandal - i truly believe athletes at every college in this country get special treatment. every single college. we have all heard of 'rocks for jocks.' not that 3 million wrongs make a right, but i am just not shocked or appalled by the news. the issue is complicated, and i am not judging. 

i've been collecting UNC t-shirts for 20 years now. i have about 15 of them. i've sold many over the years that did not fit me, and i don't keep every UNC shirt i see. the ones i do keep are extremely soft and comfortable. they may be the best collection of North Carolina vintage t-shirts in size Medium in the entire world.

they are not for sale.

first up is this paper thin, soft Carolina Tarheels t-shirt with grumpy Rameses on the front.

made in the early 80's with a Signal tag.

this fits like a dream and is silky soft. perfect summer t-shirt.

next up is this North Carolina Tarheels Coca-Cola reminiscent design on a poly-cotton-rayon blend heathered gray t-shirt. 

made by velva sheen in the early 80s. again, soft and thin and broken into perfection. versatile.

number 3 is this Carolina blue gem with a rainbow chest print from the 1982 NCAA National Champion Men's Basketball team. (hello Michael Jordan). 

i love how the basketball is swishing. it's so soft. so festive.

number 4 is similar, but in a baseball raglan ringer form: 

 the word National is the net. it is so comfortable and thin.

last, and definitely not least is this gem of a UNC Chapel Hill t-shirt from the freakin 1960's. 

extremely broken in heathered gray. classic. 

ooooold velva sheen tag:

there you have it. 5 of my most prized t-shirts of the UNC variety. 

thanks for following along and stay tuned for more of my favorite t-shirts in months to come.