Entertainment

'Shark Tank's Home T Shows Off Your State Pride

by Laura Rosenfeld

Ah, yes. There's nothing like the thought of home to turn you into a blubbering mess. Do you think even the cold-blooded millionaires of Shark Tank experience the same emotion? The Home T, making its Shark Tank debut this Friday night, certainly hopes so.

The Home T is exactly what it sounds like, a T-shirt company that specializes in shirts adorned with the 50 states of America with "home." written across the front to make it super easy to show off your home state pride. Let the never-ending bragging begin!

I feel like when The Home T founder Ryan Shell hands out samples from his clothing company to the sharks, they're just going to eat it up. Each one will get a tee tailored to his or her home state, of course. Pittsburgh native Mark Cuban should get a Pennsylvania proud tee, Chicagoan Lori Greiner should get one with Illinois on the front, and New Yorker Daymond John should have a T-shirt with the Empire State on it. There's even a Home T for Canada for Robert Herjavec and Kevin O'Leary to wear. Not bad, Home T. Not bad.

Once the sharks get their hands on this little slice of home, they're going to feel like they're floating on air for a second, but then the thought of how they can make money off of this venture will bring them back down to reality and some serious business. Ultimately, The Home T has to be able to deliver more than just a trip down memory lane for the sharks to invest, and in fact, it does.

There's No Tee Like Home

No matter where you live, The Home T probably has you covered. You can get everything from shirts to pillows to baby onesies covered with one of the 50 states, from Alabama to Wyoming. Not from the U.S.? No problem. There are also a few products that feature regions around the world, including Africa, Mexico, and the United Kingdom. Wearing one of these T-shirts might just be the next best thing to hopping on a plane headed for your hometown.

Born In The USA

Not only do The Home T apparel and accessories feature the 50 states, but they're made in America too. Unfortunately, that seems to be one of the first things the sharks like to change when they invest in a company so they can cut down on production costs, but hopefully Shell can keep this American dream alive for as long as possible.

Buy The Home T Now & Have It Shipped To Your Home

Like most of the best things in this world, you don't even have to leave your home to get your hands on some swag from The Home T. You can purchase their merchandise through the company's official online store or through The Home T's Etsy shop, which actually seems to be selling the signature Home T for $5 less than the official online store. The online T-shirt retailer The Chivery is also selling Home Ts but only in green, which you should totally buy for next year's St. Patrick's Day celebration.

Home Is Where The Heart Is

Many companies appearing on Shark Tank lately have a philanthropic spirit to them, and The Home T continues that trend. The Home T donates a portion of its profits to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society to fund research. The Society even awarded Home T the Cause Marketing Partner of the Year honor in 2013. The founder incorporated this charitable aspect into the company as a result of family and friends being impacted by the disease, but this is unfortunately something many people can relate to.

The Founder Is Far Away From His Home

Though Home T's founder Ryan Shell now calls New York home, he's a southern boy at heart, growing up in North Carolina. Shell started his career as a radio DJ at age 17, but I don't think there's a career he hasn't dabbled in. He eventually left radio to become an entrepreneur, but he has also done everything from politics to photography to public speaking. Shell seems to be mainly focused on running Home T and the fashion blog Fashables where "normal'ish" men and women model and review clothing. He better be careful though. The sharks want entrepreneurs that are hustlers, not scatter-brained.

Home T Has Many Famous Fans

None of Home T's fans are at quite the level of fame as Bello Verde's celebrity endorser Dean Cain, but star power like that is hard to come by. However, Home T does have an impressive line-up of well-known admirers. The most recent Bachelor and current Dancing with the Stars contestant Chris Soules has worn a shirt featuring — where else — Iowa. This season's Bachelor contestants Carly and Juelia have also been spotted wearing Home Ts, as has host Chris Harrison. Everyone from Michael Sam to Hilary Duff to Bryan Cranston have also been known to sport some Home Ts in their day.

Now the only question is: Can The Home T bring home the bacon?

Image: Michael Desmond/ABC