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Old Lyme Connecticut Vintage Retro Unisex Heavy Cotton Tee - Black Logo

Old Lyme Connecticut Vintage Retro Unisex Heavy Cotton Tee - Black Logo

Regular price $28.00 USD
Regular price Sale price $28.00 USD
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The Old Lyme tee, for the town that gave American Impressionism its home. A classic unisex heavy cotton t-shirt with the Old Lyme vintage retro logo on the chest in black: the default Old Lyme shirt, and the one most people start with.

This is the everyday Old Lyme shirt: medium-weight cotton that holds up to real washing, a crewneck that fits everyone, and a logo that reads as a crest rather than a billboard. Buy it for yourself, buy a second for the person who keeps saying they want one, and it ships free in the U.S.

Medium-weight heavy cotton jersey makes this an everyday unisex tee. It has a classic fit, a crewneck, tubular construction, and taped shoulders for durability; the design is DTG-printed. Solid colors are 100% cotton, while select heather/antique shades may use cotton–poly blends.

Old Lyme was settled in 1665 as part of Lyme and incorporated under its own name in 1855, a Federal-era town of mansions on Lyme Street where the Connecticut River meets Long Island Sound. In 1899 painters began boarding at Florence Griswold’s yellow 1817 mansion, and the Lyme Art Colony they formed there became the birthplace of American Impressionism.

The Griswold House is now a museum with the colony’s paintings still on its walls, the Lyme Art Association gallery stands next door, and the beaches at White Sands and Soundview face the Sound. In 1975 Yale researchers identified Lyme disease here, which is the other reason the name travels. The mark on this piece belongs to the painters.


QUICK FACTS — OLD LYME CT HEAVY COTTON TEE

Town: Old Lyme, Connecticut

Founded: Settled 1665; incorporated 1855

Known for: Birthplace of American Impressionism; the Lyme Art Colony (1899); Florence Griswold House

Art: Old Lyme vintage retro logo, black (printed)

Blank: Unisex heavy cotton tee, classic fit, crewneck, tubular construction, taped shoulders

Fabric: Solids 100% cotton; heather/antique shades cotton–poly

Print: DTG, black ink

Made to order in the USA


Made to order and shipped free in the U.S. More Old Lyme pieces, and the rest of Connecticut, are one button away.



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Product FAQs

How does your sizing work?

Every item is made to order, so please check the size chart on this page before you buy. Women's fitted tees run small; size up for a looser fit. Caps are one size with an adjustable strap.

How are items made and when will they arrive?

We make each item to order using premium blanks, embroidery and soft-hand prints. Production takes 2-5 business days (weekends and holidays excluded), then 4-10 days in transit via USPS, UPS or FedEx to U.S. addresses; most orders arrive within 6-15 business days. You'll get a tracking link the moment it ships. Any current shipping offer is shown in the bar at the top of every page and applies automatically at checkout, no code needed.

How do I send a gift?

Enter the recipient's address as the shipping address and your own as the billing address at checkout. Nothing ships with a price; the package includes a plain packing slip. Tracking goes to your email, not theirs. For birthdays and holidays, order two weeks ahead to be safe.

What's the return policy?

Made-to-order items can't be returned or exchanged for size or color, so please use the size chart and photos before ordering. If anything arrives defective, misprinted or damaged, send a photo and your order number within 30 days and we'll replace it or refund you.

How do I care for my item?

Apparel: wash cold, inside out, with like colors; no bleach; tumble dry low or hang dry. Embroidered pieces: iron inside out to protect the stitching. Caps: spot clean. Printed glasses and water bottles: hand wash only, no dishwasher, so the artwork lasts. Mugs and engraved glasses are dishwasher safe. Any item-specific care notes are in the description above.

Who makes this?

Merlin Classics is a small Connecticut brand making original retro designs for the towns people love. Every piece is printed, embroidered or engraved to order in the USA, and the business supports hunger relief in the communities our collections celebrate.

Today the colony's afterlife is the town's main draw. The Griswold House at 96 Lyme Street is the Florence Griswold Museum — 13 acres on the Lieutenant River, the restored boarding house with its painted panels, a modern gallery, and gardens running down to the water. The Lyme Art Association, founded by the colony's painters, still exhibits in its 1921 gallery next door. Sound View and White Sand beaches fill on summer weekends along Long Island Sound, Rogers Lake anchors the town's northern half, and the sea captains' houses still line Lyme Street under the elms — the view down the street from the Congregational Church remains, recognizably, the one the Impressionists painted.

Childe Hassam arrived in 1903 and shifted the colony from misty Tonalism to vivid Impressionist light — earning Old Lyme the nickname "the American Giverny."

Why People Visit Old Lyme Connecticut

Old Lyme balances arts heritage with beaches and greens. Visitors find quiet museums, sculpture paths, and easy seaside stops. It is graceful, creative, and restful. Travelers find year round appeal in parks, paths, and public spaces. The setting combines natural beauty with accessible neighborhoods and landmarks. History and everyday culture sit side by side in a welcoming way.

Old Lyme Connecticut Merlin Classics retro vintage logo featuring clam shell motif and 1636 founding date