Strange Cargo

I’ve walked past Strange Cargo countless times telling myself I need to check it out. I finally made the leap and went into the store. The inside of Strange Cargo is huge! They have a ton of great throwback/​classics designs when it comes sports apparel. I got a great Bears hat that I was able to rock during the Draft Town. The hat was made with quality material and kept my head warm while looking stylish.
Strange Cargo is definitely the place to go for quality and quickly produced custom shirts. They have two walls full of possible designs that you can choose from while still allowing you to bring in your own design. I came in roughly 15 – 20 mins prior to the store closing so I didn’t think I would have time to get a shirt made but I was surprised that they were able to make my shirt in 5 mins.
Due to the store closing and everyone being rushed out I didn’t get a chance to check my shirt to ensure it was the right design and shirt that I wanted. When I got home I realized they gave me the right shirt design but gave me the wrong shirt. Normally I wouldn’t mind because it was the color and design I wanted but I paid a little more to get the design on a sweater not a t-​shirt. I brought the t-​shirt back the next day with my receipt and they were so nice about getting me the correct that I paid for. They still gave it to me in 5 mins and it was even better than I pictured it!
I would HIGHLY recommend coming to Strange Cargo for any of your apparel or accessory needs. I’m definitely going to come here for all of my future sports apparel needs!

Excellent service! I showed up three days before a bachelorette party cruise in desperate need of celebratory tanks. I provided a slogan for the shirt and the staff member put together an awesome design. 7 shirts were ready for pick up two days later. Tanks looked fantastic and the bride was thrilled!

These guys and gals are top-​shelf. Awesome to work with and quick. They are also creative which helps when you’re not sure how you want things to look. Only T-​shop I’d recommend.

I got roped into organizing a bachelorette party and I had to get tshirts made. I didnt know where to go since I had a specific font I needed to use. I called several places in Chicago and no one would accomadate my small order (10 shirts) and let me use my own design. I was finally recommended Strange Cargo. I could not have had a better customer service experience. I didnt catch the name of the man who helped me but he was delightful. I was very stressed about the time constraints and he assured me everything would be done before I needed the shirts. He was extremely helpful and had great suggestions about style/​placement/​sizing of my design to get the best result. I had purchased tshirts at target (thinking I would be able to make 10 tshirts myself– how foolish) and they were cool with printing on the shirts I brought in (no where else I talked to in the city was able to do this). Also, their prices were extremely reasonable (I would have paid twice as much). I was so So SO impressed with the service and the attitude of the entire staff. They made a stressful situation pleasant and easy to navigate.

One of my favorite places in Chicago, period.
The eclectic and unique merchandise speaks for itself, and the staff is extremely helpful and courteous. Had a slight issue with a jersey customization order recently, and Sheldon refused to let me go home without being 100% satisfied. He ordered new jerseys from the manufacturer, redid the customization, and didn’t charge me. The guy knows how to treat his customers. Already can’t wait to go back!

I have always loved Strange Cargo. Whenever someone ask me where to get cool personalized gifts from I send them here. This past week I stopped by for some baseball Tees that I needed made for my Godsons 1^st Birthday party in South Carolina. I placed my order and there was a little mixup with one of the three shirts I ordered. The man that was taking care of my ordered made sure that the shirt was remade and ready for me to pick up the next day before I was leaving for my trip. I was even picking up other gifts at the shop and because of the Mixup with my order I was given a huge discount on everything! I didn’t even ask for it I just wanted to make sure the shirts that I ordered were perfect for the party. I went in the next day and the shirt was remade and perfect. I loved everything about my order and the extra gifts I got. I will continue to shop at Here and recommend them to everyone I know!

Great prices, great communication, great service, and great work.
I put in a custom order and it was done in a faster than quoted time. Thoroughly impressed.

Strange Cargo makes anything and everything possible! This was my third trip to their store and every time I am more and more pleased with their quality and customer service. Shoutout to Nikki for working with me, seeing my vision and creating a shirt that not only met my expectations but exceeded them! You rock, girl!
If you need one shirt or 100 they’ll make it happen and you won’t be disappointed.
Thanks to the awesome employees for your Fantastic work!

Strange Cargo is a life savor! I bought 10 t-​shirts for my sisters bachelorette party thinking I would bedazzle them and iron on myself… YA that didn’t work out. Came here with my design and they were able to use the shirts I bought and do them in the same day!!!
Here we come NASHVILLE!!!

They screwed up my email order, but then more than made up for it by redoing it and doing an excellent job. Class act place!

Strange Cargo NEVER lets me down! Not only is the staff knowledgeable with making custom shirts but everyone is so nice! I’ve been there many times to get pictures printed out on shirts and not once have i been unhappy! Even though I live in Logan Square, i will definitely make the trip to Wrigleyville knowing i’ll be taken care of! Thanks guys!

I’ve ordered a few things online from Strange Cargo before, but never anything specialized. I stopped in this afternoon to get some specialized tshirts for my family for St. Patrick’s Day. I tried on a few to find shirts that were the right fit, and then had them made while I waited and browsed the interesting array of toys, candy, pins, and other Chicago and/​or nostalgic accessories they have available. The four customized shirts ended up being about $ 80, and everyone there was friendly and helpful. I’ll definitely be back.

Life felt (almost) complete when I first moved to Chicago and found this incredible store :) I mean, where else can you find such fine, woven goods printed with anything from tupac, to teenage mutant ninja turtles, to custom slogans?!
It is a great find for custom t-​shirts that literally take 30 min and is my go-​to for any fun inside jokes or gaga gifts.

I was looking to create a shirt for my brother-​in-​law for Christmas. I emailed them to verify that I could bring in my own shirt (because my brother-​in-​law wears a 3XLT). They said I could indeed and that they could easily screen whatever I wanted said on it.
I was a little nervous when I walked in, however, they took care of me easy peasy. I gave them the shirt. Emailed them what I wanted written on it. And BAM! 90 minutes later, it was created! From the looks/​sound of things, if you are getting one of their designs it comes out even faster.

When I was in college, I designed a handful of t-​shirts at a similar shop. Armed with nothing but a vague idea, I’d describe my vision to a graphic designer, who’d transform my hazy suggestions into a t-​shirt on trend.
A friend and I used Strange Cargo to design t-​shirts for shirts for a bar crawl, missing for that shop in Columbia, MO, all the while. We spent almost an hour trying on tanks and tees from the (unorganized) racks without much guidance from the staff, looking for a fit that would work for everyone in our group. (While the store was busy, I wish a salesperson would’ve suggested a few styles that flatter everyone!) When we finally settled on a style, we were told the shirts were unavailable; after asking around, the sales team agreed to order more in time for our bar crawl.
We spent another 45 minutes trying to perfect our design. Remembering the shop in our college town, we thought the staff would be able to provide a custom creative design, but Strange Cargo seemed more comfortable with straightforward orders. By the end, I could tell the salesman was tired of us. (The words «pain in the ass» might’ve been thrown in our direction.)
In the end, I realized Strange Cargo probably isn’t the place to go for painstaking custom t-​shirts, but if you’re looking for a kitschy gift or quick tee, it would be a perfect spot.

Shopping for my Son’s Birthday Present!
God, how I Love this Store/​Place!
Here I thought I was going to be S.O.L. because my Son Brian
who will be 34 tomorrow is kind of an old soul in hiding and he loves/​
is obsessed with Frankie Valli and the 4 Seasons and Jersey Boys.
So, I went off on a quest today to track down a place that would have
or be able to make me a Jersey Boys/​Frankie Valli T-​Shirt for my son,
And, honestly, I called around to places like Hot Topic and Spencers
and neither of these places had what I was looking for.
So, I hightailed it over to Strange Cargo where I had wanted to
check out like forever but never did until today.
Strange Cargo makes T-​Shirts, either from a transfer in their store
or custom made to your specifications.
This store is pretty Incredible, they have like hundreds if not thousands
of decals you can choose for your shirt!
And, what they don’t have up on the wall they will go into their magic
computer and pull up the image of what you are looking for and there
you go. You’re in Business!
So, in this store they have this very cool associate named Grace and
she helped me find what I was looking for every step of the way so I’m
sending big props out to Grace tonight.
This store truly is one of the coolest places I’ve been to, and it’s
a fun and easy way to find a great/​special gift for someone.
You go in and pick out a shirt, choose your design and then these
magic elves in the basement of Strange Cargo will iron on your transfer
and attach it to your shirt!
And, I actually wound up buying 2 shirts for my son Brian, one with
The Jersey Boys Movie Cast and 1 with Frankie Valli and the 4 Seasons.
Props to me! I’m a good Mom.
So, if you have;nt been to Strange Cargo yet you should really go,
They have lots of fun stuff!
Like Kitty Cat Socks, Postcards of Pigs and Marlon Brando’s Godfather,
and lots of BubbleGum trading Cards!
And, you will find your perfect T– Shirt here too!
So come say Hello to Grace and to the magic elves in the basement.
You’ll be happy you did…

Nice little hidden on the Northside.
Went in here looking for a St. Patty’s day shirt last minute and they had over 20 – 25 shirts to select from. Whats even better is if the shirt isn’t on the rack, they’ll make it for you right there (or you can check out their website and order ahead of time). In addition to St. Patrick’s Day tees, they have over 100 other designs that all can be printed while you wait. And if you are like me and appreciate a funny, raunchy and sometimes inappropriate t-​shirt, this is the place for you.
Place is small and maybe due to the last minute rush to get a shirt, it was crowded. So there was a little bit of a wait and cluster. But overall its one of the better local thrift shops I’ve seen in Chicago. Staff was real friendly and the prices were very reasonable. Most definitely coming again.
Check out their website for all the designs they have to offer.

Long time fan, first time reviewer. I’ve been patronizing Strange Cargo for strange cargo for a long time — a decade if not more. I actually used to sell them advertising in my first big girl job, so they’ll always have a place in my heart. Here are some highlights:
*finding what I thought I had a .05% chance of actually finding: Harry Caray glasses (two styles, too!)
*making a «Hot for Student Teacher» t-​shirt for the ’07 Van Halen show
*receiving one of their nose pencil sharpeners from my brother for Christmas
*outfitting a company softball team with their tube socks
*purchasing a button of Jesus for my other brother (and when I say «Jesus» I mean this one:
)
But don’t let my wonderful purchases make you think there’s nothing good left to buy there. They have tons of stuff, much of it cheap, and all of it will make a good gift for the right kind of person. (I’m that kind of person and I have a birthday once a year.)

Strange Cargo — an eclectic store of odds, ends, and all in-​betweens.
They carry vintage kitsch, toys, stickers, 1980s swag, 1970s geegaws, obscure jokes, pickles, military bags, and retro clothes both new and used. The stock rotates, titillates and occasionally, aggregates.
The best part about this place is the custom shirt potential. You can get lettering, a large variety of retro logos, pictures, celebrity montages or even really nifty local art on a shirt of your choosing. You too can Like Big Butts or pay homage to Alf or sport Megatron line-​art with a tremendously phallic «trigger».
Word to the wise — stay out of this place if you’re mad as hell about something. That sarcastic /​snarky /​ironic t-​shirt will seem 900% less poignant and cool after you calm down. But hey, it’s probably on a nice American Apparel blank so it’s softer than wearing a baby llama.
Then again, being on Clark near Addison, drunken custom shirt rabbling probably makes up fully half of their business.

I love Strange Cargo…
The name does not lie, you’re going to find a whole buncha strange cargo (and more) here. They’ve saved me when I need a last minute custom shirt for a couple of things (St. Patty’s Day, running races, etc).
I LOVE weird… they sure are weird here.