Steel City Clothing evolves from a basement to a building
Share this post:
The Pittsburgh brand continues to grow in popularity as does Steel City Clothing, a one-stop shop for all things ‘Burgh, be it socks, hats, hoodies and T-shirts.
Steel City Clothing, located Downtown, sells clothing showcasing an array of Pittsburgh staples ranging from Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood and Heinz to pierogis and the city’s favorite sports teams.
“We specialize in the history and culture of Pittsburgh and everything that makes Pittsburgh what it is,” manager Krista Marple said. “It’s cool to show what Pittsburgh’s all about.”
The Steel City marketplace began in 2011, with owners Carly and Brandon Grbach launching a line of clothing from their basement, Marple said. The couple had sold shirts before, but wanted to focus on their Pittsburgh roots with Steel City Clothing.
The company moved into what was supposed to be a temporary pop-up location on Smithfield Street for the holiday season in 2016. They never left. The brand continues selling products online and in their Downtown location.
The plan is to expand, Marple said.
While the store caters to the Steel City, Marple said their online business has shipped orders as far as Hawaii, Los Angeles and Florida.
“We get a large range of people from everywhere,” Marple said, adding that they also get business from Pittsburgh natives who work or visit the Downtown area.
Marple said she was introduced to the brand in 2017 when she saw it on her Instagram page. She stopped at the shop to buy a shirt that reads “Sidney Crosby Is Really Good At Hockey” and started working there soon after. As a Pittsburgh native, she said, she enjoys seeing the new Steel City designs in the shop.
“I love finding Pittsburgh stuff you can’t find anywhere else, unique stuff,” she said.
Krista Marple of @SteelCityBrand introduces her favorite collection of Pittsburgh attire. pic.twitter.com/E3eJGVMt1W
— Julia Felton (@JuliaFelton16) February 5, 2021
The store sells Pitt merchandise and clothing inspired by the Penguins, Pirates and Steelers. However, the company doesn’t have licensing agreements with the major league teams, so they cannot use official logos.
Instead, they reference the teams with merchandise like tees that read “The Bucs Make Me Drink” and “Pittsburgh Won The Game Yesterday.”
The store has collections highlighting other Pittsburgh staples, like Heinz and Iron City Beer. Their website sells Pittsburgh Dad bobbleheads, Eat’n Park keychains and bumper stickers that read “I Don’t Brake For Tunnels.”
Brandon Grbach, one of the store’s owners, creates the designs himself, sometimes with the help of other artists, Marple said.
“It’s really neat to see all the different designs,” she said.
During the covid-19 pandemic, the store started selling face masks made of a material similar to their shirts.
“We got a lot of requests to make masks,” Marple said. “They’re flying off the shelves.”
Throughout the pandemic, the brand’s online store continued operating, even when the brick-and-mortar location was forced to close for two months.
“It got such an outpouring of support,” Marple said. “It’s nice to see that support at a scary time.”
Though their business is still somewhat hindered by fewer people Downtown during the pandemic, Marple said she’s appreciative of the ongoing community support.
“Being able to say you supported a small business rather than a corporate store is great,” she said. “Being creative and having an open mind has been really important for us.”
There are other small Pittsburgh-based brands that deserve support, too, Marple added.
“We all have our own style. Being able to support everyone is great,” she said.
Steel City Clothing emphasizes giving back to the Pittsburgh community. For several years, the company has teamed up with Cam Heyward’s nonprofit, The Heyward House to sell “Pittsburgh Is Stronger Than Cancer” shirts. Proceeds benefit the Heyward House and support families and children diagnosed with pediatric cancer.
The Pittsburgh Steelers even wore the shirts for warm-ups once, Marple said.
“We’ve always focused on ways to give back to the community,” she said.