Patrick Donohue

At first glance, the T-shirts designed by Declaration Clothing appear undeniably hip but largely indistinguishable from countless others that have flooded the market in recent years, hoping to cash in on the emergence of the T-shirt as a high-end staple in our wardrobes.

But Declaration, a three-year-old company founded in Boston by two college roommates, has something these others designers do not — history.

Declaration has ditched the tired and kitschy ironic phrases or images emblazoned on so many other T-shirts, opting instead to pay homage to “the unmistakable bravado of our forefathers.”

Made in the U.S. and featuring images of the flag of the Rhode Island Regiment, the broadside used by the Sons of Liberty to stir sentiment against the British following the Boston Massacre and Benjamin Franklin’s famed 1754 “Join or Die” wood cut, Declaration’s T-shirts are proof that one need not sacrifice style or substance when going casual.

A must-have for the well-dressed man or American history buff.

Details: www.declarationclothing.com