Shawn Walls loves Philly sports.
He also loves clothing.
So when the chance came to marry the two and make it part of his business, the Mayfair native jumped at the chance.
Walls is a 2011 graduate of Father Judge High School. An engineer by trade, Walls had a day job, but he also developed a skill of designing clothing.
He immediately brought his passion to the project.
“I have a self-taught skill of graphic design and design in general, the last few years, I’ve started to make things that are Eagles themed, Flyers themed, things like that,” Walls said. “You upload design, they print it and ship it. All you do is upload the graphic.”
It was a good start, but he wanted more.
Walls realized that his designs were great, but the products he was making weren’t. They weren’t good quality, so he decided to branch out.
“I was doing that and I also realized there’s no control over the end product or what the company making the shirt does,” said Walls, who lives in Columbus, Ohio. “Around that same time, I recognized better-quality items for myself. I saw an opportunity to put it all together, make the graphics, have control and make sure it’s a good quality item.”
So he started Citywide Thread Co. and it offers some of the best Philly sports clothing you can buy.
Want to support the Eagles? He has you covered?
Flyers fan? You’re all set.
If you’re a Sixers fan, good news. Phillies, too.
If it’s Philly sports, you can get it with Citywide Thread.
“I was making cool designs, it kind of felt like a natural progression,” Walls said. “I do graphic design, I made brands and logos, but I like coming back with something tangible. It’s real when you can hold it. So I make brands and logos, it’s great and I enjoy doing it, but it’s all very digital. It’s something tangible I can touch and feel. We went from something to nothing.”
And it’s hard to get better than doing something to show your support for Philly sports, as any good Philly fan knows.
“I grew up a Philly sports fan, I don’t know anyone who didn’t,” Walls said. “It was an option, but it wasn’t, everyone loved the Eagles, Flyers, Sixers and Phillies. As far as I can remember, Eagles-themed birthday parties. I was born in the fall. I always remember watching games, having friends over for cheesesteaks. That’s how all Philly people are.”
But not all Philly people are this creative.
When Walls began doing his designs, he could have gone in a number of different directions. But the Philly sports just made sense.
“I mean in theory with skills I have, I could have done anything, but I wanted to do something where my passion lies,” Walls said. “I love Philly sports, even though I don’t live there. Citywide is a love letter to the city that raised me. I’m here because of all the things they did. The sports, the culture, it’s where my passion lies.
“It’s why I went down this route. It helps me keep in touch with the teams, even starting the brand. I’ve met with so many cool people who love Philly sports. Influencers and podcasters that I met through this brand.”
And buying a shirt won’t just show you support the underdog Philly teams, it will actually support underdogs of Philadelphia.
Because this is a passion project, Walls wanted to do some good while he was supplying people with their new clothes.
The former Father Judge swimmer and University of Pittsburgh graduate has partnered with Animal Care and Control Team of Philadelphia, the city’s only open-intake shelter to help out some pups.
“A family member of mine fosters through ACCT,” Walls said. “Over Christmas we were talking and how passionate he was about animals. He loves this dog. I dug into the nonprofit and thought it would be a great opportunity for us to work with them and do a fundraiser that would give back to them, raise awareness, get more dogs adopted.
“We made an ACCT-specific T-shirt, Philly dogs run faster, a play on the hungry birds run first. Only thing faster than a hungry dog is a Philly dog. We made it with ACCT in mind. Playing off the word, we tried to time it as close to race season, like the Broad Street Run. We hope people are going to rock their shirt for the run. There’s obviously other runs and the marathon later this year. Bring Philly pride, running mentality and doing something good for ACCT animal shelter.”
It’s the best of all worlds.
And it’s only the beginning.
Walls is always thinking about his next venture, and he’s happy to do anything that involves providing quality products and Philly sports.
“There’s a lot of grand schemes behind the scenes, but it’s still growing,” Walls said. “We just did one year of operations in April, so for right now it’s all internet based. We tried a few popups this year, but we weren’t ready for that.
“Definitely loftier goals, but we’re on the right track. The whole goal was to make high-quality products that are unique to Philly. And it also does some good.”
New products are being added all the time. To order, visit citywidethreadco.com.
