Our Story
Back Wall Mural At Our Warehouse by Klutch
What We Do
We print unique graphics onto infant, toddler and adult clothing that allows you to throw your individuality and fun into all that parenting you do. It also makes gift giving way more um... interesting.
We carry unisex baby clothing and gender specific clothing.
We let you mix it up. Does your tot love wear black on the outside cause that’s how they feel on the inside? Almost every design comes with black baby clothes options.
Our adult shirts come in unisex and a women’s cut and heck yes, we carry pink shirts for men!
All our apparel is made in the USA. We have our transfers screened in the USA and then press our art onto apparel in Portland Oregon. Our transfers are made from plastisol free screen printing inks.
Our Story
Rosalee Rester sat in the parking lot of E-bay prepping for her job interview by emptying her breasts. She was late. Her brain trying to work through a fog of sleep deprivation, latching on issues, colic and baby poop, could not muster the much needed vocabulary and enthusiasm to secure a position as a product manager in the myEbay tools department.
She began searching for something she could do from home and saw an opening in the baby clothing market for hip baby clothes. It was 2003 and she ran with it.
Rosalee and her then husband moved into his parent's basement in Prescott Arizona for the summer while she built out her website and he wrote his first novel.
She called Bang On in Canada to ask if she could put their Ramones, Bowie, Blondie, Smiths, Clash & Kraftwerk decals on baby shirts.
She called American Apparel in LA because she'd never seen blanks that fit so well and were made in the USA.
Rosalee called her favorite zine artists including Trina Robbins, Kieron Dwyer, Steven Weissman, Bill Griffith, Luster Kaboom, Meomi, Damned Dollies, Cole Gerst, Leia Bell and Dave Warnke to ask if she could put their art on her baby blanks.
She took out $500 from her credit cart to purchase a used HIX heat press, some Bang On Transfers, an Epson 980 Inkjet printer, transfer paper and American Apparel blanks. She launched in Sept of 2003 and in 2004 Baby Wit hired its first employee. Growth was exponential.
In 2005 she created baby bedding and baby toddler clothing made from decidedly uncute, nontraditional fabrics.
Baby Wit created licensing agreements with Sonic Youth, Billy Bragg, Alice Donut, Antony & The Johnsons, DOA, Thin White Rope, Flop and Jimi Hendrix.
Billy Bragg tank top & Sonic Youth shirt featured on Portlandia's Squiggleman episode
Angus shirt on the Bitch List in Bitch Magazine
Infinity Skull Baby Sheets and Stinky/Cranky Mom & Baby Set Featured in Washington Express.
We got political.
Nixon Baby Tank Top & I Already Know More Than The President Baby Bodysuit in the Washington Express
Obama Rama in the OC Weekly
President Poopyhead & Question Authority in the Chicago Tribune.
In 2006 she launched her water-based screen printed line Light & Gravity, based on Cradle to Cradle development. Each piece was sourced with organic cotton milled in the USA, hand-printed using water based inks and only used fasteners that could compost (wooden buttons.)
In 2008 she created a romper without any snaps, zippers or other annoying fasteners that she named Yanker®. In 2022 she's bringing back the Union Suit in a big way. She renamed Yankers to Mod Unions™ and created an adult version which she sells on her website modernunionsuits.com.
Ten years earlier Rosalee had a lot of people laugh at her for putting Angus on a baby onesie but in 2014 Ramones baby onesies had become passe. It was time to move in a different direction.
Picture of Our Custom Printed Tube Skirts.
We create fashion that helps people recover from dissociative disorders. Consider us more of a therapy session to recover yourself rather than shopping spree to dull the pain of trying to hide your weird, bold and eccentric self.
We are a small, Salem, Oregon-based woman owned company. We proudly pay our taxes, and despite the ill-advised humor, are generally nice people.
And The Story Continues...
In June 2022, Kinsey Traeger became the proud new owner (stepmom ?) of Baby Wit, LLC. From humble beginnings to awesome, the evolution of Baby Wit continues! Stay tuned!