When it comes to style, there’s something to be said for classics. Trends come and go, but some pieces grow into icons. What’s more quintessentially Louisiana than a tried and true cotton tee? We talked with Meredith Waguespack, founder of Sweet Baton Rouge, to hear about all the good the T-shirt brand is doing for local businesses.

Sweet Baton Rouge was created in 2010 as a gameday T-shirt brand, but it quickly evolved to include designs inspired by all parts of our community.

“We believe in comfort and quality,” says Waguespack. “We always want to keep our T-shirts fun and light with niche Louisiana designs.”

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Coming up on four years, Sweet Baton Rouge’s monthly Lagniappe Boxes feature a themed T-shirt paired with other fun items purchased from Louisiana shops and vendors.

“We wanted to be able to create something fun and unique to Louisiana,” says Waguespack, “We purchase these great items from local businesses for our boxes as a way to put other Louisiana products in front of our customers.”

Sweet Baton Rouge launched its Locals Supporting Locals campaign in early April as a way to give back to fellow local businesses who are facing difficult times due to COVID-19. Each month, the brand is donating a portion of its sales to a different company or creator. Thanks to the initiative, the brand has donated nearly $4,000 already.

“We were deciding what to do for our fourth-anniversary Lagniappe Box in September,” says Waguespack, “We thought it would be really fun to align our mission of Locals Supporting Locals to encourage people to eat local.”

Available for purchase through August 23, a portion of the sales from September’s box will donated to a local restaurant that will be announced later in September.

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“What’s great about the Lagniappe Boxes is that they’re a surprise,” says Waguespack. “It’s all about celebrating small business and local makers and artists.”

Can it get any better? A comfy, classic tee to add to your collection and carefully curated Louisiana products, all in support of businesses run by our neighbors. The Lagniappe Box can be purchased as one-time gift or a monthly subscription. Learn more about the box, as well as purchasing information, here.