The inspiration for goodtripclothing® was the result of a trip to the incredible country that is Japan. Having spent a few weeks exploring this fascinating place, I was in Tokyo at the end of my trip looking for a souvenir t-shirt with a subtle “Japan” design to wear back in the UK as a nice reminder of my trip. The options available however were made up of large garish logos printed onto what felt like very cheap material – which wasn’t exactly what I had in mind…

On the flight back to the UK, my experience looking for a simple souvenir t-shirt got me thinking about going through this same process on some of my previous trips… having travelled all over the world, I would always be on the lookout for a nice item of clothing to remind me of my experiences in different places. There's something quite special about looking through your wardrobe and simply seeing a t-shirt with the text, "Cambodia", immediately bringing back the amazing memories of your travels there. If I'm not travelling, the next best thing is reminiscing about a trip that I've had.

If I can’t find something in the destination itself, I then have a look at what clothing companies online have to offer. This unfortunately does bring with it a bit of an ethical minefield to navigate; not knowing where or how it has been manufactured – not to mention what the actual quality of it will be like when it arrives.

Another problem I have when buying souvenir clothing online is the fact that I would always prefer to buy from a local person and directly support the community in the country itself. I do always feel somewhat in debt to the local people who are often so welcoming and who make a significant contribution to the overall experience I have in different destinations around the world.