Bears, Humor, and Heart: The Bearly Tees Story
Forget everything you think you know about the humble T-shirt, because the duo behind Bearly Tees isn’t just making apparel—they’re starting a hairy, hilarious, and completely heart-centered revolution. Meet Miro (the cuddly bear and creative genius) and Jovan (the flirty wolf-otter hybrid and business brain), two queer guys who got sick of the frustrating search for shirts that actually fit, felt good, and had a bit of sass. Born from the simple frustration of one bear never finding his size, Bearly Tees has grown into a mission to celebrate every body in the queer community, from bears and cubs to otters and their admirers. So grab a seat (and maybe a new tee), as we chat with Miro and Jovan about their explosive growth, their commitment to giving back, and how they manage to juggle two jobs while giving their fans all the belly-hugging, mistletoe-ready energy they could ever want.
Bear World Mag: Tell us a little bit about you/team running the business, background etc
Bearly Tees: We’re just two queer guys, one cuddly bear (hi, Miro), one flirty wolf-otter hybrid (that’s me, Jovan ) on a mission to create T-shirts that feel good, fit everybody, and give back to the community we love. Miro is the creative part and Jovan is the business side of things. We live in the suburbs of Chicago. We moved here from New York City three years ago.
BWM: How did you decided to create Bearly Tees:
BT: Bearly Tees started with a familiar frustration: Miro could never find a tee that fit right. Big brands? Never had his size. Queer-friendly shirts? Rare. Hot designs in big sizes? Practically mythical. Watching him search for shirts that didn’t exist — it sucked. And it stuck with us. So we built our own den. A place where bears, cubs, otters, admirers, and all the beautiful in-betweens could find fun, affordable, size-inclusive tees that say: I’m here. I’m queer. And I look damn good in cotton. Our shirts are designed to be laughed at… and maybe peeled off later. (Perfect for when your cub wants an excuse to undress you. You’re welcome.)
BWM: What are the hopes for the future?
BT: Our dream? To grow Bearly Tees into more than just a brand, we want it to be a movement. A bold, belly-out celebration of queer bodies, humor, and community. And at the heart of it all: giving back. We’re working toward partnering with mental health organizations that serve the LGBTQ+ community. In the future, we want to let customers choose a nonprofit at checkout and we’ll make sure a portion of their purchase goes directly to the cause they care about most. No matter what, a percentage of every sale will always support LGBTQ+ nonprofits. Our future is about softness, sass, and serious community support because looking cute in a tee feels even better when you know it’s helping someone else, too.
BWM: What are some of the upcoming HighLights?
BT: We’re turning up the heat this season one hairy chest at a time. Halloween collection is all about spooky meets sexy: think ghouls with good beards and monsters that don’t skip chest day. Then, we’re dropping caps — perfect for when you want to cover your head but not your body hair. We’ve also got gift cards coming for the holidays (because nothing says “I’m thinking of you” like helping your crush get into a new tee… or out of one). And finally, our holiday-themed tees are bringing all the belly-hugging, mistletoe-ready energy. Whether you’re rocking your jingle balls or showing off your winter fur, we’ve got you covered barely.
BWM: What are the challenges with running a Bear/Gay focussed business:
BT: Honestly, we can’t complain, we launched in June and already exploded. People love us! We’ve got over 150 glowing reviews, from around 1.000 orders all raving about how soft our tees feel and how many compliments (and a little sass ) they get while wearing them.
The real challenge? Time. We both juggle two jobs, so it takes a ton of focus but we love it. Every late night spent processing orders or replying to customers feels worth it when we see our shirts out in the wild, hugging bellies and showing off that fur with pride. And yeah, trolls happen. Every once in a while, some keyboard warrior wants to bark at the bears. It used to get under my skin now I just remember: we’re out here celebrating love, confidence, and community. If that ruffles someone’s fur, so be it
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www.bearlytees.com
Follow the Instagram here too: www.instagram.com/bearlytees
