SayWerd Clothing Goes Vintage
Benny Tralongo was 20 years old when he became a single parent to his daughter. He was forced to quickly grow up.
“I had to give up a lot of kid stuff,” said Tralongo. “But I didn’t want to forget about it.” Now, it’s years later and Tralongo is not only the father of his seven-year-old daughter, but he also has a new-born daughter who’s less than three months old.
SayWerd has a variety of options ranging from new to vintage. (Picture by Blake Tanner)
As the owner of the clothing brand “SayWerd”, Tralongo said there’s nothing he’s more proud of then being a father to his children. Yet, SayWerd isn’t far behind. Even though Tralongo may have loss part of his childhood, he’s gaining some of those fun times back with his vintage collection.
Every week, Tralongo is releasing clothing that creates nostalgia through throwback jerseys, windbreakers, old gameboy games and more. SayWerd’s vintage collection has been a hit because it reminds people of their childhood, said Tralongo.
Tralongo creates the designs for his brand and hand picks the materials. According to Tralongo, there are thousands of options to choose from for shirts alone, which is why he does extensive research, stays on top of trends and focuses on quality when it comes to picking the right material for SayWerd.
When he was first starting his brand, a friend told Tralongo, “anybody can print t-shirts, what the fuck are you doing different?” Tralongo knew what he was getting himself into, but it’s what he wanted.
“You don’t go into clothing if you want to be rich,” said Tralongo because in this business it could take years to accomplish financial success. “It’s not about reaching the top the quickest.”
“I want this not only for myself, but for my family,” he added.
Speaking of family, Tralongo comes from a strong background of entrepreneurs. Tralongo’s grandfather Joe Glorioso was the co-founder of the highly-loved Glorioso’s Italian Market, located at 1011 E. Brady St.
Benny Tralongo, his Nano Joe Glorioso and his Nana Mary Glorioso. (Picture provided by Benny Tralongo)
From the early age of 10 until 18, Tralongo worked along his grandfather and other family members at their family-owned business. According to Tralongo, his grandfather worked everyday at Glorioso for 70 years until he physically couldn’t anymore. And, yet the entrepreneurial spirt in the family goes even further back to Tralongo’s grandfather’s father Felice who used to be a peddler and fisherman in Sicily, Italy.
Felice moved him and his family to America. According to the Journal Sentinel, Felice wanted his oldest son Joe to open Glorioso with his brothers Eddie and Ted, so they had something to do. Felice was given a $1,000 loan from his boss, which he then gave to his sons to start their business: Glorioso. And it’s safe to say that, that was a great investment because the business is still open.
Although SayWerd is “picking up steam in the city”, Tralongo still wants real support from real people. He said he doesn’t want people to buy his clothing just because they support him, but because they actually like the clothes.
“I don’t want sympathy buys,” he said. “I want you to actually like it.”
And since he’s getting real support, he makes it a must to show real appreciation. Tralongo’s family taught him to respect and to say hi to everyone, no matter their position or role in life. And adding on the sudden death of his nana back in 2004 and the suicidal death of his best friend, social interactions and meeting people are very important to him.
“I always talk to everyone who comes to the table,” he said about his customers at his pop up shops.
Tralongo says he still has a way to go with his business and that it can be tiring, but with a family history like his, he’s built to keep going.
“I have a lot of plates spinning, but I never let them drop,” he said.
To buy SayWerd, click here.