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What is Ara the Rat?

Ara the Rat is an Armenian themed t-shirt brand. All of our designs are original designs/illustrations inspired by the people and places significant to Armenian cultural heritage. 

What does Ara the Rat mean?

Ara the Rat is a playful take on Mount "Ararat," the snowcapped mountain that has in many ways become the defining symbol of Armenian culture and identity. Every Armenian household has had a painting of Mount Ararat hanging on the wall at some point.

Ara is also a common Armenian boy's name, stemming from the popular 9th century BC Armenian hero Ara Keghetsik or Ara the Beautiful, who was known to be so handsome that the Assyrian queen Semiramis marched her armies towards Armenia to capture him.

What's the quality of the shirts like?

Ara the Rat cuts no corners when it comes to quality. We use premium, fashion fit, soft and comfortable t-shirts which are sweatshop free and FLA (FAIR LABOUR ASSOC.) accredited.

Our designs are screen printed by hand using the finest, environmentally friendliest inks. Silk screen printing is a method of printing that has been around since 960 AD, but largely popularised by Andy Warhol in the 1960s.

It is a process that uses special inks forced through fine mesh screens to apply a stencil onto a garment. Each colour is applied separately to the garments, and separate screens need to be created for each colour. Screen printing is the traditional and most reliable method of transferring images onto clothing. Our t-shirts are "retail-ready" - meaning not only are they professionally printed to the highest standards, but are also relabelled with customised Ara the Rat neck tags.

Above: Short video of Ara the Rat t-shirts being screen printed

 

Will your t-shirts shrink?

Our t-shirts are pre-shrunk. They will not drastically change shape, but any garment that has cotton in its ingredients list is prone to some degree of shrinkage if not taken care of properly. We recommend you wash your t-shirts at the lowest possible temperatures and then air dry. Tumble dryers are a t-shirt's number one enemy, so keep them well apart.

Do you have a size guide?

Yes! Click here for a Size Guide

Where do you ship from?

Ara the Rat is currently based in Michigan, USA

Do you ship internationally?

Yes! Anywhere in the world. To date we have had orders from the following countries: 

 

How long does delivery take?

All t-shirts are sent via USPS Mail. After dispatch, this usually takes around 4-5 days for delivery everywhere the US. .
For international orders we use USPS Priority Mail International. Delivery time is 8 to 12 business days, but sometimes longer. 

Do you have a return/exchange policy?

Yes. Unworn items can be returned or refunded, but please notify us within 14 days of receipt of your order. Please email us at info@aratherat.com so we can give you the return mailing information.

More questions?

Please use the CONTACT tab at the top of this website and we will get back to you as soon as possible!