Detroit News T-shirt, as worn by Drew Barrymore, on sale to benefit local scholars

Sarah Rahal
The Detroit News

For a limited time, readers can add a stylish Detroit News shirt — a favorite of actress and super-celeb Drew Barrymore — to their wardrobe while supporting a cause.

Barrymore styled herself for the cover shot of August's InStyle magazine and chose her own vintage Detroit News T-shirt to accent her casual look.

The cover of InStyle's "Bad--- Women" issue, which was released Wednesday, shows the actress, director, producer and author rocking the shirt that reads: "The Detroit News. The first good news of the day."

The photos show Barrymore smiling, holding up a "peace" sign with her red News shirt, blue jeans, a fisherman-style cap and furry jacket slung over her shoulder. It drew the admiration of fans and was plastered all over social media, prompting fashionistas to ask "Where can I get that shirt?"

Well, The Detroit News has it covered.

The Detroit News $25 vintage T-shirt will be available through July 23 online at detne.ws/vintagetee.

All proceeds from the sale of the shirt will be donated to The Rosa L. Parks Scholarship Foundation, a nonprofit founded by The Detroit News and Detroit Public Schools in 1980. 

The foundation awards scholarships to Michigan high school seniors who emulate Parks' ideals while demonstrating academic skills, community involvement and economic need. In the past 40 years, The foundation has awarded more than $2 million in scholarships to more than 1,000 high school seniors. It also awards 40 $2,000 to new students annually.

“We’re proud of our nearly 150-year heritage and happy that any proceeds will benefit the Rosa Parks Scholarship Foundation,” said Gary Miles, editor and publisher of The News. “We helped found the organization 40 years ago with the goal of helping high school graduates who exemplify the ideals of Mrs. Parks to attend college, a vision as important today as it was in 1980.”

This year, the foundation’s plans for a 40-year anniversary gala were canceled by the pandemic, leading to a special fundraising campaign that netted more than $40,000. Miles represents The News on the foundation board.

“The Detroit News has been an amazing partner since the Rosa Parks Foundation launched in 1980,” said Kim Trent, foundation president. “We’re so grateful that our scholars will benefit from the sales of this fun and nostalgic T-shirt.”

Barrymore took to Instagram Thursday night to promote the charity. 

“This is the T-shirt I just wore on the cover of InStyle and it’s from The Detroit News. I got it on Etsy, it’s from the 70s and they stopped making them. But, it turns out they are going to remake them," the star said in the video, which shows her holding up the shirt. "And if you buy them by the end of July all the proceeds from these T-shirts are going to go to the Rosa L. Parks Scholarship Foundation that the Detroit News founded….Let’s get these shirts!”

The article's author, InStyle editor-in-chief Laura Brown, has said she wants one. 

"I gotta get me a shirt!" she posted in a comment on The Detroit News' Instagram page. 

“As for me, we just loved retro spirit of the tee and the good news message," Brown told The News in an email Wednesday evening. "And who doesn’t love Detroit??”

In the feature, Barrymore says she "doesn't really know what it means to be a bad---." 

"And I'm OK with that. We live in an era when people want to be more than one thing. If you apply yourself and work hard, that’s where the bad---ery comes in. I also love to see the word 'bad---' in a joyful context, like on this cover with a smile, a peace sign, and a shirt that says, 'Good news.' That makes me feel like I’m on the right path."

Barrymore also graced Instagram on Thursday with a video of her getting ready for the shoot, which she photographed herself. She also wore an Algonac football jersey in the shoot.

In 2009, Barrymore directed a movie that was filmed, in part, in Detroit. "Whip It," starring Ellen Page, Barrymore, Kristen Wiig and Juliette Lewis, was about a teen who rebelled against the world of beauty pageants her mother wanted for a more raucous world of roller derby.

On being in Michigan, both Barrymore and Page were effusive with praise.

"I saw a lot of the state. I actually know it quite well," Barrymore said at the Toronto International Film Festival for the film's premiere in a piece The News ran in October 2009.

srahal@detroitnews.com

Twitter: @SarahRahal_