Tank Tops Flip Flops is a lifestyle; it is an attitude; it is a peace of mind. It is about FINALLY leaving the Rat Race and moving to paradise. It is about having a dream, setting a goal and never quitting on it. TTFF is about waking up every day, with a smile on your face, knowing that you made it; and there is no better place to celebrate this mentality than in Costa Rica. Those of us that had the guts to make this life a reality, are examples that is CAN be done. I cannot begin to tell you; how many people have said to us; “you guys are the only reason I haven’t given up. If you can do it; so, can I.” We give hope to all those people out there, suffering through their miserable lives, knowing that there is a light at the end of the tunnel. Trust me: Do whatever you have to do to get here, because it is even better than we tell you. Every day is 90 degrees. Every dawn there is that smell of freshness that you cannot replace anywhere else in the world. Every evening is that amazing sunset that is always post card perfect. The people here are incredible; the landscape is majestic; the beaches are extraordinary; life here is outstanding. That is Tank Tops Flip Flops baby!!!!

TTFF is a wardrobe, literally.

I have every color Tank Top on the earth; from every warm destination you can travel. I have been collecting them for decades. Seriously; who doesn’t like a Tank Top? I worked my ass off, to get to a position where I could move to the land of PURA VIDA and make this my daily dress code. And in Costa Rica, you can wear them anywhere; you could go to a funeral or a business meeting, and nobody would be offended. Life is TANK TOPS FLIP FLOPS BABY.

I get asked all the time: “Where did you come up with Tank Tops Flip Flops? I LOVE IT!” It goes back a long time. If you have read my previous newsletters, you know that I was in the electronics and cell phone business. In 1999, I went out on the road, crisscrossing the United States. I hit every major city, and am one of the few who can say, that they have literally been in every single Baseball, Football and Hockey stadium in America. Fact. It was a lot of fun; a book is coming out one day I promise. Knowing that I couldn’t live out of a suitcase forever, I started looking for other opportunities. One day, while driving through a snow storm, I looked at my business partner in frustration. “This sucks man. All I really want to do is wear Tank Tops and Flip Flops for the rest of my life” BOING, a light went off in my head. I decided right then and there, that I was going to start a bar called, you guessed it, Tank Tops and Flip Flops, similar to the famous Carlos N Charlie’s. I was going to create a killer line of beach clothing for men and women, and also a wrath of cool Doggie wear. I was going to have two Labrador Retrievers, one named Tank Top and the other named Flip Flop; dress them up in their goods and hit on chicks. It was a great plan; I even started the trademark process for a clothing line.

Then in 2003, I came to Costa Rica and my plans shifted gears. I bought a real estate company called Tres Amigos and moved to paradise with 7 suitcases full of Tank Tops and Flip Flops, and a couple other bare necessities. It was the best decision of my life. So, it was obvious when I started writing newsletters and telling my story of living the dream, the website name was a no brainer. I have always had the itching to have my own clothing line; but I am a busy guy. Fast forward to November 2017.

A client of mine Dan, has become a very good friend. He owned a successful construction company in Texas and sold it at a young age. He bought a home in PACIFICO, moved his wife Madison and two young children to Coco, and started a new chapter. They are the perfect example of a young family, wanting a better life for themselves. The kids go to private schools; Madison runs a children’s exercise and day care class at the gym; and Dan owns a killer sport fishing boat, taking tourists out for deep sea adventures. They have hundreds of friends, are actively involved in the community, spend tons of quality time with the kids and ride around in their dune buggy, with the sun beaming on their heads. It’s a good gig. One day, we were having beers, and I told him my story of the clothing line.

“Let’s do it here! I want to be a part of it! I have some great ideas!” He lit up. You see Dan is an artist, who can free draw just about anything. Give him an idea, and his magic hand starts going; and within minutes, there is this amazing cartoon. I had the logo in my head for decades, and within about 90 seconds, it was a reality. TANK TOPS FLIP FLOPS was born. We immediately started the trademark process here in Costa Rica.

• Made in Costa Rica
• By Costa Ricans
• For Costa Rican Charity

That is our motto. Every piece of clothing is made here in the country, in a local factory. And everything that we design and sell, benefits a local charity here in the area. Our long-term goal is to have a full-blown clothing line, of sexy beach wear for gals, bikinis, wraps and bags: and super charismatic clothes for guys, like Tommy Bahama style shirts, sunglasses and ball caps. Obviously, rocking Tank Tops and the most awesome Flip Flops as well. We wanted to get the concept out to the local community, so that everyone would understand the big picture. We decided to start with these special event T-shirts and Tank Tops, and it has been a blast doing it as well. Whenever there is big bash, like a beach party or the famous TOPE horse parade, Chili Guaro competition or St. Patrick’s Day drink off, Dan designs a shirt. We hang out all day, drink beer, hustle shirts and raise money for charity. We have collected THOUSANDS of dollars and donated it all to charity. We are not doing this to make money for ourselves, just to drive activity to local businesses and raise money for charity. And we get to drink Pilsen all day long.  With the help of our marketing manager Marilyn, and Dan’s wife Madison, we have been able to make a substantial difference for many of our local charities.

• TOYS FOR TOTS
• XMAS PARTIES
• COCO CLEAN UP
• CARE
• BREAST CANCER
• ADICOCO ELDERLY
• BACK PACK
• SCHOOL UNIFORMS
• PATAS Y MANOS
• NEUTER SPAY CLINIC
• COCO POLICE ENGLISH AND CPR
• VARIOUS LOCAL SCHOOLS
• CHURCHES
• PLAYGROUNDS FOR KIDS
• BEACH CLEAN UP
• RECYCLE PROGRAM
• FISHING ASSOCIATION
• COCO ATHLETIC
• COCO FUTBOL TEAM
• COCO YOUTH FUTBOL
• MUSIC ASSOCIATION
• SAVE THE OCEANS / OCEAN DAY
• SALVO DE MONOS

The response has been overwhelming. EVERYONE wants to be a part of it, and it has literally started to explode. The coolest part is seeing how many people are walking around town with our logo pasted on the front of their shirt and the sponsor rendering on the back. If you see someone wearing our gear, tell them THANK YOU for supporting charity. If you own one, wear it with PRIDE, as you are part of special group; a MOVEMENT. Once you have it on, there is nowhere to hide in a crowded room. Everyone is starting to know TANK TOPS FLIP FLOPS. If you have a charity or an event, let us know. We are always looking to design a shirt and help raise money for the community. I never get tired of drinking beer, hanging out with my friends; just make sure you have COLD BEER, or we are never coming back.

This will not only raise money for our charities, but also help drive clients to the local businesses, helping our friends in the town. It is a WIN WIN for everyone. Only the top establishments in the area, will be part of our movement, and it will be an honor to have your name on our website as one of our premiere supporters.

It is going to be one of the biggest clothing lines you have ever seen, I promise you. Be a part of the lifestyle; be a part of the MOVEMENT. And I would imagine, there will be that beach bar someday too.

Thanks for supporting TANK TOP FLIP FLOPS.

Hope to see you wearing one of the shirts. They make great gifts too.

Come on down baby!!!

    Michael

PS. If you would like to purchase a Tank Top or a T-shirt, please let me know. They are only $20 and, as you can see, it goes a long way. I can even have them shipped to you in North America. God Bless everyone who has supported our movement, it is greatly appreciated. PURA VIDA.