If you’ve noticed an influx of mattress stores in the Montrose area, you are not alone. It seems the odd yet seemingly unstoppable retail trend has caught the attention of our local Houstorian, James Glassman.

Glassman has designed a quirky t-shirt in honor of all the new emporiums of spring boxes and memory foam gracing the neighborhood. The design features a map of Montrose atop a mattress. Glassman says he created the tee all in good fun, and that the threads have actually caught the attention of Houston-based mattress empire Mattress Firm—perhaps you've seen one or two of their stores around lately. 

“It’s something that just piqued my curiosity—wondering why we were seeing all these mattress stores popping up all over Montrose,” he says. “It was meant to be a little smart-alecky, but even Mattress Firm has taken it all in good humor. They even bought some t-shirts for their employees to wear.”

Glassman believes all the new development in the area has prompted mattress stores from far and wide to descend upon the historic neighborhood. Several stores are even opening up just a block or two away from each other, with Mattress Firm and Mattress Pro operating right next to each other at the corner of Westheimer and Montrose.

[Editor's note: Mattress Firm also owns Mattress Pro and recently announced they would rebrand all the Pro stores under the Mattress Firm name. No word on whether that means there will be two Mattress Firm stores literally next door to one another, but we certainly can't rule it out.]

“I’m no expert on the matter, but you’re definitely going to need mattresses for all these new apartment buildings and high rises,” says Glassman

Get your Mattrose shirt, $24.70, via Houstorian. Glassman’s recently released book “The Houstorian Dictionary” is also available for purchase.