About Town Gear Essentials

Built from grit, driven by community

Town Gear Essentials started with a sweatshirt.

I'm Merima Ikanovic, a mom of two boys, a finance professional, and the founder of Town Gear Essentials. Town Gear started when I wanted a team sweatshirt for my son, and one for myself. The team's online store had opened for a limited time, and I missed it. I wanted parents to be able to support their kids' teams without having to catch one email or one deadline, so I started designing gear myself.

The first people to believe in it were other moms in town. I made a few designs and they bought them. A photographer friend turned my garage into a photo studio for the day, and our kids were the models. Those first orders grew into uniforms and full team gear, and coaches and organizations started to notice.

My close friend Stefanie McNeill was a big part of that growth. For about a year we ran Town Gear side by side as partners, and she helped turn an idea with momentum into a real business. Today I own and run Town Gear, and I'm grateful for everything she put into it.

More than a business. It's personal.

I came to the United States as a refugee at age 11, with my mother and two older brothers. Sports and school gave me a place to belong. When my family couldn't afford soccer cleats, one of my coaches quietly bought them for me, and it meant I got to keep playing. I think about that every time I'm on a field with other people's kids.

Today I coach, volunteer and sit on the board of the West Bridgewater Youth Athletic Association. We're raising our kids in the same community we serve, and we know the families, the coaches and the players by name.

Featured in West Bridgewater Living

Merima Ikanovic, founder and owner of Town Gear Essentials

Town Gear's founder was the cover story of the October 2026 issue of West Bridgewater Living. The feature, "From Bosnia to West Bridgewater," follows Merima's path from arriving as a refugee to building Town Gear in the town her family calls home.

"Community is the reason Town Gear exists."

What makes us different

We're local
Based on the South Shore of Massachusetts. Not a faceless warehouse. We're the ones coaching your kids, sitting on the WBYAA board, and cheering from the bleachers next to you.
We test everything
Every product is personally tested for quality before it reaches the store. We have dealt with gear that falls apart after a few washes, and we refuse to pass that on.
We design for your team
Each collection is custom-designed to reflect the identity of the team and the community it represents. From the Wildcats to the Coyotes, every piece carries your town's pride.
Where the money goes
We give back
A portion of proceeds from our team collections goes directly to local youth athletic associations. Buying from TGE invests in the programs that keep kids on the field.
Our mission
Gear they're proud to wear
For every town, every team and every young athlete, while putting money back into the communities that raise them.

Communities we serve

We design custom apparel for teams and organizations across the South Shore, and we're growing every season.

West Bridgewater Bridgewater Brockton East Bridgewater Raynham Easton Whitman-Hanson Carver Norwell Everett

Connect with us

Follow us on Instagram at @towngearessentials to see new drops, game day photos, and the communities we're proud to support.

Have a team that needs gear?

We'd love to work with you. Tell us your program, your sport and roughly how many players, and we'll take it from there.

Get in touch