The only boat in the world with four painted panels.
Fifteen metres of pine, a prow and stern that sweep up like crescents, and a belly dropped below the waterline so weed could be hauled over the side. Built to farm a lagoon, not to fish it.
Chapter One · Torreira, Ria de Aveiro
Salt. Soul. Saudade.
Portuguese heritage menswear from the Ria de Aveiro.
Scroll
Repainted every year, to mock whatever the year has been.
Two panels at the bow, two at the stern, each with a different drawing and a different caption. Never devotional, frequently rude, always about the twelve months just gone. The wit is the culture.
In 2025, UNESCO put it on the list of heritage most at risk.
The fleet peaked at around fifteen hundred boats. The harvest ended in 1979. What survives now survives on purpose, which is the whole argument for putting one on a shirt.
Read the full story
The Collection
Four pieces.
Four pieces.
Each one tied to one place.
We would rather make a small collection properly than a large one quickly. Two tees and two hats, cut and sewn to our own patterns.
Shop all
Lookbook
Torreira,
Torreira,
out of season.
Scroll to move sideways. Six frames shot on the sandbar between the lagoon and the Atlantic.
Why it costs what it costs
Proof, not adjectives.
0
Boats at the peak, 1911
Working the lagoon for moliço, the weed that fertilised the fields around Aveiro.
1979
The year the harvest ended
Chemical fertiliser made the work uneconomic. The boats survived as tourism, and as memory.
2025
UNESCO, urgent safeguarding
The naval carpentry art of the Aveiro region, inscribed on the list of heritage most at risk.
Azulejo
Even the tag is tiled.
Portuguese practice is horror vacui, the fear of empty space. A tiled surface is tiled completely, edge to edge, not decorated with a motif in the middle. So the hangtag carries full azulejo bands top and bottom, and the snapback's under-brim is lined rather than patched.
The word comes from the Arabic al-zillīj, polished stone. Not from azul.
Craftsmanship & Materials
The third word
Saudade.
The presence of an absence. There is no English for it, which is rather the point, and the reason the tagline is never translated on the garment.
The List
Small batches
Small batches
sell through.
Early access, restock notices, and the occasional story from the lagoon. Twice a month at most.
Shop · Tees · The Founders Tee
Core Tees · MA-FND-01
The Founders Tee
$65.00
Supima® cotton · Cream & Navy
The M&A monogram at the left chest, and the moliceiro under sail across the back with Salt, Soul & Saudade beneath it. Quiet from the front, unmistakable from behind. Cut from Supima® cotton.
Colour · CreamAlso in Navy
Size
The DetailsSupima® cotton+
- Fabric. Supima® cotton, mid-weight. Long-staple, US-grown, substantial and never see-through.
- Design. M&A monogram embroidered at the left chest; moliceiro artwork across the back.
- Finish. Custom woven neck label. No scratchy tags.
- Made. Crafted in small batches and hand-inspected. Ships from New Jersey.
FitModern tailored · True to size+
Structured enough to look sharp, relaxed enough for coastal living. Not boxy, not oversized. Size up for a relaxed drape.
CareMachine wash cold · hang dry+
Machine wash cold. Hang dry or tumble dry low. Do not iron directly over the embroidery or the back print.
Delivery & Returns1 to 3 days · 14-day returns+
Ships from Toms River, New Jersey in 1 to 3 business days. Standard and expedited to the United States, Canada and Portugal. Self-serve returns within 14 days, unworn with tags attached.
Why this exists
The boat on the chest is a real boat.
The moliceiro is a flat-bottomed working boat of the Ria de Aveiro: pine, prow and stern sweeping up like crescents, belly dropped below the waterline so weed could be hauled over the side. The only boat in the world with four painted panels, repainted every year to mock whatever the year has been.
The fleet peaked at around fifteen hundred. Harvesting ended in 1979. In 2025 UNESCO put the naval carpentry art of the Aveiro region on its list of heritage most at risk.
Read the full storyLook closer
Three things you
Three things you
only see in person.
Made
Four facts, no adjectives.
FabricSupima® cotton, mid-weightLong-staple, US-grown. Substantial, soft, never see-through.
ConstructionEmbroidered chest, printed back, woven neck labelStitched, not screened, at the chest. Label, not tag.
OriginSmall batches, hand-inspected, Toms River NJNot print-on-demand. Not shipped from overseas.
CareMachine wash cold · hang dryTumble dry low if you must. Never iron over the print.
Fit & size
Modern tailored.
Modern tailored.
True to size.
Structured enough to look sharp, relaxed enough for coastal living. Not boxy, not oversized. Take your normal size; size up one for a relaxed drape.
How we measure. Chest is pit to pit with the garment laid flat, then double it for the full circumference. Length runs from the high point of the shoulder straight down to the hem.
Photography pending
On-body reference: model height, size worn, and a second shot from the back.
| Size | Chest | Length |
|---|---|---|
| Small | 19.5" | 27" |
| Medium | 20.5" | 28" |
| Large | 21.5" | 29" |
| X-Large | 23.0" | 30" |
| 2X-Large | 24.5" | 31" |
Home · Shop All
The Collection
Four pieces.
Each one tied to a single place on the Ria de Aveiro. We would rather make a small collection properly than a large one quickly.
4 products · all in stock
Why only four
A small collection is a promise you can keep.
Four pieces means every one can be inspected by hand, restocked in weeks rather than seasons, and defended in a sentence. When a fifth arrives it will be because there is something worth saying, not because the calendar said autumn.
Read our story
About this collection
Cut for people who left, and for people who stayed.
Every piece starts from something real in Torreira: a boat, a tile, a word that does not translate. Cotton is 6 oz extra-long-staple, cut modern-tailored, finished with a woven neck label. Everything ships from Toms River, New Jersey in one to three business days.
Which size should I take?+
Both tees are modern tailored and true to size. Take your usual size; go up one for a relaxed drape. Full measurements are on each product page under Fit & size.
What does the waitlist actually do?+
It reserves nothing, but it tells you first. When the snapbacks land, the list is emailed a few hours before anything is posted publicly. One email, no drip sequence.
Where do you ship?+
United States, Canada and Portugal. Standard and expedited options at checkout; duties are calculated at checkout for Canada and Portugal.
How do returns work?+
Fourteen days, unworn and unwashed with tags attached, through the self-serve portal linked in the footer. Size exchanges are free within the United States.
Is more coming?+
French terry in autumn. After that, only when there is a story worth telling.
Our Story
Saudade is the ache that stays.
Torreira
Mar & Alma started on a thin strip of land where the lagoon meets the Atlantic and everything smells of salt. It is a place that stays in you long after you've left.
We make clothing for the people who carry Portugal with them. The ones who grew up translating for their parents. Who will argue about pastries. Who understand desenrasca as a way of life rather than a word.
Every design begins with something real: a feeling, a place, a saying.
The only boat in the world with four painted panels.
Fifteen metres of pine, a prow and stern that sweep up like crescents, and a belly dropped below the waterline so weed could be hauled over the side. Built to farm a lagoon, not to fish it.
Repainted every year, to mock whatever the year has been.
Two panels at the bow, two at the stern, each with a different drawing and a different caption. Never devotional, frequently rude, always about the twelve months just gone.
In 2025, UNESCO put it on the list of heritage most at risk.
The fleet peaked at around fifteen hundred boats. The harvest ended in 1979. What survives now survives on purpose.
A short history
Four dates.
1911
Fifteen hundred boats
The fleet at its peak, working the lagoon for moliço, the weed that fertilised the fields around Aveiro.
1979
The harvest ends
Chemical fertiliser makes the work uneconomic. The boats survive as tourism, and as memory.
2025
UNESCO steps in
The naval carpentry art of the Aveiro region is inscribed on the Urgent Safeguarding list.
2026
Mar & Alma
Two tees, two hats, and a boat that still sails on the chest of everyone who left.
Azulejo
Cover the whole wall. Leave nothing empty.
The word comes from the Arabic al-zillīj, meaning polished stone, not from azul. Portuguese practice is horror vacui, the fear of empty space: a tiled surface is tiled completely. So the hangtag carries full bands top and bottom, and the snapback's under-brim is lined rather than patched.
Home · Contact
Contact
A real person
A real person
reads these.
Sizing, an order, a wholesale question, or something about the boat. We answer within one business day, Monday to Friday, from New Jersey.
- hello@marandalma.com
- Where we are
- Toms River, New Jersey
Online only, no showroom yet. Pop-ups get announced to the list first. - Response time
- Within one business day, Monday to Friday
- Orders & returns
- Track your order · Returns portal
- Wholesale
- Stockist enquiries welcome. Tell us the shop and the city.
Before you write
Four answers that
Four answers that
save you an email.
I'm between two sizes. Which way do I go?+
Both tees are modern tailored and true to size. Between two, take the smaller for a clean line and the larger for a relaxed drape. Measurements are on every product page under Fit & size, taken flat in inches.
When do the snapbacks arrive?+
They are not in stock yet, and we would rather say so than take your money. Join the waitlist on either hat and you will be emailed a few hours before they go public.
My order hasn't moved.+
Orders leave Toms River in one to three business days, then USPS takes three to five within the United States. If it has been longer, send the order number and we'll chase it.
Can I return something bought as a gift?+
Yes. Fourteen days, unworn and unwashed with tags attached. Use the returns portal with the order number, or write to us and we'll start it for you.
01
Ships from New Jersey
One to three business days to dispatch. Not print-on-demand, not shipped from overseas.
02
Fourteen-day returns
Self-serve portal, no email required. Size exchanges are free within the United States.
03
US · Canada · Portugal
Standard and expedited at checkout, with duties calculated for Canada and Portugal.
Stay close
Small batches
Small batches
sell through.
Early access, restock notices, and the occasional story from the lagoon. Twice a month at most.
Mar & Alma
Salt · Soul · Saudade
The New Flagship is Loading.
Join the waitlist for exclusive early access and coming soon information.
Straight to Klaviyo. No spam, just the drop.