Guys, if your wife ever complains about your wardrobe choices, just print this out and leave it in a conspicuous place; it should help to get you off the hook... for a little while anyway. You're welcome!
Been There, Done That, Got the T-Shirt!
However, the odds of being right are stacked heavily in her favor. I think about 90% of my upper body attire fits into this category. It started out as a handful t-shirts commemorating events and physical accomplishments in my life and just grew out of control from there. My collection now includes polo shirts, button-downs, tank tops, hats, jackets… you get the idea.
I didn’t set out with the goal of becoming a walking advertisement, it just sort of evolved that way until, eventually, it took on a life of it’s own. The spark was lit by those little logo key chains that everyone gives away and tinder was provided by hats and charity ride t-shirts. The bonfire was then brought to full glory in the form of brightly colored cycling jerseys. One might think that the next logical step is to re-paint my truck with the image of my favorite beer label (this thought has been considered and rejected).
Unlike my wife, however, I don’t see this as a bad thing. I like to be surrounded by little reminders of the important events in my life. A lot of the souvenirs that we collect just end up shoved to the back of shelf or stuffed in a box in the top of a closet, never to be seen again. I get to wear my memories every day. They are a constant reminder of the good times, the hard fought battles and the people who fought beside me.
They also serve as conversation starters at times. Some one will see one of my charity ride shirts and ask, ”Hey, where did you get that?” This opens the door for me to reply with something like, “I had to ride 160 miles to get this shirt!” Then we are off and running, swapping war stories and sharing the pride and pain that are attached to this special garment. Let’s see an off the rack Izod shirt do that!
This effect isn’t limited to the event shirts in my collection. One evening I was standing in the airport waiting for my luggage sporting a “Fat Tire Ale” shirt when I felt a tap on my shoulder. I turned around and was immediately greeted with a handshake and a big “thank you” for choosing to wear the logo proudly. It seems I had been spotted by a district manager for New Belgium Brewing and he felt the need to acknowledge, and encourage, my un-solicited advertising of his products. We had a brief but interesting conversation, shook hands again and parted ways, both a little uplifted by the chance meeting. Another positive human interaction brought to you courtesy of a ”shirt with writing on it.”
Now, I’m not saying that logo wear is the key to world peace. That would be too broad of a statement. The world has a delicate balance that must be maintained. For every good there is a bad; every positive has a negative… you know, the old Yin and Yang thing. The opposite of the apparel that I wear would be the kind that displays collage and professional sports logos. I have seen more than one fight started by the flashing of the wrong crest in the wrong bar or arena. Just try wearing a U of A jersey to an ASU game and see how long you last!
So what’s the final word on this subject? I don’t think there is one. The bottom line is that I like my logo apparel. I enjoy wearing it and sharing it with others. I realize that it’s not always the best choice based on the venue we will be visiting and I am trainable. Now, when we are getting dressed to go out, I’m usually the one questioning the dress code.
“Honey, are we going to a ‘no writing shirt’ place tonight?”
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