For those who know me, starting Star76 seems a bit of a leap from where I've been. The question is often posed..."Why t-shirts?" The truth is, this wardrobe staple and I have a long and storied history.
Growing up, I was never really a t-shirt and jeans kind of girl. In fact, I can only recall one t-shirt I truly liked when I was young. It was a pale yellow cap-sleeve scoopneck with a rainbow and some seagulls on it. The word "Galveston" was printed in script just above the end of the rainbow. Very 80's indeed, and I still have a photo if myself in it, side-ponytail and all (if I can find it and scan it, I'll add it to the post).
Most of the time I wore a uniform (and after school, I was either in a speedo at the pool or wearing a leotard at ballet class), and I suppose I found t-shirts a bit plain back then...my weekend clothes were about flowing fabrics, patterns, bold colors—anything that departed from the boring cotton crispness of white blouses and navy jumpers and skirts.
That all changed when I went away to college. T-shirts, I found, were not just something to throw on, but something to be collected. There were shirts for football games, shirts for clubs and organizations. There was even a whole genre of t-shirts dedicated to parties. In fact, this was to be the basis of my own collection. For each fraternity or sorority party/event, a t-shirt was designed and sold. I bought my own, I bought them for dates, dates bought them for me. Some girls became known as "cotton whores," accepting invitations to date parties in order to add another t-shirt to the collection.
In addition, I worked at The Apothem on Campus Corner, and there learned to make greek-letter tees as well as other types of shirts. It was fascinating to watch the process as we helped individuals and organizations design items, and I was hooked. In my own way, I became a "cotton whore" as well—coming up with some of my own designs for tees while continuing to accumulate shirts from the store (hello, discount) and the aforementioned parties.
By the time I left college, I'd amassed quite a collection of shirts. They are tucked away now in an upstairs closet at my parent's home. I know I won't wear them again but parting with them seems somehow unbearable. The fabric of those shirts is part of the story of my life, just as the shirts we create for Star76 will be. I hope they become part of your story too, and when and if you choose to stop wearing them, perhaps they'll be something you cannot bear to part with either.
In the meantime, drop us a comment! Tell us a story about your favorite shirt...
Labels: history
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