I’m not talking about a brand new Dickies or Carhartt thick cotton shirt from Fleet Farm (although they make great work shirts). I’m talking about “Wisconsin State Basketball Tournament 2012.” You know, that shirt dad bought big, “so you can have it for a while.” Or the crewneck grandpa wore every day, the one with the black lab retrieving a mallard. The clothes you would never wear to something formal, but they fit and feel good. Those are some of my favorite clothing items. Those are my work shirts.
Don’t get me wrong, I love a brand-new graphic tee, to the extent that I helped create a clothing brand. However, when you’re looking for what to wear it doesn’t always have to be new. When you’re going to meet some friends, or maybe go on a date, you want to look fresh. But there are many times when you need to wear something that has your blessing to be ruined. You could be doing yard work, painting a room in your house, or changing your oil. In comes the work shirt. The Door Born Sister Bay graphic tee you bought at Fyr Bal in Ephraim last year (the one Uncle Mike spilled ketchup on later that week) yeah, grab that one. Throw it on when you’re playing slow-pitch softball with your cousins. Wear it when you’re chilling at home on a rainy day. When you have the family cookout next year, wear it and remind Uncle Mike of his ketchup crime. Or grab the Solar Long Sleeve Fishing Shirt you purchased before taking your salmon charter out of Baileys Harbor, Wisconsin. You know, the one that has some blood on it. Put it on. When someone asks about the stain, tell the story of how that 20 pounder fought for 15 minutes. If it fit last summer, but you over-insulated yourself anticipating a long ice fishing season, use that old shirt as a motivator to get into summer shape. Keep your clothing, and wear it.
Yes, financially it would be great if you bought three new Door Born shirts every summer, but as someone who cares deeply about the environment and sustainability, keep the one you have. Live carefree in it. Wear it until you cannot anymore because nothing brings back the memories like an old shirt. And no one cares if there is a little stain on it.
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