A few months ago, my wife and I celebrated our 25th wedding anniversary. (I know, crazy! How time flies!) I mention this because a decades-old piece of decorated apparel ended up playing an integral part in the celebratory dinner I arranged for the occasion.
The two of us met as Peace Corps volunteers in the country of Western Samoa, in the heart of the South Pacific. To celebrate our quarter century of connubial bliss, I therefore decided to put together a genuine Samoan dinner, complete with fish, taro, coconut cream, boiled green bananas, the works. I even dressed for the occasion, donning a traditional Samoan ie, or lavalava, and a tie-dyed “Proud of Samoa” T-shirt, replete with the flag of Western Samoa and a musclebound Samoan. Back in the day, wearing a shirt like this was a regular occurrence. Pulling it out from where I’d had it in storage therefore brought back a flood of memories—tropical nights, snorkeling among reef fish, the friends we’d made, the list goes on and on.
Custom T-shirt: More than just Clothing
It’s no secret the business of decorated apparel is as much about self-expression as it is simply giving people something to wear. Nonetheless, it served as a vivid reminder of just how much this kind of thing means to the decorated-apparel industry’s end users. Concert Tees, pride apparel, collegiate wear, team wear, club wear—the products our industry provides really do mean something to the countless individuals (as opposed to just a nameless, faceless crowd) that constitute its customers.
Here’s to the unknown decorator who put together the “Proud of Samoa” Tee that ended up playing such an integral role in my wife and my anniversary—and to all the decorators and equipment and apparel manufacturers out there making a similar difference in the lives of the people they serve.
