 I recently got back from my annual solo backpacking trip – this time 10 days in the Eastern Sierras. Like most backpackers, I think obsessively about the weight I’m carrying and pretty much always limit myself to two t-shirts for any trip. As you might imagine, when a person is going to spend a couple of weeks with just two t-shirts you give the selection of tees some thought. This summer I chose the Golden State Valkyries First of a Lifetime tee and my UC Berkeley Haas Staff t-shirt (both received comments by fellow hikers, namely “Go Valks!” and “Go Bears!”) Over the years I’ve chosen different shirts to reflect the moment – Playworks’ t-shirts, shirts from kids’ colleges (NYU and UBC being represented more than once), and Radcliffe Rugby has been a frequent choice. I have avoided political t-shirts of all persuasions because one of the best things about an extended backpacking trip is being completely divorced, however briefly, from our political realities.
You also have a lot of time to think on a backpacking trip and I spent a not-inconsiderable amount of time this trip thinking about t-shirts I have loved. I printed my first t-shirt up when I was a freshman in college – it was a purple tee and read Radcliffe Motocross. I sold this fictional team’s swag at the Head of the Charles and other occasional events for spending money (OK, beer) throughout my freshman and sophomore years until the tees ran out. Later, playing rugby after college, there were t-shirts for fundraising for our rugby tours, and when launching mocha and then Sports4Kids there were tees for those organizations and assorted related events. All of it got me thinking about how much I enjoyed designing and selling these t-shirts. And then it occurred to me that I could still do it. That this was potentially something that the interwebs made easy and low-risk in a goofy, don’t-take-yourself-too-seriously kind of way. Announcing Jill’s Tee Shop! Currently on the site are six tees. A re-do of the Radcliffe Motocross tee (the Jill tee original), a personal favorite of my Berkeley rugby shirts, a limited-time political shirt (which I won’t be wearing backpacking) announcing the upcoming No Kings 2 March on October 18 (all proceeds to benefit Indivisible). There’s a new tee for Interim Executive Directors, a Francophile Golden State Valkyries tee I’m hoping to wear to play-off games, and a more-than-slightly random tee that I wanted to make when I had small children (because what in the world do the lyrics from the Farmer in the Dell actually mean?!?) You can check them all out here. It's a prototype. I’m going to play with it. Add some shirts, include guest tees, maybe raise some money for things I care about (Playworks and mocha tees coming soon!) I appreciate you taking a look and I look forward to hearing what you think!
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |