Stanford University

There are two options for this shirt: I got it from my dad, or I got it because of my dad.
My dad was proud of a lot of things: his life, himself, his parents, his college, his art, his cooking, his wife, his children and many many other wonderful accomplishments. Stanford was his family's alma mater and he liked to support it. He had a Visa which donated proceeds, went to the games, showed up at reunions of the class as well as the hammer and coffin comedy magazine. Because of this there was always some merch around the house. You've seen my other Stanford shirt, but this one was purchased way before that. I don't remember if I picked it out or if it was just given to me. Regardless, I ended up wearing a bunch.
I wore it so much that the iconic red colors have turned into a dark pink. Since it has been around for so long the ink has some texture to it. This only shows the quality, being able to last so long after such heavy usage is a testament to the craftsmanship. I probably got this more than ten years ago and it still hanging on. I have a second Stanford shirt but this one is an older design and has some faded charm.
Along the chest it has 3 red lines crossing behind a Standford seal, red being the cardinal color of the college. Knocked out of the center line on either side it says "Stanford University", simple and strong. Like the other shirt it features the locally famous "El Palo Alto" coastal redwood tree, who is also used as the Stanford band's mascot. The words around the seal say' "Leland Stanford Junior University - Organized 1891". Just above the tree is the university's motto: "Die Luft der Freiheit weht" in English "The wind of freedom blows". I would say that this shirt has a safe, traditional design that is worthy of college merchandise. It gets the message across and isn't too flashy or boastful going about it.
I wore this throughout late elementary and middle school. Where appearances matter, just not as much. So wearing a prestigious college tee around as a fifth grader with glasses and a standard little boy's haircut gave off a clear picture of a smartypants. Having that kind of image had a few perks, like people assuming that you were smart and knew all the answers but with the downside of all the preconceived notions of being a nerd/geek/spaz. On the bright side it goes over great with teachers and parents who love having boundless hope in students and children for their futures -a time when they aren't yet clearly defined as failures in life-. Childhood is a stage in life where you still have the chance to be anything you want or dream and can make it happen with some proper nourishment and encouragement.

Way back in my past I had dreams of going to Stanford. Since my grandparents taught there and all their kids too I had hoped that I might be third generation to make it. I quickly found out that a lot has changed in terms of applications and acceptance rates since the 40s. My grades, SATs and certainly portfolio weren't up to par so I'm not too hurt -the tuition fees would have been murder-. There's still time though, maybe I'll get my doctorate out of there. Or how about my kids? Ehh, maybe someday...