Origin Story: The ABC Tee
Note: As the owner of Y/NG GR8TNESS®, I may earn a commission from purchases made through the links seeded throughout this post.
Who doesn’t love a good origin story?
Whether it be a superhero, a villain, a startup company or the underdog. A good origin story sets the tone for the many directions any story can go.
In this instance, I want to discuss how I derived the idea for the “ABC Tee”. Which was originally marketed as “The Alpha Tee”. More on that later.
For those that may not know, I am a mother and a formally trained communication specialist. That being said, my initial training began in the realm of graphic design. Therefore, when I am gifted with an idea, I do my best to articulate it digitally.
Circling back to the design at hand, the ABC Tee. I truly LOVE the design of this tee and honestly this shirt was created to entertain and engage my then two year old son. My son, Stafford, was captivated by the alphabet — but then again, what toddler isn’t? I also give a great deal of credit to my late father (Dr. Thomas E. H. Conway, Jr) for Stafford’s obsession with letters, words and books. My father used to sing the ABCs to Stafford every moment he could. So he truly gets his intellect honestly.
Stafford age 2 wearing the prototype of “The Alpha Tee”, this was my first stab at the now evolved “ABC Tee”
Anywho, during the summer of 2021, my mother, brother, Stafford and myself hopped on the train and traveled to South Florida to visit my grandmother. My grandmother was adamant about Stafford getting the experience of riding on a train in a sleeper car. It is a childhood experience that even my brother and I cherish until this day. So, on the train we traveled.
While we were on the train, my son was gifted several matchbox cars that had been collected from other children that had left them on the train. While he was excited about these cars (at age two), I could only think about having to keep up with them. Mainly because of the devastation that occurs when a toy gets lost. If you are a parent, auntie, uncle, guardian, brother or sister of a little…you understand where I am coming from.
You think you are well prepared. You believe you thought of everything.
Now… let me paint a separate but equally devastating situation. Imagine you have a little person to care for… you grab them, their to-go bag, their sippy cup and maybe even a jacket. You think you are well prepared. You believe you thought of everything. Just to realize… you are in public or in transit without a toy for distraction. WHEW! Now you have to get creative! Especially, if you have yet to introduce “screen time” as a thing.
The three Spring 2023 color choices along with the adult companion tee.
No worries. This is where your new best friend enters the chat! the ABC Tee. Y’all! It dawned on me that I could combine something my tot loves (letters) and something my tot wears regularly (a t-shirt) and combine the two BUT make it specifically for the little person wearing it. I personally feel as though that is where the true brilliance of this tee shines. A garment designed for the person wearing it and not simply for the people around them to see. To me, that is game changing thinking.
So, I sat down at my computer and got busy. How can I make this work? More specifically, how can I make this work and it not confuse my little crumbsnatcher. The last thing I wanted to do was create a concept that would hinder my son’s learning. So…I tested the design on my two year old… AND HE LOVED IT! He has even been instrumental in choosing the base colors of the tees. Then it dawned on me… if this works for my baby then maybe other littles could benefit from this concept too.
Which is how the ABC Tee came to be. It started as a wearable on-the-go learning tool I designed specifically for my son that we are now offering to the world to give a try.
I’ll spare you the various ways we use this tee. Especially when I have rushed out the house without grabbing a toy that he enjoys. the ABC Tee has served us well and it’s an amazing gift for any 2- 5 year old in your life.
In short, this tee’s origin story spawned out of a necessity to be prepared even when I wasn’t prepared. Surprisingly enough though, it has become a staple in my child’s wardrobe. A garment he requests by name.
Stafford, III & his father Stafford, Jr. showing off both versions of The Alpha Tee
Give it a try and tell me what you think. Matter of fact, you can #thankmelater. Order the ABC Tee for your favorite little person today!
Cheers,
Zena C., The GR8TNESS Router
