For the 4th of July Sarah bought the girls this t-shirt. The design is simple enough, it’s the U.S. flag contoured to the shape of the United States. Below that is the text ‘Faded Glory 2009’. There’s nothing else on the shirt.
The girls loved wearing matching shirts and Sarah and I both wore red shirts for the 4th as well to help blend in. Okay mine was a red WordPress shirt, but it’s the thought that counts 🙂
Every time I looked at those shirts though it seemed like something wasn’t quite right. It wasn’t until we were out shopping and we saw them again that it finally dawned on me. There’s no Alaska or Hawaii. The flag image only uses the continental 48 states. I wonder if they tried to sell these shirts in Alaska or Hawaii, and if so did anyone there actually buy one?
What I really wanted to do was take a black marker and cross out the 2009 in the text below the flag image and write in 1958. That was the last year that the United States only had 48 states (list of U.S. states).
11 replies on “Faded Glory 2009 t-shirt”
My mother-in-law wore one of these shirts and something else caught my attention. The double meaning of “faded glory,” which could be attributed to so many things… I chose not to talk politics that day.
How funny. It seems I’ve seen lots of shirts like this around, too, but didn’t notice the missing states. Good eye.
I’ve always thought it’d be cool to make red & blue tie-dye shirts for the 4th but wondered if that might carry an unintended political message as well. (I just happen to dig tie-dye for the artistic element…)
isn’t “faded glory” a brand name for walmart? I could’ve sworn i’ve seen that name before.
I think it is.
you know i almost bought these shirts cause they were so dang cheap ( i think like 4 dollars or something) but i thought the same thing about the “faded glory” meaning. I totally know it’s a brand name…but uhm yeah, it’s directly underneath a picture of (part of) the US and the flag and says “faded glory” just couldn’t bring myself to buy them…bought some different ones instead. And even though i lived in hawaii i completely missed the fact that it wasn’t included… and you know what i bet they did sell them at wal mart there, i bet people still bought them, we’re very used to a picture of the USA not including those. strange.
I saw a bunch of people wearing them at Six Flags over Georgia, yesterday. I don’t know if the political double-meaning was perceived by them (as it was by me…), but the demographic of the typical Six Flags over Georgia patron ensures that A. They got it at Walmart and B. They didn’t realize HI and AK were missing.
To be fair I didn’t realize HI and AK were missing at first glance either 🙂
my faded glory 2009 shirt says “made in Pakistan” hmmmmmm
Really? I’d expect to have been made in China. Walmart does a quite a bit in China for the in house brands.
Hmmm…..the red shirt is certainly nice enough, and the lettering under doesn’t really take away from it’s appeal. Not that I am a judge of t-shirts, but I do have my share of the ragged and rugged outerwear garment(s).
On first view I considered the underlying meaning of the script “Faded Glory, 2009”. In the spiritual sense it could be prophecy, in the human sense it could be propaganda, and in the political sense it could be extremely correct.
In the end it makes me simply want to pray for my country and work toward leadership that works and doesn’t make a mockery of the foundations that made us strong.
Heckuva lot to gain from a t-shirt, but I have never been asked to analyze a piece of clothing. I love the flag, I hate it that Alaska and Hawaii were not included, and I hope the one you have fades nicely and you wear it year after year with pride in the red, white, and blue.
Happy Independence Day everyone. Mama said “Go outside and play!”
Wow, what a great comment. I saw someone in the shirt today and thought that’s exactly how I feel. I would love to get one, but does it send the wrong message to our men and women fighting for our country? I don’t know, but some way I think we need to express our concern for this country. I’m in California and have had a judge steal my vote. My vote is my voice.