Every design has an origin. Every shirt has a story. History deserves to be worn and remembered.
Some designs begin on a battlefield.
Others begin in a cathedral.
And sometimes, they begin at the kitchen table while watching one of your children create something extraordinary.
Two of my favorite shirts in the Say When Outfitters collection were never intended to become best sellers. I designed them for two very important people, my daughters.
I have always believed that the best souvenirs are the stories we bring home.
In 2019 I traveled to Paris and visited Sainte-Chapelle, one of the most remarkable churches I have ever seen. Most visitors remember its breathtaking stained-glass windows, and for good reason. Together, more than a thousand scenes tell the biblical story—from Genesis to the Apocalypse.
Our guide explained that in an age when many people could not read, biblical scenes like these allowed the stories of Scripture to be communicated through images as well as words.
In fact, Sainte-Chapelle was built by King Louis IX in the 13th century to house one of Christianity's most treasured relics—the Crown of Thorns believed to have been placed on Christ before His crucifixion. Today, the relic is preserved at Notre-Dame Cathedral.
As impressive as those things were, one detail caught my attention that most visitors probably walk right past.
Sainte-Chapelle served as the royal chapel for the kings and queens of France. The king and queen each had their own alcove overlooking the sanctuary.
Just outside the Queen's place is an old decorative floor tile featuring two foxes.
It isn't famous.
Most people never notice it.
But I did.
My oldest daughter has always loved foxes, and seeing that centuries-old design immediately made me think of her.
I couldn't help but think of the queens of France who had passed through that same place, with those two little foxes beneath their feet.
Years later, my daughter would inspire me to turn it into a shirt.
Sometimes the smallest details become the ones we remember most.
The second story is much closer to home.
My youngest daughter is an incredibly talented artist. She has taken that talent and built a successful business doing what she loves.
One day I sat and watched her sketch a rainbow trout completely freehand.
Every scale.
Every color.
Every detail.
I remember thinking, That belongs on a shirt someday.
At the time I had no idea how I would make that happen.
When I started Say When Outfitters, I asked if I could use her artwork as the foundation for a design.
She immediately said yes.
The very first "Reel the Rainbow" shirt I produced became one of the most meaningful pieces in my collection because it wasn't just inspired by fishing.
It was inspired by my daughter's talent.
Today that design is helping launch an entirely new direction for Say When Outfitters—a collection dedicated to fishing, the outdoors, and life on the water.
Every time I see someone wearing that shirt, I don't just see a trout.
I see an afternoon spent watching my daughter create something beautiful with nothing more than a pencil and her imagination.
Every design has an origin.
Sometimes that origin is found on Lexington Green.
Sometimes it's hidden in the floor of a cathedral in Paris.
And sometimes it's found in the quiet moments spent watching your children become who they were meant to be.
History deserves to be worn and remembered.
But so do the people who help shape our own stories.
