Riaan Ukuthola i-tee efanelekile akulula neze njenge-googling “ama-T-shirts amahle kakhulu” (noma kunjalo, yebo, senza umsebenzi omuhle kakhulu wokufaka leyo mibuzo, futhi). Embathweni ebonakala sengathi i-quotidian, kuyadida ukuthi ukusesha elungile kungaba nzima kangakanani. Futhi lokho kukhungatheka akugcini nje ezinhlotsheni zemfashini ezinemizwa ejulile noma abantu abazama ukudlula imiphetho yokuthunga okukodwa noma ukuma kwekhola; kahle kakhulu noma ubani onentshisekelo encane ezimpahleni ujwayelene kakhulu nesiqubulo. Kubantu abaningi, idlanzana labasolwa abavamile livela ohambweni: ama-Gildans, ama-Uniqlos, ngisho namalunga ezikhathi ezithile avela kumalebula afana noMerz B. Schwanen.
Kodwa olwandle lokuncintisana, kusekhona indawo yokuphefumula phezulu yomuntu osanda kufika. Faka isikibha esikhethekile seBuck Mason Field. Uma uzwile ngo-Buck Mason, kungenzeka ukuthi sibonga i-hem tee egobile ethengiswa kakhulu yomkhiqizo, mhlawumbe isimangalo sayo esikhulu kunazo zonke sodumo lwezingubo zabesilisa—kanye nomthombo wenani elincane le-ribbing yemvelo enhle ku-inthanethi. Kokungcono noma okubi kakhulu, kunzima ukubona ukudlula lawo mahemu agobile, yingakho nje i-Field Spec tee isalokhu iyihithi yokulala.
I-Field Spec ithatha izinkomba zayo kusukela kuzindaba zezempi zakudala. Iphuma nokhololo oluboshwe kathathu futhi isikwe ngendwangu yejezi lenyama kakotini elingena ku-310GSM. Lokho kusinda ngokuphindwe kabili kunezikibha ezijwayelekile zika-Buck Mason, futhi zingahlukaniswa kalula njengehembe elilula. (UBuck Mason wenza i inguqulo yemikhono emide, futhi; basasibiza ngokuthi isikibha.) Kodwa ngokungafani namanye ama-tey-duty asindayo, i-Field Spec iyaphupha futhi ithambile, inesandla esinezimpaphe esizwakala njengejezi elibhulashiwe eligqokwe izikhathi eziyikhulu.
Njengoba ihlaba umxhwele njengoba indwangu injalo, bekungaba yize uma ukulingana bekungabonwa. Ku-5’9″ epholile futhi cishe amaphawundi angu-155, bengigqoke okuphakathi cishe okungami kusukela ngayithenga, futhi ingena kahle. Ayinasikhwama kakhulu, ayincane kakhulu—okulingana kwakudala okuhle okungasoze kwaphuma isitayela (uma ubuyofuna i-vacuum-sealed Brando bheka ungixolise) amahlombe awaqedi noma ahlale phezulu kakhulu. Imikhono ishaya phakathi kwama-biceps ami aphansi, futhi ukhololo luhlala eduze nentamo ngaphandle kokuzwa Okubaluleke kakhulu, nokho, ukuthi umphetho uhlezi kahle ku-Golden Zone—indawo emnandi ewumngcingo phakathi nendawo empukane.
Lokhu akugcini nje ngokusiza ukuthi ibukeke kahle ingathunjiwe, yelula imilenze, inikeze ibhulukwe lakho ifreyimu efanele, futhi yenza izilinganiso zakho zizwe sengathi ugqolozele ujule ngokulandelana kwe-Fibonacci. Okubi kakhulu, i-Field Spec tee nayo isebenza ngokulingana kahle phezulu noma phansi ngosayizi (faka ireferensi ye-Brando edingekayo lapha).
Isikibha sokuqala safika ekuqaleni kwekhulu le-19, futhi abantu bebelokhu befuna esilungile kusukela ngaleso sikhathi. Bengingakaze ngiseshe i-tee efanelekile isikhathi eside (amashumi ambalwa eminyaka nje noma yini), kodwa ekugcineni kubonakala sengathi ukusesha kwami sekufike esiphethweni. Okuwukuphela kwento esele ukuyenza manje isitokwe.
