Be True To Your School

History lesson, boys and girls!

Do you know the significance of the slogan “Be True To Your School?” This phrase goes back way before Mental used it on this genius shirt. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a great shirt. I have one in baby blue. I might pick up this red one too. Red > Baby Blue. The first incarnation was actually part of a high school fight song. The song goes back, but gained notoriety in 1963 when the Beach Boys released it as the A side to a 45 (b-side is In My Room, great fucking song). It entered the charts and hung for a bit, but it never quite made it to the #1 spot.

Then Nike used this slogan for their 1985 Nike Dunk campaign. It was an obvious choice since all the dunks they originally produced were for top 10 colleges to hoop in. Syracuse, St Johns, UNLV, Michigan, Kentucky, … and Georgetown (who actually got Terminators not Dunks). IN the last few years, the sneakers were brought back around, but this time as Nike SB dunk highs. Extra padding, a little skate tough, sharp look. Kids were fiending for them.

Mental actually dropped this shirt BEFORE the Nike SBs dropped so I’m sure Nike was just hopping on the Mental hype train … JK. This slogan is actually very appropriate for the Mental Crew. I’m sure they wouldn’t wax as poetically, but that crew is tight, a true brotherhood. Through thick and thin, they have each others backs. In the sense of school, they mean crew. Great dudes.

So grab this shirt from xyouthoftodayx before I scoop it up.