In the Stands was created when we (Mel and Nate) decided to put visiting all 30 MLB ballparks on our bucket list. We have always loved to travel, and this was an excuse to see places we probably wouldn't go to otherwise. The passion and energy of watching a game live is always entertaining.
There isn't a timeframe for visiting the stadiums; instead, we aim to see all of them throughout our lifetime. We have currently only been to 8 of them. Life has a way of making decisions for you and letting you know when you can (and can't) travel.
Visiting all the ballparks takes time and research. I am a designer for my job, and I've always wanted to have my own project/brand. We decided to make a website with recommendations on places to stay, eat, drink, and things to see at the game. The site doesn't get a ton of traffic, but it's something we enjoy doing.
After a few years of running the site, we decided to add merch to the mix. We've been to many games where we see a fan wearing a jersey, shirt, or hat of a team that isn't even playing that day. Don't be that fan wearing a Giants jersey to a Padres vs. Dodgers game.
We're focusing on the fans who are at the stadium to enjoy the atmosphere and may not have a super strong affiliation with a team. We want to create a sense of community and camaraderie whenever you see someone wearing In the Stands apparel.
Designing for t-shirts has always been fun for me. I have over 20 years of experience as a UX designer and have worked on shirt designs for several different companies. I even took a screen print class several years ago to understand the process better. This project is my first time doing anything like this for myself, so it was a fun experience.
With so many different sports-oriented clothing companies, we wanted to start small. We used a local screen printer in San Diego, AKA, and they were great to work with. We currently have five* designs and a hat. There are a lot of other ideas floating around, and hopefully, those will get printed at some point.
The initial idea was that the designs would not be specific to a team or sport. We wanted fans to be able to wear the shirt to any stadium or field, regardless of what it was. The shirt would fit in at baseball, lacrosse, arena football, or a Saturday morning soccer game at the park. There are a lot of different fans and a lot of different sports.
Well, I messed up that whole idea with our Beautiful Game shirt. I grew up playing the game, and I still love a kickaround. I had an idea for a simple type treatment and an endline/touchline design, and we just rolled with it. Soccer (yes, I called it soccer) will always hold a special place in my heart, so it was okay to have this one design. Plus, we recently added the MLS to the site.
The other designs are all clean and straightforward. We kept everything on gray and black shirts for the first drop to keep it neutral. A few professional teams have black and gray, but we weren't too worried about that. Each design was printed on only one color shirt, but we might print some on white. Additionally, we have ideas for sweatshirts, long sleeves, and beanies down the road.
We take our sports seriously, but we know they should be fun. Sometimes, we can take things a little too far, so we wanted to make some designs that were a bit playful. Our Sportz T-Shirt had several variations before we settled on the current design. There's something awesome about a good heavy-metal-inspired typeface and foam fingers throwing up horns. Think of all those great songs played at the stadium to get the crowd hyped. That is what this shirt is all about.
Our Don't be an A-Hole T-Shirt is just a reminder that you're not the only one at the stadium. Being passionate about the game is okay when you're there, but remember, you're not alone. I've been at games where fans get out of line, and sometimes people need a reminder that we're all there for the same reason: to watch the game and have a good time.
Our Having Fun T-Shirt is a nod back to the younger days when the game was about having fun. Obviously, the players are professionals, and the games matter, but we all started playing because it was fun.
Our For the Love of the Game T-Shirt is along those lines as well. Everybody at the stadium is there for a reason: they either love one of the teams playing, love the sport, love the stadium, or love the atmosphere. There are not a lot of better things to do than a day out at the ballpark or stadium. It's an excuse to get outside and get excited about something. That's what it boils down to: the love of the game.
We hope you enjoy these designs as much as we do. It was fun to bring these into reality, and we hope there's more to come. Please check out our shop at inthestands.shop or contact us to let us know how you feel about anything related to the shirts or the clothing.
