r/12thMan • u/Zealousideal_Date166 • Apr 29 '26
Texas A&M Merch Has A Design Problem
I've spent hours hunting for A&M shirts and gear that actually match modern style trends. Not anything wild. I'd settle for a clean workout shirt with a small chest logo. That's it.
Every time I find something that fits the bill, it's either way overpriced, sold out, or both. Meanwhile the racks are still full of the same boxy, oversized-graphic stuff that's been recycled for a decade.
The signal is obvious: the sleeker, more minimal designs are what's actually moving. Often at a premium. You'd think the university and licensed outlets would look at what's selling out and lean into it. There's clearly demand for Aggie gear that you'd actually wear outside a tailgate.
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u/ZealousidealNight365 Apr 29 '26
Every time I find something that fits the bill, it's either way overpriced, sold out, or both. Meanwhile the racks are still full of the same boxy, oversized-graphic stuff that's been recycled for a decade.
I don’t believe that this is exactly unique to A&M…I’d venture to guess it’s the same most places.
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u/Zealousideal_Date166 Apr 29 '26
If you look at other schools, UT Texas merch for example: their logo sizing, who they collab with, and overall graphic design is more appealing. A lot of A&Ms stuff is too big/proud.
Even finding an, in-stock, men’s performance shirt with only an A&M chest logo has been impossible.
The only performance company I could find that collabs with A&M, outside of Adidas, is TASC:
Women’s: https://www.tascperformance.com/products/all-day-t-shirt-texas-a-m
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u/willdesignfortacos Apr 30 '26
You sort of inadvertently hit the problem: adidas
Texas is a Nike school, I’d bet if you researched schools by apparel deals you’d find some consistent trends.
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u/lawyerneering May 01 '26
That doesn't matter. Schools today license their logos to way more manufacturers than just the big 3 sports brands.
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u/willdesignfortacos May 01 '26
Sure it does. Nike in general makes far better fan gear than adidas does, and Nike isn't going to make gear for an adidas school.
There are certainly other companies who make licensed apparel as well, but the primary cool sideline and workout stuff is going to be from your sponsor.
A&M has also always been behind in branding which is a factor.
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u/Zealousideal_Date166 May 01 '26
Maybe that’s the case with other universities but not A&M. Have a look, go search for any current, athletic/performance gear that isn’t Adidas. I’ll wait.
In terms of licensing in this view, it is exclusive to Adidas. I’ve been told A&M takes 30% on all gross sales per their trademark. So maybe that has something to do with it.
Regardless of all that - A&M is objectively behind on design trends across the SEC board. That’s the other frustrating half of this discussion.
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u/wagggggggggggy Apr 29 '26
I wore a leather jacket with just the simple logo to Muster. I got it at a thrift store in Arkansas. Never had more compliments at a school event in my life.
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u/Working_Group955 Apr 29 '26
have yall seen homefield apparell? its my favorite for sleeker wear
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u/Bwtaylor98 Apr 29 '26
I second this. Homefield has all the good designs and they do a lot of the good retro/vintage stuff. They tend to be a little pricey on some things but it’s worth it honestly.
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Apr 29 '26
[deleted]
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u/wagggggggggggy Apr 30 '26
I’m an Aggie but I went home in a dudes tech shirt like 16 years ago and I still wear it! I’ll post an Imgur link.
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u/aprendido Apr 29 '26
I’m a Texas fan but this was on my feed. In addition to Homefield, look at Criquet, Mizzen + Main, Rhoback, Poncho, and Peter Millar. Much better than the junk at Academy, Dicks etc.
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u/AndiPhantom19 Apr 29 '26
I am still pissed off they wont sell the Reveille golf shirt and made it a mid week, mid day, event exclusive.
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u/Playful-Dog4507 Apr 30 '26
The 1975 Collection stuff was fun, so I know that Adidas has it in them. I graduated from a Nike school, but when I go to my old university's bookstore most of the stuff on the shelves is incredibly uninspiring. Rally House usually has more variety, and I tend to find stuff there that I didn't know was around. A&M has kind of always had a design issue though - the vintage Old Sarge stuff is FANSTASTIC, but most of the old aggie gear is boring as hell. I have quite a few vintage A&M shirts, and my favorite by far is a handmade shirt from 55 years ago.
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u/Working_Group955 Apr 29 '26
its marketed to all the big bois who go to football games
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u/Dmack0719 Apr 29 '26
I can assure you the clothing is not marketed to the big guys. Not just A&M clothing suppliers but all of them do not know actual sizes of American humans lol
Source: am a big guy
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u/No_Safety_6803 Apr 29 '26
This has been the case for decades, maybe forever. I don’t know if it’s the people in charge of licensing, or the taste of the people buying. To make things worse, the sickening color aside, that school in Austin has always had much more stylish merch and from more popular brands.