Wear yOU at?

by Douglas Bair

Raj Shroff didn’t get his entrepreneurial gusto from one of Copeland Hall’s business lectures, but rather from the bars down the street. “I’ve always been creative and wanted a way to express it,” Shroff said.

Shroff, a ’98 OU grad, sells t-shirts.  His business, Wearlane Apparel Company, has launched a new green and grey tee geared toward those shuffle enthusiasts.

The shirt pulls inspiration from last call PBRs and shots after an Econ final with friends. There is something simplistic about the design that encompasses the broad spectrum of regulars from Broney’s to The Skull: a street sign.

Voila! The Court Street t-shirt, which embodies the universal uptown culture all—and only— OU students share. Shroff sees these shirts as unique from other Bobcat apparel because it sparks a “different dialogue.”

He feels local campus icons, such as Court Street, shape students experience in college and are a great way for students and alumni to connect with one another.

“It’s about people who have been there,” Shroff said.

Most students have memories…or at least relayed stories of birthdays, shuffles, weekends and weeknights spent stumbling up and down Court.

“It was the best five years of my life.  When you talk to people that didn’t go there, they get tired of it,” Shroff said. “But when you get with people from [OU], you always have great stories.”

Graduating with a Bachelors of Science in Specialized Studies of Management and Communications, Shroff started his own web technology company right out of school.

Shroff remembers searching for ways to express his creativity, which started with his web tech company and expanded to t-shirts after completing his graduate work at Ohio State University in ’07.

During grad school, he frequented the bars on Lane Avenue (OSU’s equivalent to Court) and noticed a lacking subtle expression of school spirit amidst the endless racks of Brutus and block “O” shirts.

So Shroff designed a “not-so-obvious” red and a gray t-shirt with the Lane Avenue street sign across the chest.

During a spring OU alumni event, Shroff was questioned by a fellow Bobcat as to why he had yet to make a Court Street shirt.  Others at the event also yearned for a Court shirt, so Shroff took advantage of an obvious market niche.

Wearlane, named after the common term for road, has the t-shirts made by American Apparel.  A company Shroff boasts for its sense of style and dedication to comfort.

“[American Apparel] has the most comfortable clothing…and it’s a brand that stands for something,” Shroff said.  “It’s not about selling junk or a cheap t-shirt.”

Although Shroff has talked with a few retailers in Athens, the Court St. t-shirts have yet to hit the clothing racks of its parental name.  The shirts can be purchased on the company’s website for $24.95.

Shroff has found a niche market for his company and sees potential for expanding his business.

“We are going to continue to grow,” Shroff said. “[Customers] love the conversation [the shirt] sparks when they are off-campus.”