On the grounds of The Long Time, visitors can shop for merch at the recently added Short Porch Superette. Here, you’ll find vibey apparel like wool baseball caps, work shirts, and felt pennants. You can also peruse stylish blankets, jackets, robes, craft soaps, and reading material. It’s a perfectly pastiche blend of retro sports aesthetic and high-end design vision. Out front on the porch, Kathie Sever of chain-stitching company Fort Lonesome (fabricator of the Playboys’ denim jerseys) is often on-hand to provide a custom design on a handkerchief.
The store is managed and curated by Texas Playboys member Tippi Clark, who, like everyone on the roster, boasts an impressive resume. After befriending Jack Sanders at Auburn, Clark landed in New York City, where she worked for brands like Coach, Kate Spade, and Marc Jacobs.
Photo by Ben Christensen
These days, it’s not uncommon to see Playboys apparel worn by notable personalities: Wilco frontman Jeff Tweedy is fond of donning a team ballcap, and Pedro Pascal was spotted sporting the same one during SXSW last year. Ultimately, fashion is one more expression of the artistry surrounding sandlot baseball.
When Clark isn’t seeing to the Superette’s operations, she likes to put in a few innings with the team. “As a female coming into my late forties, if you’d have told me that I was going to have this much fun playing baseball, I’m like, ‘Why did I not start doing this sooner?’” she says. “It’s been the most welcoming, encouraging, joyful experience that I’ve ever had.”
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