Every university has a tradition that unites the campus: a right of passage signifying one’s collegiate belonging, whether it be rushing a famous street after a win or participating in a high-stakes senior prank. For the Clemson Tigers, it’s the iconic 21st Birthday T-shirt from Tiger Town Tavern, voted the best free thing in Clemson.
The navy blue cotton T-shirt, striped with fiery orange letters, is a right of passage for students on their 21st birthday, a tradition beginning on none other than the bar’s 21st anniversary.
“We made the shirt for the staff first… It said, ‘We’re Legal, 21st Anniversary,’ and I mean, they were wildly popular, and people loved them,” one of Triple’s owners, Cameron Farish, said to The Tiger while reflecting on its origin story.
Today, students can flash their newly legal ID for the free shirt to commemorate this long-awaited occasion. Students not only love its gratis value but embrace this long-standing tradition as an obligatory requirement to celebrate the milestone birthday.
Along with being used for celebration, the shirt also serves as Triple’s only form of advertising.
“We don’t spend any money on advertising except for the shirt. I don’t have any TV spots; I don’t have any radio spots,” Farish stated. With many students repping the shirt daily, this lucrative business model deepens the bar’s connection to the Clemson community and points outsiders toward their next social destination.
The 21st T-shirt from Triple unites the Tiger community, unlike any other university. Students from near and far are unified by what seems like an ordinary shirt, yet this shirt is far from normal. It’s an icon symbolizing time well spent in Tigertown.
Voted the best free thing in Clemson, the Tiger Town Tavern’s 21st T-shirt is a sacred item to the Clemson student body that connects every student together.
Hours:
Mon-Thurs: 4 p.m.-2 a.m.
Fri-Sun: 11 a.m.-2 a.m.
Address:
368 College Ave.,
Clemson, SC 29631
Phone: (864) 654-5901
Website: https://www.tigertowntavern.com
Instagram: @tttofclemson
Facebook: TigerTownTavern
X: @TigerTownTavern
