Community Pride Makes It ‘Nicer’—

Newtown As A Fashion Statement

By Nancy K. Crevier

“We’re from [insert your favorite hometown’s name here], couldn’t be prouder. If you can’t hear us now, we’ll shout a little louder.”

That was a popular cheer at sporting events, once upon a time. Who isn’t proud of their hometown?

Not everyone wants to shout his or her hometown affiliation from the bleachers, however. And not everyone wants to wear school paraphernalia, once they are beyond school age. Grade school, middle school, and high school pep gear and letter jackets quickly find their way to the back of the closet when school days are a memory. That doesn’t mean you don’t want to tout your town anymore, though.

If your heart is in Newtown, it is possible to wear your heart (and Newtown) on your sleeve. Savvy shoppers know where to find the latest in Newtown wearables.

At the Drug Center Pharmacy on Church Hill Road, a long sleeve T-shirt declares “Nicer In Newtown,” printed in a catchy outline font encircling a graphic of Newtown’s famous vista as seen from the top of Castle Hill Road. For those who seek a more modest approach to town endorsement, T-shirts and hooded and crewneck sweatshirts in muted shades of green, red, and yellow mix with the classic whites and grays, stating simply: Newtown — Established 1705.

An entire ensemble can be put together for those chilly autumn days that are upon us with the purchase of Newtown sweatpants, also available at the Drug Center. Drug Center manager Cathy Dahlmeyer says that Newtown baseball caps will soon be in stock, as well, if you need to top off your outfit.

Why buy Newtown paraphernalia? Says Ms Dahlmeyer, “People buy them [shirts] for all sorts of reasons. They buy them for people moving away, for birthdays. A lot of people bought them to wear for the tercentennial. I started with just t-shirts and it just took off.”

Newtown wear is fun to sport on vacation, too. It lets the crowds around you know from where you hail, and isn’t it a cause for excitement to see “Newtown” walking down the street when you are many miles from home? Visitors from far and near want a souvenir of our friendly village, and T-shirts and caps are light and easy to pack for the trip back to their homeland. Even college students will eventually unpack that “Newtown”-emblazoned T-shirt for some homespun comfort.

Just up the road from the Drug Center, Lexington Gardens offers two styles of sweatshirts to champion the Newtown cause. For those who have a patriotic thread running through them, a classic gray sweatshirt is embroidered with the flag of the United States and the words, “Newtown, CT USA.” The other sweatshirt features a folk art style image reminiscent of our own hometown, if the country look is more your style.

Take a swing around the corner to Brooks Pharmacy on Queen Street for more down-home fashions. A simple “Newtown, Connecticut” adorns one child’s long-sleeve T-shirt, while another brags, “Somebody Loves Me in Newtown, CT.” Warm up your heart (and arms) with a winter-themed sweatshirt, “Warm Wishes — Newtown, Connecticut.”

Now here is shopping destination you might not have considered in your quest for Newtown wear: our public library. In a salute to Newtown’s Tercentennial year, The C.H. Booth Library on Main Street has become a purveyor of fine fashions. Long-sleeve and short-sleeve T-shirts in white or gray, as well as baseball caps can be purchased on the second floor. “Newtown, Connecticut” states the banner printed above the Newtown Tercentennial seal centered upon the shirts. Below the seal another banner announces, “1705 to 2005.” Not only can you declare your love for Newtown, a Tercentennial T-shirt is bound to become a family heirloom. (Just don’t drink coffee or eat grape jelly when you wear it….)

Take a look around. On the street, in the stores, and at work and play, residents are using Newtown as a fashion statement. In this town, there are plenty of opportunities to make everyone’s wardrobe a little “nicer.”