If the shirt fits, wear it
Those attractive Buffalo National River 50th anniversary shirts make swell gifts, but there’s one question for the giver: What size to get, especially if the giftee is of the opposite gender?
Let’s say you’re a guy and you give your special gal an extra large. Even if it seems the most comfortable size, your kindness might backfire when she pipes, “So you’re saying I’m fat?”
Or should you err on the side of small and risk that the shirt you spent good money on ends up at the bottom of a clothing donation bin.
The dilemma caused spirited debate out on the lake the other day while fishing with my pal Dwayne. At issue is the fact that I’d like to send one of those neat Buffalo National River 50th anniversary shirts to a friend, a female friend, who has fallen in love with our beautiful Buffalo River.
We got acquainted one summer during a weeklong group float trip on the upper Mississippi River around Minnesota and
Wisconsin. Turned out she’s president of the canoe and kayak club in her town way up north. Every spring she leads her club on a trip to some faraway river to paddle new waters.
When my friend found out I live in Arkansas, she started picking my brain about possible rivers in my neighborhood that would be good trips for her club. Naturally I mentioned the Buffalo, which she’d heard of.
I went on about how scenic the river is, that it’s fairly easy for paddlers of any skill level and that there are all kinds of cabins and camping around where her group could stay. She was interested.
I offered to show her around the Buffalo if she ever wanted to make the drive south for a little scouting trip. That October, she headed to Northwest Arkansas.
We spent a day touring around the Buffalo River country. First stop was at the Ponca low-water bridge where her paddlemates would likely start a float should they come to visit.
Then we drove to Steel Creek to see more of the river and walk along majestic Roark Bluff. After that we visited an outfitter where she found about about cabins for rent, shuttle service, that kind of thing.
Our little tour sold her on the Buffalo. The following spring, she and her club spent three days paddling the free flowing Buffalo and hiking trails close to the river. She loves the Buffalo to this very day.
So when these cool 50th anniversary shirts came out to raise funds for Buffalo River Partners, I figured one would make a nice surprise gift for her. I’d get her a warm hoodie since it’s about as cold in her town as a walk-in freezer.
While Dwayne and I fished, I mentioned that I’d like to send her an XL. She’s not extra large at all, just an average sized normal American gal. But I know in my own little fashion world, I won’t wear any article of clothing that’s too tight. If it’s a tad large so much the better. I figured an XL would be most comfortable for her.
“But if I send an XL, she might think I’m saying she’s on the plump side. You think I ought to send it?”
“Oh yeah,” Dwayne deadpanned. “That’s a swell idea, as long as you don’t want to hear from her ever again.”
Even if I sent a large I’d be walking on thin ice, he added.
Dwayne had a point. What I did was text her a photo of my own 50th anniversary hoodie and the link to the website, which is bonfire.com/store/buffalo-national-river-partners/
That way if she really wants a shirt she can order one of any size she likes.
“Thanks. I’ll check it out,” she texted back.
I don’t know if she ever ordered a shirt, but at least we’re still friends.
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