Boy scores striped shirt to keep yearbook streak alive

LONGMONT, Colo. — Ah, school picture day.

The day where moms, dads and schoolchildren across the country lay out their outfits the night before, perhaps agonizing over which garb to wear on the day captured in one wallet-sized photo that will live on for (almost) ever.

Or, if you're Joe Archibold, it's just the day you don your favorite blue-and-white striped polo shirt and smile.

It just so happens the sixth-grader at Longmont's Flagstaff Academy has, without fail, worn his favorite shirt to his last four school picture days. Third, fourth, fifth, and now sixth grade.

It wasn't on purpose — at least not at first.

But after this year, Joe is anticipating a growing problem — heading into seventh grade next year, the 12-year-old is unsure his size medium polo shirt will still fit.

The saga began with a size small shirt, his mom thinks from Kohl's or Old Navy, that she picked up nearly four years ago while back-to-school shopping.

"You know, he's a boy. He has like, five shirts he likes, and this is one he wears all the time," his mom, Colleen, said.

Rather by accident, the polo made its appearance on the smiling blond-haired boy, one of 10 siblings, in third- and fourth-grade class pictures.

When mom got Joe's fifth-grade school photos back in 2013, Joe happily exclaimed, "The streak is still alive!" when his favorite shirt was captured in print yet again.

By fifth grade, Joe was wearing the same shirt, just a size larger in medium. His mom's sister had bought the same shirt in a size medium for her son, and Joe's cousin, Jack.

When Jack outgrew it, Joe happily accepted the hand-me-down.

Now, Joe's mission has become where to find the 'best shirt ever' in a size large.

Joe's older sister took to Facebook to help.

There were responses from as far as Iowa — a kind woman offered to stitch together the two old shirts into one that would fit him.

A few days after posting, the family says a woman in Fort Collins, Colo., came forward, offering the trusty polo in a size extra large.

That should suit Joe just fine through the rest of his adolescent growth spurt.