This shirt has been sent to me from several people, including readers Melissa, Ariana and Ryan.
I was in disbelief when I first saw it. I still am, to a degree. How could this American Eagle shirt ever have been sold? How did it even get through quality assurance?
Take a look:
Love the one your with.
Allow me to repeat:
LOVE THE ONE YOUR WITH!!!!!!
This one actually made me upset. Is this the direction in which we’re trending? Should we expect to see more and more shirts like these in the future?
I hope not, but I wouldn’t be surpised.
American Eagle, you really should have known better. I can’t imagine how many mistakes were made at so many levels within the company for this shirt to have been put on shelves and sold.
The Grammar Vandal 
I recently had a student wear a rodeo shirt that was supposed to be funny because of the sexual innuendo, but I was more offended by the wrong use of your/you’re in four inch letters! (I really wish I could remember exactly what it said)
Oh my gosh, how did that not get corrected at some point? I agree with you; I’m actually upset that such a gross error could be overlooked at so many different levels. Absurd!
If the user made flair on Facebook is any indicator, many of A.E.’s demographic won’t even notice. And that makes me sad.
This is not the first incorrect you’re/your shirt AE has ever made. About 4 years ago I was admiring one on a table, contemplating purchase, when I noticed IT. The blaring grammar error. I wrote the company.
Oh, I hate that. It’s just the sort of thing that drives me nuts, that someone made that mistake and No One Caught It!
At least it wasn’t American Apparel. That would have been a white person’s field day. Or nightmare. I need to check with the Stuff White People Like folks.
I am the Grammar Vandal’s indignant outrage.
That the shirt is being sold is upsetting enough, but equally upsetting is the fact that the people who are wearing it probably don’t even know *they’re* is a mistake on it.
I have a feeling they are either doing it on purpose or just don’t care. Either way it makes me sad.
I wonder if Stephen Stills knows about this?
“surpised” or “surprised”?
Just following the tag “Spelling Errors”…
Just Kidding!
🙂
Nice blog.
that’s ridiculous. just because they cater to teens and young adults doesn’t mean they have to write like them =P
There will always be a market for good writers.
Urgh. That grates on me so much. Thank you for your blog. It is a safe place to visit, where words are used, not abused.
I just purchased it on their website and I have already placed my order when decided to take a closer look and saw the error. I was devastated. 😦
Now I’m planning to either remove the print or just put something above it.
Sloppy usage is becoming endemic. In the produce section of my local supermarket this weekend I saw several rows of cartons with a company slogan stamped on them: “never worry about it’s [sic!!!!] quality.”
AAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRGGGGHHH!!!
Oh my god!
The shirts are probably made overseas where English is not the primary language – which is still no excuse for someone not catching the goof before the shirts made it to the stores.
Jane Kennedy Sutton
http://janekennedysutton.blogspot.com/
They were bring ironic and making a social commentary, so just settle down.
The fact it WAS noticed and has people talking means it was successful in its purpose.
Consider your lives all the richer for the collective experience.
What is the graphic supposed to be? I don’t get it!
My son brought a shirt home a few years ago from Kohl’s:
“Welcome to Looserville. Population YOU!”
He loved it so much, I didn’t take it back, but believe me, he now knows the difference between a loser and loose change.
OMG I was so mad when i saw that today I refuse to shop there now. Dumbasses. I yelled really loud “No wonder everyone at my school is a moron. They all shop here! These people can’t even spell!” all the kids at my school shop there. I used to. HA! not anymore!
hmmmm – I’m a bit of a fan of the proper use of English and mistakes like this are disturbing. But I also can’t help but reflect on the fact that languages DO evolve. It’s quite conceivable that the subtle differences between your and you’re will be dropped (and perhaps even be replaced by ‘ur’) and then maybe future generations of grammar spotters will have more of a carefree existence……..oh and I had to grin at ‘..I wouldn’t be surpised..’
Here’s an update:
😉
They just forgot the d. It is ‘Love the one your width’. 🙂
My boss made the comment that maybe they did it to avoid copy right issues. Maybe they are being really clever and are like, “No, no…”love the one your with” and “Love the one you’re with” are two completely different sentences with two different meanings. Hell, ours doesn’t even make sense, it’s not referencing or copying anyone’s famous song lyrics.
I’d like to think they are that clever, but then I reminded him that it is American Eagle we are talking about.
I came in to work today and lo and behold, one of my co-workers was wearing this shirt!
Hi! I think a lot of people nowadays commit mistakes like that because of some movies and songs. In my country, one of the biggest reasons people commit spelling mistakes like that is sending SMS messages/texting because we tend to spell the words in a shortcut manner. For instance, You’re or your becomes ‘UR’.
Oh my gosh, this specific grammar error is one of my biggest pet peeves, yet I never noticed it on the shirt until now. And I work at an American Eagle store, hahaha.
I do believe that we are moving on to an era similar to the movie ‘Idiocracy’ where the differences between Your and You’re are becoming smaller. Soon it will be acceptable to use either for any purpose.