BLOOMINGTON — Indiana-based Homefield Apparel designs clothes for more than 200 colleges across the United States, but Indiana University remains its top priority. The company doubled down on its local commitment with its first brick-and-mortar store.
"Our brand is IU first because it's where our beginnings are," said Homefield Apparel co-founder Connor Hitchcock. "It's our history."
Homefield at Tracks opened steps away from the Indiana University campus on Kirkwood Avenue. It is the online clothing company's first permanent store.
Hitchcock said the location is meaningful because he started selling IU t-shirts on campus while he was an undergrad.
"I think about it all the time when I'm walking around Bloomington," Hitchcock said. "Even when I pass my old apartments, I think about spending three hours scrubbing the bathtub to make sure I wouldn't lose my security deposit because there was screen printing ink all over the tub."
"It wasn't that long ago that we were students walking down Kirkwood," said Christa Hitchcock, Homefield's co-founder and Connor's wife. "To be back here with this presence is really special."
The flagship location also honors Tracks, the record store that has operated out of the Kirkwood Avenue store for nearly 40 years. Homefield is still selling music and apparel under the Tracks name inside the shop.
"We don't want to come in and ignore an institution that has been here since 1988," Hitchcock said.
The first 100 people at the Homefield at Tracks' grand opening on Tuesday received a poster featuring the newly revived IU bison mascot. The bison proved to be a popular seller during the store's first day of business.
"I'm going to wear this shirt at least 10 to 20 times," said IU fan Julia Songer. "I have season tickets to football, so I'm going to go tailgating and watch football with my new IU bison t-shirt."
"I bought the bison t-shirt," said Kobe Fleming, who graduated from IU in 2021. "We've got to bring back the bison. It's already back and I can't wait to see it at Memorial Stadium this fall."
Homefield at Tracks is celebrating the grand opening throughout IU Welcome Week, including a block party outside of the store on Friday afternoon.
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