Collector JT Turner hasn’t missed a day of wearing a Spooner for 10 years straight, and his incredible streak shows no signs of stopping. Get to know JT and explore his remarkable collection.
Born and raised on California’s Central Coast, JT first discovered Reyn Spooner while on a sailing trip with his cousin, an avid Spooner collector, to Catalina in 1972. After snagging his first shirt while on Catalina Island, he was instantly hooked – the feeling of Aloha and effortless cool kept him coming back for more.
“I love the feel, the Spooner Kloth, the durability after hundreds of washes, the looks of the Aloha spirit...mostly how I feel wearing them.”
Upon enrolling at UC Irvine, JT lived on Balboa Island and Reyn Spooner became his uniform, with Gary’s his go-to shop for the latest styles.
Over the years, JT’s collection grew slowly but surely with every Father’s Day, Christmas, and birthday. With a closet full of Spooners (about 75 at the time), he swapped his suit and tie for a Spooner, continuing to wear it as his daily uniform.
Upon enrolling at UC Irvine, JT lived on Balboa Island, where Spooners became part of his everyday rotation. Gary’s was his go-to shop for the latest styles.
Over the years, JT’s collection grew slowly but surely with every Father’s Day, Christmas, and birthday. At one point, his collection reached around 75 shirts, allowing him to swap his suit and tie for Spooners as his daily uniform.
“The quality is so good and they last so long – I still have the Spooner I wore to my daughter’s high school graduation nearly 20 years ago.”
The Streak
In 2015, when JT and his wife sold their house in San Luis Obispo and moved to a beachfront home in Cayucos, he made it official: “I live on the beach now, I’m wearing a Reyn Spooner every day. I’m done with everything else.”
Over the last ten years, even through his battle with cancer and days in the hospital, JT kept the streak alive.
These days, his favorite shirt is our recent Beach Boys: Good Vibrations print, which he owns in both colors, a nod to the first concert he ever attended when he was a student at UC Irvine. With so many shirts to choose from, he typically selects one to match the color of his Cruiser Shorts.
Though he’s officially retired, JT stays busy coaching basketball and appearing as a recurring guest on the San Luis Obispo Real Estate Podcast with Hal Sweasey. Tune in here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iow0_6HdH7Y
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