The front of The Shirt, perhaps more than any other aspect of the shirt's design, has seen the greatest change throughout its twenty-year history. The front of The Shirt 1990, the first shirt, was relatively straightforward and modest; it featured a simple, yet eye-catching “Notre Dame Irish” across the chest. The following year, the front was shortened to simply “Irish ‘91” with a football to dot the “i”.
In 1992, the front enjoyed another radical change. For, instead of stretching across the width of the entire chest, the design moved to the left breast. It read, “Notre Dame Football,” and featured an image of the Golden Dome. In the years that immediately followed, the front design remained relatively unchanged. There were a few modifications, however. In 1997, for example, the front design incorporated a commemoration of the expansion of Notre Dame Stadium.
The Shirt 2002 brought revolutionary changes to the front of The Shirt. With “Return to Glory” emblazoned on the front, the front of The Shirt became the “face” of The Shirt. The Shirt 2002 replaced the tradition of small and simple front designs with a new tradition of a unique image and slogan that proclaimed the theme of The Shirt. This tradition continues to this day, and has truly transformed the purpose of the front of The Shirt. All who don The Shirt are brought together not only through the common bond of wearing the same t-shirt, but also under the same unifying theme. Without a doubt the face of The Shirt has also become the face of the Fighting Irish.