BUENA VISTA, CO -- The Ralph Lauren shirt in Steve "Colorado Guy" Garufi's wardrobe celebrated its 17th birthday yesterday with a emotional jubilation at a local cafe in Buena Vista.

Amazingly, Steve purchased the black "Chaps" Ralph Lauren shirt when he was a teenager working in a department store in New Jersey, and the shirt has proven to be a "winner" for almost two decades in Steve's choice of attire.

At a local cafe in the small town of Buena Vista, Steve announced the good news to patrons, workers and anyone else who would listen.

"I'm only 22, so if I had a shirt that was 17-years-old, it wouldn't fit me at all." stated Steve Quilico of Buena Vista, who was wearing a black western-style shirt. (Adjacent photo)

"That black shirt is rugged and manly." added Jesse Cortese, a singer in the local punk rock band named Maniacal who works part-time at the cafe.

As seen in the photo above, the Ralph Lauren shirt has taken "quite a beating" over the years. Most notable are tears in the lower left end of the shirt and the conspicuous hole in the left sleeve.

"The shirt was doing fine until two years ago when I accidently placed it on a furnace that burned the hole and ripped it up." explained Steve.

Not all seemed impressed with the age of Steve's shirt. Kelly in Overland Park, Kansas asked rhetorically: "Your Hair Consultant was in diapers when you bought that shirt, and you're still wearing it?"

"How many times has it been laundered? Is the ratio appropriate?" she also asked.

Steve plans to continue wearing the shirt on a regular basis and is excited to wear it in the presence of a cute eHarmony match whom he will be meeting for the first time in two weeks.

"If the girl really likes me, she will like the shirt as well, I'm sure." Steve reflected.

Tie-Dye Shirt Reaches Five Year Mark

In other notable news about Steve's wardrobe, his colorful tie-dye t-shirt reached the five year anniversary and has been warn approximately 596 times since he purchased it from hippies selling it from a van in downtown Manitou Springs.

"This is sweet ... It kicks ass!" exclaimed Jesse (adjacent photo), as he held the shirt on a hanger.

Steve's five-year-old tie-dye t-shirt has been photographed on this web site many times including the muffler story, the oatmeal stain story and when friends etched his initials in concrete.

Over the years, Steve's wardrobe has been publicized on numerous occasions on this web site. Last month, Steve was criticized for wearing a crew neck New York Yankees shirt for four consecutive days, and refused to answer all questions regarding whether he washed the shirt during that period. Additionally, Steve endured a lot of embarrassment when his chiropractor noticed a plastic tag on a tattered shirt that had remained as Steve wore it for over four years!.

One more celebration photo of the 17-year-old shirt ...