The Costume Mistake You Missed In Home Improvement

ABC's "Home Improvement" burst onto the television scene in September of 1991 and quickly found its place in an increasingly competitive sitcom marketplace. The brainchild of Matt Williams, Carmen Finestra, and David McFadzean proved to be a ratings juggernaut in short order — thanks largely to the comedic prowess of lead Tim Allen, who portrayed TV host and family man Tim "The Tool Man" Taylor. Between his talents and those of the rest of the "Home Improvement" cast, it should come as no surprise that the series stuck around for eight seasons and became a favorite of television viewers around the world.

The reign of "Home Improvement" over the small screen concluded in May of 1999, racking up a whopping 204 episodes as well as a handful of Golden Globe and Primetime Emmy nominations. Nevertheless, it remains a popular watch almost 25 years later, with fans new and old appreciating its depiction of family dynamics, its sharp humor (the gags that aged well, that is), and that unforgettable theme song. At the same time, that means that even though they occurred what feels like ages ago, the "Home Improvement" fanbase has yet to let go of even the most minor visual flubs that reared their ugly heads now and again. 

For example, here's one that pertains to a costume mistake that viewers pointed out almost as soon as it aired, but you likely never knew about.

In a typical "Home Improvement" episode, Tim Taylor wears two different sets of clothes: his casual, at-home wear, and his more formal, presentable outfit, for appearances on "Tool Time" with his co-host, Al Borland (Richard Karn). While the latter isn't exactly anything to write home about, his leisurely duds have an interesting real-world story behind them. Having spent much of his childhood as a resident of Birmingham, Michigan, Tim Allen made it a point to wear shirts and sweaters representing Michigan-based schools and sports teams on his hit sitcom. 

Not only was this convenient for him, seeing as he could just wear his own clothes to set, but it gave exposure to the chosen schools and teams virtually for free. They'd even send in merchandise for him to rock on-camera, ensuring he never ran out of new threads. However, according to Screen Rant, this tradition was broken in the Season 6 episode "Workshop Til' You Drop" when the costume department gave him a sweater from Wofford College in South Carolina. "Obviously, someone didn't do their job. Wofford got lucky," said "Home Improvement" costume department supervisor Valerie Levin-Cooper in 1996 (via Direct Expose).

All in all, this was a harmless mistake that didn't greatly impact the program itself. Wofford College got some publicity, "Home Improvement" made even more headlines than usual, and the whole ordeal made for a fun story that would live on for decades.