The rise of the tee
T-shirts have always been a part of American men’s fashion but the industry has come a long way from Fruit of the Loom. Tees, like jeans, are acceptable garments in many social situations. They’re versatile too. Throw on a tee with your favorite jeans or pair with a fitted blazer and you go from stuffy conservative to urban professional. Maybe it’s the new price tags or just a shift in public perception (if we have to work, we should at least be comfortable right?). In the past, a pressed shirt and crisp suit meant you were polished and put together—now it screams “slave to the Man.”
A cool graphic tee worn with premium denim and a skull and crossbones belt buckle and leather belt shows that you’re hip and a slave to no one. Even if you burn the midnight oil in a cubicle on the 33rd floor, at least no one tells you how to dress.
The fall fashion lineup promises even more fun with tees. Designers are reinventing just about everything they can think of—70s TV shows, 80s pop culture, pencil graphics and nature prints—they’ve even decided to take another look at the skull motif by toning it down with more subtle or hidden placement. With the dizzying array of options, guys can express themselves like never before.
JasonJ on Feb 17, 2007 6:01:10 PM:
A good t-shirt becomes like a friend. I have t-shirts which are now 10 years old. Sure they're falling apart -- Don't Worry, I wouldn't wear them out in public. But they are special. Designer Ts like the ones you show are new classics which will be cool (or cooler) 5 years from now.