Over the past few years, graphic tees have made a huge comeback. Truth be told, that isn’t terribly surprising. With more people than ever working from home, many are busting out their old casualwear rather than dealing with office outfits. And if we’re being honest, there’s a big nostalgia angle to graphic tees, as well—at this point, we don’t doubt that many of us are dreaming of better, simpler days.
In a recent piece, we examined the history of graphic shirts. We looked at their origin, creation, and evolution. Today, we’re going to take a deep dive into the present. Because it’s no secret that graphic tees have recently experienced a surge in popularity.
Let’s explore why that happened.
Comfort
Our relationship with fashion has changed. As reported by CNN, the fashion industry entered into crisis mode last year, with many business apparel retailers filing for bankruptcy. People simply didn’t care about fancy clothes or expensive outfits anymore.
They want something functional. More importantly, they wanted something comfortable. Rather than having to struggle into a stiff, uncomfortable suit every day, we collectively decided that we’d rather just grab a shirt and a pair of sweats from our closet.
As many businesses seek to return to some degree of normalcy post-COVID, they’re even finding that employees are largely unwilling to go back to their former dress codes.
Style
The best thing about graphic tees is that there really is something for everyone. They allow you to convey everything from your interests to your political beliefs. And if you’re willing to put in the effort to create a custom tee, they can even be a means of showcasing your unique personality—the core of what it means to be you.
Community
Graphic tees can do more than showcase your thoughts, ideas, or beliefs. They can create a sense of community between like-minded people. By simply donning a shirt, you can show your support for a cause, demonstrate your appreciation of a celebrity, and open up conversations with like-minded people.
To give an example, plenty of popular YouTubers maintain their own merch store where fans can purchase apparel decorated or embroidered with a whole range of inside jokes—which again fosters a sort of togetherness.
Given how challenging and isolating the pandemic has been, one can hardly blame a person for seeking community wherever they can find it. A sense of belonging, feelings of acceptance, and the knowledge that there are people like us to support us; these are things we all sorely need right now.
And graphic tees provide one possible means of discovering them.
Memories of Better Days
Prior to COVID-19, many millennials felt a sense of nostalgia towards the 90s. They dreamed of better, simpler days. They longed for a time when they were still children and didn’t have to worry about things like taxes or climate change.
With the pandemic, plenty of us would settle for just going back to 2019. Designers and artists have seized on that nostalgia. You can find a ton of graphic shirts online that convey everything from frustration with the pandemic to a desire to return to the before times.
Versatility
The best thing about a T-shirt is that it can serve nearly whatever purpose you need it to.
It can be part of your workout gear. It can be something you wear at work when you’re trying to keep things casual. It can be part of a pajama set or simply donned as loungewear.
There’s an excellent reason the base article has endured for over a century—they just work.
Simplicity
Sometimes, you don’t want to spend several hours planning your wardrobe. Sometimes, you don’t want to worry about color matching or style. Sometimes, you just want to put on whatever you first pull out of your closet—you want to keep it simple.
Self-care aside, there’s something to be said about doing this from a business perspective, too—plenty of successful leaders make a point of not putting any thought into what they wear on a day-to-day basis. Because as noted by Entrepreneur, putting small decisions out of your mind allows you to focus on important ones.
Interested in creating your own graphic tee? Check out BlueCotton’s award-winning design studio!