From the runways and red carpets to off-duty celebrities and models, graphic T-shirts are back in full force.
Once synonymous with early-2000s style — from tabloid-era slogan Ts to logo and band shirts that became wardrobe staples — the graphic T is making a return as fashion embraces a more personal approach to dressing rooted in individuality, nostalgia and self-expression.
Last December, Matthieu Blazy offered a high-fashion take on the trend in his debut Chanel Métiers d’Art collection. Staged in an abandoned New York City subway station, the show featured a sequined “I Love NY” T-shirt styled with a modern interpretation of the house’s signature tweed skirt suit. The look elevated the ubiquitous tourist souvenir into something polished and aspirational. Teyana Taylor later cemented the shirt’s cultural cachet when she wore it while hosting “Saturday Night Live,” pairing it with black leather leggings and a dramatic red fur stole.
Celebrities have become some of the graphic T’s most visible ambassadors in recent months. Unlike the slogan shirts of the early 2000s, which often served as cheeky rebukes to paparazzi and tabloid culture, today’s versions are being incorporated into more considered, fashion-forward outfits. Jennifer Lawrence and Sabrina Carpenter have both been spotted wearing the same yellow Beatles “Strawberry Fields Forever” T-shirt from Junk Food Clothing. In an effortless street style look, Lawrence styled hers with a red-collared cardigan, loose-fit denim and Adidas Tokyo sneakers, while Carpenter gave the T a glamorous spin by draping a white fur coat over her shoulders in a selfie.
