Open the drawer you keep your best tees hidden in. Usually, the clean button-ups calling your name are not there. Your eye is definitely drawn to that shirt with the explosive color, the strong image, or the joke printed in giant block letters. Best Graphic Tees? They are little billboards, screaming your taste, mood, or just your sense of humor, much beyond basic apparel.
Let us start with vintage tees first. Perhaps it’s an old-fashioned cartoon tee that reminds of Saturday mornings with cereal or a fading band tee from a great show. Though the holes might imply otherwise, my friend swears by his tattered Nirvana shirt and believes it to be a lucky charm. But then you have the ones with the eccentric minimalism inclination. Perhaps it’s simply a witty little penguin in sunglasses, or a sardonic comment only a few others catch. “Google It” on a tee shirt? instantaneous icebreaker.
Funny shirts? Oh, they never really get old. Every cookout features at least one man wearing something like “Grill Sergeant,” or “Taco ‘Bout Awesome.” Perhaps he cries at his own pun. To be honest though, these shirts make people chuckle even before dessert.
Then there is the pop cultural audience. Look for a Stranger Things or Zelda shirt and see other people become excited. It’s an unseen club. You like this? Me as well! Suddenly, grocery store visits seem like Comic-Con.
Material is not only window decorating. A tee that melts after one spin cycle is the last thing anyone wants. Like the print, softness and fit matter equally. Bella+Canvas and Next Level are brands that endure since they master the ideal of strong and comfy. Finding the correct fit is also like Goldilocks testing porridge: neither too tight nor too free.
Never sleep on innovative designs produced by independent artists either. Those hand-printed or festival objects nearly invariably turn into stories. Like one tee you picked at an art fair, faded with memories of rain, music, and a friend you haven’t seen in some time.
Eco-friendly choices are at last also becoming trendy. Companies are picking recycled threads, cutting out harsh inks, and fronting green decisions. Looking beautiful makes you feel good; everyone benefits.
What actually distinguishes a graphic tee? It stimulates interest as you enter a room. People point, read, and launch a conversation. Sometimes the appropriate tee reveals your attitude, cheers your spirits, or just keeps you smiling all afternoon. Relax about choosing the “perfect” shirt. Have fun with your gut; trust it. Sometimes the best tee is just the one you find yourself constantly grabbing for.