No garment embodies loud and proud fashion like the slogan tee.
The least cryptic footnote in fashion’s history, slogan tees, be them camis or crop tops, are simple vehicles for effortlessly identify oneself as an unfussed dresser.
They also happen to be a Y2K staple. Britney Spears told us to ‘dump him’ via tee. Paris Hilton pleaded with fans to ‘stop being so desperate.’ Kim Kardashian professed that she ‘likes nerds.’ Text-baring tops were the gaudy antidote to quiet style that fashion craved in the Noughties.
Hence, why they are on the up once again. The garments are dripping in irony, making them the perfect pick for TikTokkers craving that one viral clip or influencers pining for likes. Quasi-political and utterly unmissable, they are solely worn by those with something to say.
Wearing a slogan tee is always going to spark some sort of reaction. You’re bound to get looks on the tube, most probably from middle-aged men who don’t get your T-shirt’s zeitgeist reference. But this is partly what’s so endearing about the tops. They simultaneously garner attention and vex the oldies. So, go big or go home, right?
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Well, not necessarily. While many celebrities have catalysed the comeback of the slogan tee, think Victoria Beckham’s ‘Fashion Stole My Smile’ and ‘My Dad Owns A Rolls Royce’ self-deprecating renditions, others have fumbled the bag.
Hailey Bieber’s ‘Nepo Baby’ top ruffled feathers. The model leaned into the ‘nepo baby’ discourse last year, stepping out in a baby tee displaying those exact words. It didn’t go down well online, with followers criticising the 27-year-old for making light of the systemic industry issue.
Designers were also put in the hot seat. Maria Grazia Chiuri, Creative Director of Dior, printed the phrase ‘We Should All Be Feminists’ onto a string of T-shirts (which cost a mere £580 each) for her debut Dior autumn/winter 2016 collection show in Paris.
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The singular garment, which became the unexpected pièce de résistance of the collection, sparked uproar from fashion devotees. Not only was it considered an ill-designed cop-out, but many noted how slogan tees are primarily a product of fast fashion. It was predicted that fashion’s trickle-down system would take heed from Dior’s slogan offerings and use them as a quick-win money maker, made by underpaid workers who are primarily female. Ironically and inherently anti-feminist.
In this sense, slogan pieces are paradoxical. Not only can they help you stand out, but their popularity makes you slot right in.
We again have the celebrity sphere to thank for this narrative. 2024 has been a particularly fruitful year for text-brandishing garments. Loewe’s ‘I Told Ya’ tees worn by Josh O’Connor and Zendaya in Luca Guadagnino’s Challengers gripped the fashionscape. Olivia Rodrigo reinforced her punkish pop princess attitude via readable pieces that referenced her songbook. Sabrina Carpenter’s Coachella look centred an XL boyfriend top saying ‘Jesus Was A Carpenter.
The tops provide an apolitical space for people to say exactly what they want without being taken seriously. In such a temperamental social climate, this is a valuable loophole.
Worn well, and slogan tees can be a tongue-in-cheek protest - a middle finger to dull fashion. Brands like O-Mighty and Cowboys of Habit have a plethora of kitsch pieces to peruse, featuring delightfully silly quips from ‘But Daddy I Love Him!’ to ‘J’adore Cowboys.’
But please, avoid the obvious. E.g. ‘New York,’ or ‘Self Love.’ Shelve anything that looks like it belongs in Brandy Melville circa 2015.
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By all means, wear the slogan tee. But wear it with a nonchalant attitude. Make it camp-as-can-be. Reference a cult Noughties film. Slogan tees are beacons of personality, so don’t fall prey to the nearest mainstream option.
At the end of the day, slogan tees are the industry's way of saying, “I don't take myself too seriously.” And isn't that what fashion is all about?