Vintage T-Shirts

November 28, 2024

An Old T-Shirt Tells a Story!

Is there any other garment that captures the essence of personal style quite like a T-shirt? The tee you choose to wear speaks volumes about who you are, your tastes, your values, your vibe. All effortlessly communicated through a simple yet iconic piece of fabric.

In the Beginning, There Was the Plain T-Shirt

Did you know that the T-shirt was originally designed as an undergarment? It started out as a blank canvas, no prints, no logos, just a simple solid piece of clothing.

James Dean, 1955, Marlon Brando in The Wild One

Veronica Lake 1943, and after that, Madonna! 1989 ©vogue.com

The story begins in 1904 when Cooper Underwear Company launched a magazine ad introducing a new product. Targeted at single men with no sewing skills, they unveiled the cotton "Bachelor Undershirt." This innovative undergarment required no safety pins, needles, or buttons, featuring a stretchy neckline that made it easy to slip on and off.

AD from Cooper Underwear Company, ©vogue.com

The U.S. Navy soon took notice of its comfort and practicality, issuing a guideline that required sailors to wear buttonless undershirts beneath their uniforms. They adapted the design into a short-sleeved version, officially adopting it as military underwear. This marked the first appearance of what we now recognize as the modern T-shirt. The look gained iconic status when stars like James Dean sported short-sleeve tees on screen, transforming it into a symbol of youthful rebellion and an everyday fashion staple.

A Message Louder Than Words

There's nothing that makes fashion more meaningful than challenging conventions and pushing for change. Let's take a look at the stars who haven't hesitated to use printed T-shirts as a canvas for their social and cultural voices.

Global pop icon Rihanna honored the late rapper DMX by wearing a T-shirt with his face emblazoned alongside the letters R.I.P.

©elle.com

The D.A.R.E. (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) "Keep Kids Off Drugs" T-shirt from the American anti-drug education initiative.

©hadidcloset.com

Originally given out for free to educate children and teens on the dangers of drug abuse, this T-shirt later earned a place in the fashion world as an ironic statement. The twist? The word "Dare" also happens to mean "to try," adding an unintended layer of complexity to its message..

Then there is the slogan tee by British fashion designer Katharine Hamnett which boldly stated, "58% Don't Want Pershing," referring to British opposition to the deployment of nuclear missiles.

Margaret Thatcher and Katherine Hamnett ©katharinehamnett.com

This T-shirt crafted in protest of the 1980s missile deployment in Europe made a bold statement with its thick defiant font. It became an iconic moment in fashion history when Katharine Hamnett wore it to meet British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher in 1984, a clash of style and politics forever etched in memory.

Jump to Paris Fashion Week 2016 where Dior’s "We Should All Be Feminists" T-shirt did not just walk the runway, it stole the show, sending shockwaves through the fashion world and beyond.

A$AP Rocky ⓒpinterest.com, Dior SS17

The phrase was originally the title of a book by Nigerian author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. It called for both women and men to break free from traditional gender expectations and move toward a happier world. Through this, fashion proved itself to be a powerful vehicle for messaging.

American singer-songwriter Frank Ocean has also used T-shirts to voice his message of egalitarianism.

ⓒvogue.com

"Why be racist, sexist, homophobic, or transphobic when you could just be quiet?" These were the words emblazoned on the white T-shirt Frank Ocean wore during his performance at the Panorama Festival in New York, making a bold statement that resonated far beyond the stage..

You might not know the music, but you wear the band tee.

Even if you’ve never heard a single song by the Rolling Stones, spanning from the '70s to the '90s, you’ve probably seen their iconic red lips logo on a T-shirt at least once.

Rolling Stones ©blogspot.com

When designer John Paschi first sketched the lips logo in 1970, he could hardly have imagined it would become the most iconic logo in rock 'n' roll history 50 years later.

Legends of rock Led Zeppelin made a memorable statement in 1979, unveiling a backstage pass T-shirt for their return performance after a four-year hiatus.

Led Zeppelin 1979 Backstage Pass T-Shirt ©bluecotton.com, Led Zeppelin ©reddit.com

Produced in limited quantities to prevent counterfeit passes and offer a unique experience to those who had the shirt, this move hit the jackpot on both fronts. Some of his fans even sold the T-shirt for over $10,000, making it one of the rarest and most coveted Led Zeppelin tees in the world.

In July, Anthony Vaccarello’s Saint Laurent Rive Droite curated a vintage T-shirt collection where some pieces exceed $5,000. These shirts have become some of the priciest Nirvana merchandise in the world.

The T-shirt on the far right, ©ysl.com

Given that Nirvana was once known for complaining that even $20 concert tickets were too pricey, selling their T-shirts at such high prices certainly seems controversial. However, when framed as art pieces capturing the history of Nirvana rather than mere T-shirts, the steep prices start to make sense.

Vintage RUN DMC My Adidas 1980s T-Shirt, "Greatful Dead" 25th Anniversary Promo T-shirt, 1977 Sex Pistols T-shirt ⓒdefunkd.com, ⓒdefunkd.com, ⓒebay.com

Street Fashion Encounters

When I first delved into street fashion, THRASHER, SUPREME, and STUSSY were the brands that immediately caught my eye. Back then, wearing their T-shirts made me feel like I was embodying the free-spirited resistance they championed on the streets, even though I didn’t actually skate.

80s original THRASHER, John Cardiel - April, 1993 ⓒTHRASHER MAGAZINE

When skateboarding first emerged as a counterculture in the 1960s, it was merely regarded as a child's pastime. However, the arrival of THRASHER in the 1970s was enough to shake up that perception. By focusing on what skaters were truly passionate about, THRASHER elevated skateboarding from a fleeting trend to a defining lifestyle. The iconic flaming logo on their T-shirts captures the hardcore spirit of that era.

Then, in the late 1980s, STUSSY emerged, a brand that would challenge all pre-existing notions of casualwear.

Vintage 80s Stussy NYC Crew Photoprint T Shirt, Vintage 80s Stussy Eight Ball 8 Single Stitch T Shirt, Vintage 80s Stussy Dragon print T shirt ⓒgrailed.com, ⓒebay.com, ⓒtruevintage.jp

The STUSSY logo was initially created by Shawn Stussy, who roughly scrawled his name to make it. At first, he sold T-shirts featuring this logo for promotional purposes, and at the time, it was incredibly fresh and groundbreaking.

James Jebbia, who co-led STUSSY with Shawn, grew tired of the brand’s simplistic design that only featured the logo. In 1994, he opened Supreme, a skateboarding brand store in Manhattan.

He kicked things off by placing the Supreme box logo on a Calvin Klein ad featuring model Kate Moss. Not surprisingly, Calvin Klein promptly issued a cease and desist order. But was it worth it? Absolutely. The bold move instantly captured the attention of rebellious young skateboarders and established Supreme as a defining brand among them.

Kate Moss by Mario Sorrenti, 2004 Supereme 10th Anniversary T-Shirt. ©garmentory.com

Every season, Supreme finds it’s unique thrill in referencing. The brand’s originality often springs from its rebellious nature, and occasionally, this leads to a bold yet lazy approach of directly lifting vintage T-shirts or stock images found online. It’s all part of what makes Supreme so quintessentially Supreme.

Supreme Copies IG. @supremecopies

Oh, I have that one too!

We all know that most people who wear T-shirts emblazoned with the logos or album covers of legendary rock bands have never listened to their music. The band or graphic is often so iconic that consumers recognize it more as a brand.

"99% of People Wearing Nirvana T-Shirts These Days” ⓒ9gag.com

The four-piece heavy metal band Metallica's T-shirt might be one of the most fitting examples. It's been reprinted so extensively that just about everyone has seen it at least once.

Metallica Original T-Shirt On Grailed

R13, H&M

From fast fashion brands like Zara and H&M that replicate previous T-shirt graphics to names like R13 and Saint Michael, the variety of choices can be overwhelming. Of course, those who understand the value of original products will appreciate the difference.

Designers Love T-Shirts

When discussing Raf Simons, one cannot overlook the legendary British graphic designer Peter Saville.

Saville’s work, directing album covers for bands such as Joy Division and New Order, is also reflected in Raf Simons’ menswear collections.

Peter Saville posing with a T-shirt featuring a parody of his own design. ⓒwashingtonpost.com

At Raf Simons' SS18 "Blade Runner" show, Peter Saville's graphic artwork was elegantly illuminated under Chinese-style lanterns, printed on T-shirts.

Raf Simons SS18, ⓒvogue.com

Demna Gvasalia, who once led Vetements and is now the Creative Director at BALENCIAGA, is well-known for his appropriation of images from popular culture and memes.

His Vetements 2019 AW collection, steeped in punk attitude, prominently featured garments emblazoned with the phrase “CORPORATE MAGAZINES STILL SUCK,” a nod to the shirt worn by Kurt Cobain of Nirvana on the cover of Rolling Stone in 1992, making a defiant statement to the music industry.

Demna's love for T-shirts continues at BALENCIAGA. The 'Speed Hunters,' which made several appearances in the 2018 collection, likely left many wondering who they are. This five-member group is a fictional band inspired by the 90s global pop sensation Backstreet Boys.

Backstreet Boys T-Shirt, BALENCIAGA FW18

Discovering designs where the graphic is not just reproduced but reinterpreted by the designer is part of the joy of watching a show.

Uniquely, the French brand ENFANTS RICHES DÉPRIMÉS, meaning "Depressed Rich Kids," portrays a seemingly contradictory world on its T-shirts.

You might wonder if this is some egregious T-shirt idolizing Nazis, but considering designer Henri Alexander Levy's Jewish identity, the context changes. Mixing elitism and nihilism with a punk edge, Levy primarily creates clothing in limited quantities for “the richest yet most depressed people on Earth.”

KNOWING IS SEEING!

Just as a well-aged wine deepens in flavor, the comfort of a well-worn T-shirt is unforgettable. Once you’ve experienced it, you'll understand why people keep coming back for more.

What the Sleeves Reveal

Take a look at the sleeves of your current T-shirt. If there are two rows of stitching, it's likely a newer shirt from after the '90s. If there’s only one, it’s probably a true vintage piece.

When discussing vintage T-shirts, you can’t overlook the Single Stitch. This refers to the single line of stitching used to finish the edges of the garment.

A 1994 vintage Champion T-shirt made with single-stitch construction, and a 2000s-era Captain Morgan Parrot Bay Rum T-shirt made with double-stitch construction ©thriftcon.com

These days, T-shirts are generally produced using double-stitch techniques, but before the 1990s, most were made with single-stitch construction. (Of course, single-stitch is still used, though not as prevalently as before.)

The reason so many T-shirts are made with double-stitching comes down to cost. Double-stitching can produce two seams in the same amount of time as single-stitching can produce one. Thus, in a modern society that demands maximum profit with minimal labor, this has become an unavoidable choice. Brands like Ralph Lauren are known to use exaggerated single-stitch techniques intentionally to recreate a vintage look.

The paper-thin fabric and naturally cracked graphics

One of the charms of vintage T-shirts lies in their patina, a narrative woven into the fabric itself. This patina encompasses not just the soft, worn texture of the fabric and the occasional hole, but also the unique discoloration from specific dyes that tell the shirt’s story.

©etsy.com

Repeated washes gradually break down the fibers, softening the fabric over time. Many vintage tee enthusiasts favor this texture so much that they refer to it as "Paper Thin Vintage." As the name suggests, these tees become so thin they feel almost like paper against the skin, offering an exceptionally soft and comfortable touch. Tees that have faded from prolonged sun exposure or naturally torn from continuous washing showcase what true, one-of-a-kind uniqueness is all about.

Each t-shirt tells its own story.

The world of T-shirts becomes even more intriguing when you delve into it with some knowledge. In Haruki Murakami's book Murakami T: The T-Shirts I Loved, the novelist reveals his affection for his favorite T-shirts and their prints, naming each one with fondness. As you turn each page, you'll discover that the things we consistently love can profoundly influence our identity. With this in mind, why not take another look at the T-shirts in your closet? They might just have a face that mirrors you in some way.