By: Carson Leigh Olson, Talon Staff
From the runway to the streets, t-shirts that say something, whether in words or images, have become an evolving trend. Protest movements, ad campaigns, movies, and even Bob Ross all have their own so-called graphic t-shirts. Stores and shops ranging from Walmart to Forever 21 have sections of graphic t-shirts. Although solid colored t-shirts still stock the shelves, graphic t-shirts are becoming more of a staple.
TCC student Sam Allen said he definitely wears more graphic tees than solid colored t-shirts.
“I don’t know I just think plain t-shirts are weird,” Allen said.
Instead of plain t-shirts, Allen said he wears a wide diversity of graphic tees including ones with various logos.
Yariel Martinez, a TCC student majoring in psychology, said she prefers plain t-shirts instead of graphic tees with logos or brands.
“I don’t like to give free promo to a brand so yeah that’s why I wear solid colors on my clothes,” Martinez said.
Another TCC student Katelyn Callan said she thinks graphic tees do promote brands, but also show a bit of a person’s personality.
“Probably more brands and then I guess you could say that if you pick it out it promotes your personality ‘cause that’s what you personally like so both,” Callan said.
Kyle Green, a second-year student at TCC, said graphic t-shirts can be a way to show a bit of personality in outfits, but can also cause people to narrowly define themselves or to be narrowly defined by others.
He said he prefers letting people learn about his personality in other ways than in the message on a graphic t-shirt.
“Because I like when somebody comes to meet me that they have no idea who I am or what I’m about so they actually get
to know me rather than just make an inference of who I am based on what I’m wearing,” Green said.
Green said because of this he feels his favorite shirt, a plain V-neck black t-shirt, is the way to go instead of graphic tees.
Callan said although she likes plain t-shirts generally better, for her the best t-shirts are her old band t-shirts from high school.
“They’re just really sentimental to me and I really like them,” she said.
And although Martinez does not agree with promoting brands on graphic tees, she believes that graphic t-shirts such as ones with a national flag can help people express pride of place.
“My favorite t-shirt that I own; it has my flag on it,” she said. “I’m Puerto Rican so it has the Puerto Rican flag on it and you know I’m a really proud Latino so that’s my favorite shirt.”
Allen’s favorite t-shirt is a graphic t-shirt following the trend of putting pop culture or movie references on shirts.
“I have a t-shirt that I really like and it’s a – it’s like a “Super Bad” reference,” Allen said. “The shirt says ‘I am McGloven’.”
There are pros and cons to both graphic and plain t-shirts, but these four suggestions are a great way to incorporate both into outfits.
The plain black V-neck will go with anything from jean shorts to a skirt. It can also help tone down a brightly colored outfit.
Graphic tees from events and clubs can be great conversation starters on college campuses allowingstudents to see a bit of each other’s past or current interests.
Graphic tees like Martinez’s favorite can show off a proud heritage or place of origin. Many local t-shirt companies such as Old Fields Clothing Co. in Tallahassee offer t-shirts with either state or city name images on them for specific regional pride.
There are tons of options similar to Allen’s favorite shirt with movie and TV references that only fellow fans will understand. Other graphic tees feature images or quotes from well-known older movies that had profound effects on pop culture and society. These can add a vintage style to outfits. Or graphic tees with images or logos from currently popular shows can make an outfit very current.
