Humorous or snarky? Slogan T-shirts are making a fashion comeback

In November 2023, Victoria Beckham sported a "My dad had a Rolls-Royce" T-shirt. The design is selling as part of her fashion label's offerings. Photo: Victoria Beckham

It's official. Graphic T-shirts emblazoned with all kinds of slogans and messages are making a fashion comeback.

Sometimes featuring provocative or ironic texts, this relic of the 2000s has become celebrities' latest go-to for getting their message across, and sometimes for silencing spiteful voices.

Y2K nostalgia continues to make its way into wardrobes.

After low-rise jeans, baggy pants or the skirt-over-pants combo, it's now the turn of the slogan T-shirt to make a comeback, aided by the return of another sartorial style – the grungy and edgy vibes of the indie sleaze look.

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From Emily Ratajkowski and Dua Lipa to Hailey Bieber and Victoria Beckham, celebrities are showing their love for these expressive T-shirts, featuring slogans and messages that can sometimes be provocative.

The trend is confirmed by global fashion search engine Stylight, which reports a 51% increase in searches for this kind of T-shirt on Google, compared to last year.

On Instagram, numerous users have already got in on the act, wearing graphic T-shirts with all kinds of messages. Meanwhile, on TikTok, the #slogantees hashtag is riding high.

The best way to wear this kind of T-shirt is as part of a casual, day-to-day look. It can be worn with jeans or a skirt.

The graphic tee comes in many colours and styles. It can be worn oversized (XXL), in crop top mode or in a regular cut.

Slogans can range from the banal to the highly controversial. And that's precisely why celebrities have been using these tees for years to silence critics or to send messages.

Getting the message across

The slogan T-shirt played a central role in Y2K fashion. American singer Britney Spears was among the first to sport the graphic tee in public, as a mean to hit back at tabloid gossip and denounce the perpetual attention of the paparazzi.

"When Britney wore a T-shirt with the slogan ‘I’m a virgin (but this is an old T-shirt)’ she was reflecting back a public’s very gruesome obsession with her sexuality, all while just popping out to the shops and without saying a word," says Michael Cragg, author of the book Reach For The Stars: 1996-2006: Fame, Fallout And Pop's Final Party, speaking to The Guardian.

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Today, graphic T-shirts continue to be an effective way for celebrities to show their humour or show that they don't take themselves too seriously.

In November 2023, Victoria Beckham, ex-member of the Spice Girls, sported a "My dad had a Rolls-Royce" T-shirt following the release of the Beckham documentary on Netflix.

The tee references a standout scene showing her claiming to come from a working-class background when her father drove her to school in a Rolls-Royce.

In 2017, the pop star-turned-fashion designer strolled the streets wearing a T-shirt reading "Fashion stole my smile".

In January 2023, model Hailey Bieber, daughter of actor Stephen Baldwin and niece of Alec Baldwin, also sent a strong message by wearing a "nepo baby" T-shirt, following accusations of nepotism from her detractors. – AFP Relaxnews