name one song by the Ramones
wearing graphic tees without feeling like a teenage fraud
As someone who came of age in the unfortunate heyday of the Urban Outfitters graphic tee, I stayed away from that aisle of the thrift store for years after. Even now, the sight of a Ramones t-shirt still evokes a reflexive wince. (I never bought one of those, but I definitely owned several others that are just as embarrassing!)
Thankfully, what is telegraphed by a graphic tee depends massively on what it actually says, and you don’t have to pretend to know who the Ramones are (or declare your ethnicity—remember these shirts?). I now have a solid collection of t-shirts I incorporate into my regular wardrobe without embarrassment.
MEANS OF ACQUISITION
Buy the t-shirt. Of all of the advice I could give, this feels most important. I didn’t follow my own advice at Monster Jam earlier this month. It wasn’t exactly clear where the merch stand was on the way out, it was cold, etc. Excuses. I ended up on Poshmark later tracking down a Grave Digger shirt as a memento. Just imagine if I’d purchased a shirt at my first Monster Jam in 2006 and still owned it!
That’s why I’m telling you to buy the t-shirt. This is one of the only ways to acquire a new piece of clothing that automatically has a memory attached. (It does also invoke the sobering realization that everything you own will become vintage if you hold onto it for long enough.)
Etsy, eBay, Poshmark, and Depop are also goldmines for building up a solid collection. Yes, the serendipity of discovery is removed online, but in place of that, you can achieve a level of targeted specificity that IRL thrifters can only dream of.
WHAT TO LOOK FOR
The actual design shouldn’t be too busy or chaotic, otherwise it looks like you’ve just raided the drawer of old high school shirts gathering dust in your childhood bedroom (unless your high school had a very talented graphic designer! which perhaps they did!) The shirt also shouldn’t be too big, or else it can read pajama-ish.
There’s no need to be an expert on your shirt, but some fondness or knowledge of the subject makes it more meaningful. Some ideas for searches: hometown, favorite vacation destination, festivals or fairs, favorite restaurant chain, museums…
HOW TO SEARCH
If you’re looking for a place-related t-shirt and that place also has a sports team, using eBay’s advanced search options to omit certain words will be of great assistance (unless you want something related to that city’s sports scene.) For example, when looking for Tampa-related shirts, I filtered out a number of words (see screenshot below for how to do this.)
On eBay, I don’t limit clothing category because I want to get results from both men’s and women’s, as well as “Specialty,” which includes a sub-specialty called “Vintage.” I also don’t search by size, because the only reliable sizing information is the pit to pit measurement. This means you will be sifting through a lot of shirts, but I wouldn’t rule out any shirt listed as your size or one/two sizes in either direction.
I also like eBay and Etsy because you can tell how many results your search turns up (Poshmark is the wild wild west in this regard… you can scroll forever.) If you get thousands of results and want to narrow it down, you can add “single stitch” or “ringer” to your search to skew the selection a bit more towards true vintage (though the prices may be higher because sellers using those terms often know what they have.)
The softest vintage shirts are often a 50/50 cotton/polyester mix—just a note in case you are also picky about material. I generally avoid polyester, but sometimes you have to suffer for fashion (lol.)
HOW TO WEAR THEM
I am generally drawn to a lot of classic elements of menswear: corduroy, oversized blazers, trousers, loafers. A t-shirt brings those elements down a level of formality and adds a bit of friction to an otherwise staid outfit. Same with skirts—you can cut the feminine/sexy vibe of a short skirt with a casual t-shirt.
If I wanted (I always want to—if I needed) to add more vintage t-shirts to my wardrobe, here are some that I would consider and how I would style them (and one that I already own.)
Vintage Skatepark Of Tampa Skateboarding T-Shirt Size Small USA Rare 93 Till, $60
I’d pair this with a cobalt blue classic chore coat and some dark selvedge denim (which is what every guy who also used to go to the Skatepark of Tampa in 2005 wears now.)
Vintage Cigar Ringer T-Shirt Size L Made In USA 70’s 80’s, $65
Vintage 70s XL Thompson Cigar Co Tampa Florida Single Stitch Ringer T-Shirt, $56
I’m envisioning this tucked into a flared, high-waisted pair of camel-colored corduroys with some Nike Blazers to cut the 70’s vibe a bit. Would also work well with wool trousers, maybe in a muted plaid.
Vintage Tampa Historic Theatre graphic t-shirt Size medium, $15
Oh man. I might have to get this one. The fabric hangs so well, and it’s just worn in enough that it doesn’t look like you’ve walked straight out of the gift shop. I would go High Fidelity with this one—a plaid miniskirt, tights, loafers, and maybe an army jacket.
Vtg 1993 US open Tennis Championship Single Stitch Tshirt Mens L 1990s 90s Tee, $55
The graphic design on vintage tennis shirts is so much better than any other sport! This particular one reminds me of Vintage Contemporaries. I might wear with some black cotton trousers (same pair here in a 4 and in a 16) and a sleek brown leather belt.
VINTAGE 70s Sailfish Marina Palm Beach Shores Florida Hanes Ringer T-Shirt Large, $45
More seventies colors. I’d wear this with a long suede or leather skirt in a brown or burgundy, a denim jacket, and some low-top sneakers.
Vintage Geneva State Park All Over Print T Shirt Single Stitch One Size (XL) USA, $25
I love a design that bleeds onto the sleeves! Might lean into the “camp” vibe and wear with cutoff denim shorts and Converse high tops. This is a good summer errand-running outfit.
NOS vtg 80s J&B SCOTCH WHISKY RINGER T-Shirt SMALL/MEDIUM it whispers beer thin, $25
This was my grandma’s favorite liquor. I would wear this to a holiday party, or any occasion where people are drinking. Short black skirt, black tights, fur coat, and strappy red suede sandals. I might even layer a men’s button down on top, open and tied at the waist.
80’s Vtg Single Stitch T Shirt Bombay Gin Play To Win XL Tee Jays Tag Colorblock, $95
Another alcohol-related option… I own this shirt, and it is one of my best thrift store finds. It last made an appearance for the Super Bowl, as I am not a fan of football but thought “Play to win” was in the spirit of the game!
MY HOLY GRAIL
I’m forever on the lookout for a Weeki Wachee mermaid t-shirt (hyper-local, but if you’re interested this is a great article on the history of the attraction.) Also have fond memories of the Pizza Hut Book It! challenge, but all that seems to be out there is some faux-vintage merch they reissued a couple years ago. Nothing more depressing than manufactured nostalgia!!!
What’s the oldest t-shirt in your wardrobe? Any holy grails you’d love to find?
<3 E
I wanna be sedated ❤️
love this!!