Every Body Loves a Great T-Shirt

Everybody loves a great t-shirt. We’ve been sporting them as a wardrobe staple for ages. Beginning in the late 60’s and early 70’s it became popular to brand t-shirts with company’s logos. People became walking billboards for their favorite labels, causes, and hometown teams. Hippies tie died their t-shirts every color under the sun. In the 80’s black band t-shirts were all the rage, and the punks ripped their t-shirts to shreds. As of late I’ve noticed that T-shirts have gotten more profound, often making bold, in-your-face statements. T-shirts have become a way for people to communicate and express their feelings, without having to speak.

We thought it would be interesting to head out to the New York City streets to capture the messages being transmitted on today’s t-shirts. We stopped individuals of all ages to photograph them in their t-shirts and asked them why they chose to wear that particular t-shirt that day. For some it was a conscious choice to convey a certain message, while for others it was the easiest thing to throw on. A current trend seems to be a shift toward anti-branding and t-shirt minimalism. A prime example is in the photograph of a guy wearing a t-shirt by aNYthing stating simply: “t-shirt.” T-shirt designers are definitely getting bolder, sassier and smarter than ever.

People keep those smart t-shirts coming.