The tyrannical hold of “elevated” basics over our bodies broken, the death grip of an earthy color palette unleashed. Why? Pops of primary and unexpected color combos sparked a sense of joy thanks in some part to Michael Rider’s Celine debut, while Matthieu Blazy’s offerings at Chanel cultivated whimsy with couture takes on fairy tales. There’s also been lots of moments to dress up for too, with megawatt tours from Harry Styles, Ariana Grande, and Zara Larsson; maximalist pop stars with fans eager to follow their lead in sequins and ties, hibiscus flowers in hair.
And then there was the graphic T-shirt: perhaps the most democratic expression of fashion’s renewed interest in…having a personality. Now the overwrought descriptor of being “chic”—stretched taut by the algorithms and muted toned Pinterest boards to mean wearing something that reveals next to nothing about you personally—has been released from our aesthetic vocabularies, it’s cool again to telegraph your taste and wit, to wear pieces that challenge curiosity, that aren’r so simple to “add to cart.” A band tee, a local and not very good sports team shirt, a bizarro cartoon raglan, merch from a restaurant you ate at on vacation in which you had a celestial experience with dolce. Fandom, especially, is back in fashion: and it’s even better if you’re bootlegging it.
When you let your t-shirt do the talking, the rest of your outfit can just flow: pair it with the summer’s XXL shorts trend, Bermudas, or a slinky slip skirt. Play with proportions! And while plenty of the celebrity set have stylists doing those eBay deep dives for some of the graphic shirt grails, designers like Emily Dawn Long have risen above with their own pithy slogan shirts: EDL’s “Spoiled Boys” shirts are a particular fave. There’s also vintage stores like Nho Girl—an Amsterdam-based showroom that mixes Comme des Garçons with cartoon tops, Prada and protest tees—and London’s Jerks, with a huge library of punky tees visited by Lorde and Paul Mescal.
Below, these are the graphic T-shirts that say it with feeling.
Save ImagePhoto: Backgrid1/18The Spoiled Boys (and Girls)Kaia Gerber, Paul W. Downs, Pedro Pascal, Tommy Dorfman: everybody loves Emily Dawn Long’s “Spoiled Boys” shirts in a litany of colors: midnight blue, butter yellow, teal. It’s been sported on red carpets and out in the wilds of Lower Manhattan, quickly transcending an IYKYK status.Related VideoBest Moments From Vogue World 2026 Milan Livestream
Save ImagePhoto: Getty Images2/18Alongside structured polos and sexy, sinewy knit dresses, Long repurposes vintage tees for her “Spoiled Boys” screen prints. “’Spoiled’ usually gets a bad rap—like it’s a negative thing—but it can also mean pampered, cared for, and cherished,” Long told Vogue. “It’s a term of endearment.”
.jpg)
Save ImagePhoto: Getty Images3/18.jpg)
Save Image4/18Elevated standomThis summer, fandom was at fever-pitch thanks to a succession of massive world tours: Harry Styles, Ariana Grande, Zara Larsson, Rosalia included. Across these fandoms, fashion becomes a way to declare your pop world allegiance. Alexa Demie’s public appearances are rare, but when she does venture out, it makes a statement.
Save ImagePhoto: Getty Images5/18The fan tee got an upgrade: Alana Haim created some charming homemade “Stevie Knicks” T-shirts in New York Knicks colors to sit courtside with her sister Este and Taylor Swift.
Most Popular
FashionHow to Rewatch the Vogue World 2026: Milano LivestreamBy Emma Specter
FashionCardi B Is Fit to Print at Vogue World 2026: MilanoBy Hannah Jackson
Celebrity StyleJ Balvin Walked the Vogue World 2026: Milano Runway in Regal Dolce & GabbanaBy Christian Allaire
Save ImagePhoto: Backgrid6/18Chloë Sevigny is, of course, an arbiter of all things cool. And celebrities stanning other celebrities is cool. It’s the modern day version of Madonna wearing sparkly tees emblazoned with Britney and Kylie’s names in the early aughts.4.jpg)
Save Image7/18True headsAyo Edebiri was telegraphing her taste with aplomb on her Letterboxd before the scrutiny got a bit too much and she deleted it. I need to know what her favorite Bjork album is, though. The pairing of a simple merch tee and a Chanel purse is just an incredible formula.Save ImageRaymond Hall8/18Dress code defier Kristen Stewart has a covetable collection of vintage band tees: Led Zeppelin, Talking Heads, Pixies, and the Beach Boys included. The band T-shirt is in no way novel, but Stewart wears her’s with a sense of authority, usually paired with slouchy denim and some Converse.
Most Popular
Save ImagePhoto: Getty Images9/18The deep divesZendaya and stylist Law Roach used the Spider-Man: Brand New Day press tour to do something a little different with method dressing, a red carpet styling concept they have come to define as a pair. This time, looks were more subtle, with playful nods and details to the Marvel movie. And after a succession of stunning archival and custom dresses, a turn in an oversized Spider-Man shirt sourced from eBay for $34.99—while still paired with Louboutins and diamond jewels—felt fresh and unexpected.
.jpg)
Save Image10/18Who knows where Jennifer Lawrence is sourcing her wardrobe of stellar slogan shirts: Poshmark? Ludlow Flea? Her own teenage closet? This one is a vintage travel souvenir from São Jorge, one of the islands in the Açores archipelago of Portugal. An acolyte of New York cool-girl ease, she paired her tee with similarly trending Bermuda shorts to run errands in the city. Big shirts, big shorts works..jpg)
Save Image11/18A New York It-girl through and through, Zoë Kravitz mourns Barneys like the rest of us.
Most Popular
Save ImagePhoto: Backgrid12/18The combined novelty T-shirt wardrobe of Harry Styles and Kravitz must really be gargantuan. Maybe they’re sourced by Styles’s stylist Harry Lambert, or when the couple hit the vintage stores of Rome, London, and any of Styles’s Together, Together tour stops. While Kravitz favors more fashion-forward shirts with lower-key slogans, Styles loves old-school music merch.
Save Image13/18When they get very, very personalHitting the stage of London’s All Points East Festival, Lorde sang the haunting “Liability” with moving images of her younger self beamed onto her tank top. As personalized as it’s going to get.
Save ImagePhoto: Instagram (@daisychainfields)14/18Olivia Rodrigo commemorated her inaugural Daisy Chain Fields Festival with a series of merch, including a collab T-shirt with Anna Sui and work by a curation of small Etsy sellers. These will be as hot a commodity as old-school Lilith Fair merch, so get on it.
Most Popular
Save Image16/18A Hannah Montana revival look that is, truly, the best of both worlds. Miley Cyrus appeared at the Hannah Montana 20th Anniversary Special premiere in a silver chainmail dress from the Rabanne spring 2024 ready-to-wear collection, swapping out the T-shirt the look was styled with on the runway for a custom graphic tee bearing her own face. A little high-fashion, a little gaudy and self-referential.
Save Image17/18A slogan with a bit of sassLili Reinhart has a pretty, preppy personal style, but a series of slogan shirts have playfully disrupted that. This has included shirts that read: “I support a mans right to shut the fuck up” and “Imagine dating me. It won’t happen, but just imagine.”
Most Popular
.jpeg)
Save ImageCourtesy of the BBC18/18Now, even though this was back in the depths of winter, one can’t do a round-up of the best graphic T-shirts without mention of Alexander Skarsgård: someone I previously referred to as “Master of the Perfect, Quietly Nasty Graphic T-Shirt.” The Pillion and The Moment actor used his press tours to play around with his wicked sense of humor, which culminated in some kinky, witty dressing. He paired his tight “HOT BUFFET: ‘Available All Day.’ Eat as much as you like” shirt with black leather pants and a cheesy grin on The Graham Norton Show, and also wore a white crewneck tee depicting a man lying horizontal, licking a leather boot-clad foot hovering above his face, to Cannes. No one is safe, and good!
