10 Reasons Why Graphic T-Shirts Are the New Art Form

Fashion is going in new directions now after the death of couturier Yves Saint Laurent. Graphic t-shirts have become a new medium by which artists can showcase their talent. There is a strong call for those vintage band t-shirts that we used to wear to concerts, but now variations are appearing on various graphic t-shirts that are vintage in style, and diverse in their message. They used to just say things like “I am with stupid” or “I love NY”. Now there are so many variations on the theme that it is hard to tell what came first and which t-shirt design came most recently.

Also, graphic t-shirts are gaining in class. A t-shirt used to be considered something that you would wear when you had nothing else. Now, it is all you need under a jacket to look trendy. However, your graphic t-shirt must be form-fitting and deliver an original message – or else you will miss the target. More and more, these simple t-shirts, often one-line messages, have become more stylish due to their new cuts. Girls have babydoll t-shirts that do a great job in showing off their curves, while guys have shorter sleeves to show off their arms. There is no longer the one-size-fits-all mentality about t-shirts that once existed when everyone and his brother were wearing Fruit of the Loom t-shirts.

Ten reasons why Graphic t-shirts are the new art form:

1. It being acceptable to spend more than 10 dollars for one t-shirt.

2. New weaving technology. Very fine cotton is being used these days.

3. The return of retro irony and themes from the computer world. “All your base are belong to us.”

4. Emergence super-soft and distressed finishes. Now vintage t-shirts look really vintage.

5. New cuts and sewing techniques.

6. Websites that allow graphic designers to submit designs for graphic t-shirts.

7. New necklines. Anyone say v-necks in 10 different styles?

8. Casualization of everything, including going out to clubs. You can wear a graphic t-shirt anywhere.

9. Easy access to graphic design software. Now anyone can become a graphic designer.

10. It being acceptable to display a message on your clothing. Couldn’t do this so easily a few decades ago.

Now fashionable people have the option of wearing graphic t-shirts, which makes them an even more appealing piece of clothing for high-end designers to target. Basically, the graphic t-shirt has entered the ranks of haute couture, where now it has entered the playing field among the major designers. Armani has already attacked this new medium with its Armani Exchange line, while mainstream brands such as American Eagle have embraced the movement as well.

Where the art of graphic t-shirt truly shines is on the Internet with the multitude of web 2.0 websites that allow designers to upload their designs and get them printed once they are voted on enough times. This democratic system pushes designers to come up with unique designs that will be popular enough to get printed. The creations that come out of these websites tend to be the most creative of all graphic t-shirt designs and where this art form takes on a life of its own.