Five Brands Elevating the American Uniform: Graphic Tee's
For decades, Americans have been breaking boundaries by allowing comfort into the world of high fashion. A sometimes aloof community, the fashion industry has spent years thinking of ways to elevate the everyday basics like a tee-shirt, so as to provide women an aspirational option for their desire to casually-dress. A successful attempt has been the new wave of brands that have revolutionized the basic tee by elevating it with tongue-in-cheek slogans, kitschy graphics or pop art. In doing so, these designers have given our jeans and tee look a cool-girl edge and sophisticated attitude - one that is very of the moment.
In 1965, Elio Fiorucci’s visit to London during one of it’s biggest youth movements inspired him to create his eclectic brand of graphic casual wear that took fashion by storm. Putting the uniform of jeans and tee’s on the map in Europe (while the combination was already an American classic) is among one of the legacies he left. And now, in 2017 Cult-Italian brand, Fiorucci is back! With a new store in the heart of Soho, London. A line that was inspired by an energized, rebellious, provocative youth - what a better time for Fiorucci’s return than right here and now in 2017?
Inspired by french style and attitude, Etre Cécile’s line of luxury tees focuses on injecting humor in light-hearted, relevant ways that speaks to a generation of smart, fashion-forward individuals. These chic tees can be easily mixed with high fashion, which was what designers Yasmin Sewell and Kyle Robinson had intended when they dreamed up the brand.
In 2015, Kyle Robinson (of Etre Cécile and Paper Mache Tiger) founded Herculie, a line of basics inspired by modern day unisex dressing. The tee’s are simple, comfortable but way cooler than the average basic.
Inspired by their love for vintage tee’s, husband and wife duo Lisa Mayock and Jeff Halmos founded Monogram Studio due to frustration of not being able to find what they were looking for at an affordable price.
So, they started their own line of vintage-inspired tee’s modeling the fits from their own personal collections and sourcing inspiration from vintage art, typography and photographs. Better yet, these fun, graphic styles won’t break the bank. All Monogram Studio tee’s are just $65.
A line of super simple embroidered (and customizable) tee-shirts. Why didn’t we think of that? Double Trouble Gang sells pre-made tee’s with classic words like, “lover”, “baby” or cheeky movie lines from Grease, like “tell me about it, stud” - reminiscent of the iconic Pink Ladies jackets. Or, shop from their easy customizable section on the site to create your own mantra.
