Last week shows that the hope of a warm and pleasant summer is not completely buried. To spend it in relative cool, the ideal companion is obviously the t-shirt.
For plain basics , we can't recommend Monoprix or American Vintage enough.
I personally opted for the gray and white Uniqlo Dry, ultra-light and rather well cut, really well suited to hot weather. They can be worn alone or under a shirt, which I highly recommend to avoid huge halos and the map of France drawn on your back.
Only drawback: the V-neck is not very neat and there is no slightly scooped round neck available.
The real subject of this article is rather to deal with graphic t-shirts. For me, this notion includes two categories:
- t-shirts with particular prints , as you already know them.
- plain t-shirts, with a graphic detail like a contrasting pocket
In addition to this question, we will also deal in this article with what can be considered as errors of taste. A delicate subject to deal with because we will find fewer concrete criticisms of a print than, for example, of a jacket.
Good solution for summer, wearing a graphic t-shirt must remain above all art and allow you to express originality and good taste.
To begin with, here are four mistakes you should never make, even though you see them on almost every street corner.
A huge brand (even better, when it's counterfeit)
You are not walking billboards: showing so obviously that we have chosen a product just for the brand shows that we are basically incapable of judging otherwise the quality of what we buy.
Those who followed the latest Men's Fashion Week shows, notably Kenzo and Christian Lacroix, will say that this trend is making a comeback. Indeed, it is possible that the t-shirt with a tiger and a huge Kenzo print will be a hit.
But it will be with a niche hype clientele , for whom this beauf revival will only be a vague trend as ephemeral as the good weather this summer 2012.
In short, this type of tee is either cheap counterfeiting or very short-lived and very expensive fashion. To avoid.
A political message
Just as you do not wear a UMP or PS badge in everyday life, it is preferable to ban overly protesting t-shirts, such as for example Che Guevara, seen again and again, and even strangely in the most upscale neighborhoods of 92.
A band t-shirt (hip-hop/metal), (even better if you have long hair and a spiked necklace)
As explained in Geoffrey's article on the three and a half reasons to avoid the total look , this type of t-shirt shows a lack of personality. It's okay to appreciate a musical movement, but not to base your wardrobe entirely on it.
Instead, look to find what interests you in terms of colors and shapes, and find more subtle ways to express your musical tastes. Your style will be truly timeless and you will no longer have to change your wardrobe every 6 months, as your tastes and your environment evolve.
Questionable humor (even better if you wear this when leaving a nursery school)
The state of mind is the same: adapt to your environment. Of course you can definitely use this type of t-shirt in offbeat evenings with friends. Remember though that they are more of a disguise, and that the opportunities to use them will be really limited. In short, you save yourself a lot of money and invest in superfluous pieces when you could have bought basics.
If the four fails that I have just described to you represent roughly 80% of the graphic t-shirts that you can come across on the street, then it is normal that you are a little taken aback.
I will give you a list of alternatives with a checklist first.
The cup
There needs to be a fair compromise here. We are not looking for a fitted cut that is too close to the body which will keep you unnecessarily hot in summer and which will turn your t-shirt into sponge.
In the same way, we want to avoid a t-shirt that is too large and will not show off your appearance.
A happy medium: the shoulder seams are well located, it outlines your waist minimally and you don't have the impression that it is stuck to your entire torso.
The neck
The pitfall to avoid is the crew-neck t-shirt with a super thick neckline. It's thicker, it's unnecessarily hot and it won't make you look flattering. And it's even worse if you wear it under a shirt.
The size of the logo
No need for a logo that completely covers the t-shirt. If so and the t-shirt is cheap, then it's probably low quality and will wear off after a few washes. It also gives a visually charged piece.
Likewise, a ridiculously small logo, such as A4 or smaller, will leave too much empty space on your t-shirt (what graphic designers call spinning white). It will also disturb the eye because it will logically be more difficult to discern the pattern.
The colour
Avoid too colorful colors and reserve them for the moment for plain t-shirts. Your outfit will be too busy and the pattern will be less highlighted.
Also avoid black, an overly cataloged color. Choose light colors: light gray, ivory, off-white, white.
What selection can we choose?
The brand offers black and white t-shirts with a thin, relatively low-cut collar. The prints are A3 in size, sometimes with slight effects of wear.
They fit well into a fairly all-purpose trend with leather, raw denim and GAT.
I let myself go a little by choosing this brand, and it's also Gil's favorite brand. The principle of prints? Pin-ups with suggestive poses and sneakers.
It's really not the kind of t-shirt to wear if you're in auditing or if you're a teacher in a Catholic college, as you'll understand. Before buying them, make sure that you live in an environment where it will make you laugh, to avoid letting them gather dust in a wardrobe for fear of wearing them.
Even if these t-shirts are not of premium quality, I admit that I fell in love with this concept. It actually offers a slew of $9 t-shirts with prints made by artists.
Each artist is free to submit their work to Threadless, and it may be put into production on t-shirts according to user votes. An original way to give everyone a chance.
Some brands have even launched after testing their concept on this platform.
A more alternative selection, even a little snobbish, which plays heavily on somewhat confidential cultural and art deco references.
Destroy The Pop
You don't need to be cultured to understand these prints: we're into Bad Boy, Trash and the purely offbeat. Impactful prints but most of which remain relatively versatile.
Blood Is The New Black
We play more on vintage prints that are quite sophisticated, with a worn and faded effect that is quite well achieved.
For my part, I spent several days searching on Gmarket to find interesting stores, I only selected two that corresponded to the criteria stated above.
I chose the first for its variety: it has both quirky and colorful prints, the colors available are numerous and sober (light gray, cream, etc.) and they are really accessible ($11 excluding shipping). The collar is also rather thin.
The second store offers t-shirts with a slightly wider neckline, but still of very good quality. The prints are even more offbeat and they are more accessible (8.59 dollars). The colors offered are also interesting. I love the cream/off-white color which is a real change from the traditional stark white. (in other words, boring)
I explain to you at the end of the article how to get them.
Speaking of premium t-shirts : also be careful with overpriced graphic t-shirts that ride the Made In France trend .
You will pay dearly for a name that is sometimes not very relevant: be aware that it can apply to t-shirts imported from China, printed in Portugal, and on which the brand label has been embroidered in France. ( I'm making a caricature, but it's not far from the truth for certain brands ).
Don't rely on it when purchasing online and instead go to the store to see the quality of the fabric yourself .
Other graphic t-shirts
As mentioned at the beginning of the article, a graphic tee is not just a tee with a print. You can have twists of color and structure in different parts of the t-shirt.
The BWGH brand has set a good example this season with an embroidered yoke on the chest pocket: an interesting way to wear a basic with a risk-free twist.
Among the twists of color, we find them on the collars, the sleeves, and recently on the chest pockets.
On the construction and structure, we can find material inserts on the pockets or contrasts on the sleeves.
This model features a subtle color contrast between a very light blue and gray: it's not much more difficult to wear than a plain basic t-shirt.
A well-cut plain t-shirt with a thin, scooped neckline and a unique twist of color on the sleeves. This is perfect for differentiating yourself at the beginning without risking detail overload.
Everything here is based on the pocket, built with a flap with a brown button, with a slightly wooden effect.
We have a more marked graphic variation than on the previous t-shirts. It will be best worn with beige chinos and raw jeans
More sober, but again with a contrasting back. A little teddy in spirit.
The JamaisVulgaire selection of graphic t-shirts
It includes on the one hand the t-shirts above: there are 8 in total. They are the result of a rigorous sorting which took me days, to ensure that all the criteria mentioned were well met. .
I also made this selection with in mind what I was able to see at the Spring/Summer 2013 buyers' shows (MAN, Capsule etc): you will therefore have a year in advance, and from 12 euros , which will be done next summer among cutting-edge designers.
You will also find the only two Gmarket stores there with around forty t-shirts with decent prints (which comply with the article's checklist).
I chose to integrate this selective guide for free into the basic JamaisVulgaire package : I explain the principle on the site .
And for the 200 customers who have already purchased it since May : don't panic, just subscribe to the newsletter and let me know by email.
Good shopping !
