The humble slogan tee is the season’s loudest wardrobe staple.
Throughout history, style has been a way to communicate who we are, what we believe, and where we belong. Mini skirts were originally a headturning protest against conservative dress codes, and now a commonplace display of liberated femininity.
A studded leather belt was a middle finger to the Savile Row set and its stuffy dress codes. But gone are the days of reading between the sartorial lines — the runways are making this form of self-expression even more literal.
Now, we’re wearing our thoughts on our chests literally.
Take perhaps the most ubiquitous example: I Heart New York. Designed by graphic designer, Milton Glaser in 1976 for a New York State tourism campaign, the red heart and bold lettering logo debuted in 1977 and quickly became a merchandising staple.
Once relegated to Times Square gift shops and airport terminal clothing racks, this classic tee was adopted into high fashion spheres by Chanel in Matthieu Blazy ’s Pre-Fall 2026 Métiers d’Art collection at the end of last year — but since then, the trend has only grown. From Connor Ives ’ “Bring Back Shame” tee to Ashish’s “Fashion Not Fascism” slogan, designers are putting their messages front and center.
Ives set the internet alight with his viral “Protect the Dolls” tee, finding fans in Charli xcx , Addison Rae , Troye Sivan , Naomi McPherson , and Pedro Pascal . In our surveillance-state era, why leave yourself up for interpretation when you can spell it out on your chest?
London-based independent designer Ashish has long been making the case for clothes that have something to say, too. For Spring/Summer 2026, the London-based designer presented his 14-look menswear collection titled “Fashion Hell” that brought his irreverent, politically charged sensibility to the fore.
From hoodies emblazoned with “Fashion Hell” to tees bearing “Fashion Not Fascism” and “Make Education Great Again,” the slogans tap into traditional protest language and political messaging to challenge the industry’s own norms. Quite meta, isn’t it?
Other designers are taking a more playful approach to the same idea. At Valentino , creative director Alessandro Michele has introduced “Villain Teen,” a slogan emblazoned on shirts and baseball caps that obviously plays on the house’s name and less obviously hints at all of our latent teenage angst.
Meanwhile New York City-based designer, Emily Dawn Long has contributed to the slogan tee movement with her series of reworked vintage tees, including the “Spoiled Boys” style sported by Kaia Gerber this past summer.
Off the runways and back online, Instagram darlings have long been acquainted with O-Mighty whose cult following includes the likes of Miley Cyrus , Emily Ratajkowski , and Hayley Williams . Known for its often cheeky quips and sometimes NSFW graphics, the brand’s tees broadcast everything you might put in your Insta bio: “1000% that girl” in a pink off-the-shoulder silhouette, “tall, brunette, evil” on a short sleeved top, or just a picture of Mila Kunis in Black Swan on a halter tank.
(That one speaks for itself). It’s the same impulse driving our customization craze, which has seen us charm our bags from piping to handle and bedazzling our pill bottles all in the name of making our stuff feel a little more “me”.
Celebrities have also caught on to the power of a good slogan in lieu of slapping a headshot onto a t-shirt and calling it merch. Lili Reinhart ’s Y2K style went viral this year during the press runs for Forbidden Fruits and The Love Hypothesis as she sported a wide ranging collection of cheeky vintage baby tees to tanks with a little more bite.
Every morning, fans awoke eager to read what she had to say next. Now, we’re hearing from her.
Reinhart’s skincare brand, Personal Day , is cashing in on the moment with a limited-edition bundle with a “This B*tch Needs A Personal Day” baby tee alongside two of its skincare best-sellers.
Musicians, meanwhile, are making a case for merch you actually want to wear outside the concert venue. Harry Styles has taken a similar approach with his “Respect Your Mother” baby tee and long sleeve tees inspired by his song “Dance No More.” Rosalía is playing into the I Heart New York motif with a I Heart Rosalía tee, complete with a sacred heart for her current, decidedly biblical era.
Charli xcx has “Oblivion Is Freedom” screen-printed distressed and off-center on a hoodie in a nod to the existential last track of Music, Fashion, Film . Meanwhile, Sombr for his part, goes straight for the chest with a bold “My Body Is Ready!” tee.
No reading between the lines there.
The graphic tee might be having a moment, but its message is timeless: fashion has always been a form of self-expression. These days, we’re just making sure everyone gets the memo loud and clear.