From Britney's iconic "Dump Him" moment to feminst declarations on the Dior runway, slogan tees give a whole new meaning to "making a statement." The bold t-shirts were first invented in the 1960s starting with Disney-themed designs, but fashion designer and activist Katharine Hamnett can be credited with the 1980s politicization of the slogan tee. Then, Y2K moguls such as Paris Hilton made the style popular once again (She recently cleared up the misconception that she wore a t-shirt that read "Stop Being Poor").
After fading from the mainstream, the shirts made headlines during 2017 runway shows, going back to Hamnett's activist roots with Dior encouraging the feminist movement and Prabal Gurung's Fall/Winter 2017 collection finale featuring a slogan tee tribute to female empowerment. Viktor & Rolf even turned heads with slogans embellished on voluminous tulle gowns for the brand's Spring/Summer 2019 Haute Couture collection. Political t-shirts have since become somewhat commonplace during fashion week for designers who wish to make an overt statement with their collections.
Most recently, TikTok star Addison Rae Easterling wore a t-shirt that read "He said he wanted more space, so I locked him outside." While it might not be a galvanizing feminist assertion, the cheeky t-shirt conjures up nostalgia for the brash graphic tees of the early aughts.
Here's a look at some of our favorite slogan tee street style moments.
