For years, t-shirts have been a way to piece together your personality, your interests, and your mood. Whether you feel sassy, introspective, or downright happy, you can usually find the perfect t-shirt to amplify how you feel on any given day of your life. T-shirts usually give you a theme, a person, or a group to support, advocate for, or even poke a little fun at.
However, if you’re a true t-shirt lover, you know just how vast your choices are. In fact, you might be a little overwhelmed by them all. You may even have trouble choosing a shirt, because after all, when you’re selecting the perfect vintage t-shirt, you’re not buying a shirt, you’re buying a symbol that represents at least a little bit of who you are.
Since so many people will see and read your t-shirt, you want to be sure you choose the right one for you so that you make the right statement. While some people use fashion to create a persona, the casual vibe of t-shirts allows you to open up and reveal to others a piece of yourself, and you want to get it right. So this post gives you five ways to consider your choices so that you pick the perfect t-shirt for your personality.
1. Find Something You Actually Like
From sports and politics to bands and movies, your first step in narrowing down your choices needs to be considering whether you actually support the subject or theme of the t-shirt. No matter how much you really like the look of the shirt, the difference between a casual t-shirt buyer and a true t-shirt fan is that real t-shirt fans only buy t-shirts that mean something to them.
After all, a t-shirt peels back the layers of your personality, your interests, and your passions, so unless you’re purposefully trying to throw people off, find a t-shirt that’s reflective of a subject you really enjoy or care about.
When you buy a shirt that represents something you enjoy or are passionate about, then you develop a connection with the shirt, which means you’re also more apt to wear it. When you do that shirt gives you a way to connect to others. Without having to even talk to anyone, you can offer a glimpse of who you are to those around you.
2. Find a Style That Blends with Your Unique Personal Style
You may think this part is easy, but many people buy a t-shirt because vintage t-shirts are always on trend, not because the specific shirt fits their style. The mistake of buying a shirt that doesn’t match your style means you’re likely to not wear it much if at all because we’re typically most comfortable in clothes that fit our style.
T-shirts represent the very essence of comfort, so if a style takes you out of your comfort zone, skip it unless it’s a direction you’re willing to go in style-wise. When considering the t-shirt’s style, be sure to check out the cut, colors, font, and era of representation. If you only wear ‘80s gear, a shirt that clearly represents a different decade may not work with your look. Similarly, if the colors are earth tones, and you typically only wear bright, bold colors, really consider whether this shirt represents the real you and your unique personal style.
3. Find a Shirt That Makes a Statement
You may have found a subject you enjoy, a style that’s perfect, but now it’s time to really read the shirt and determine what the t-shirt says. A true t-shirt fan understands that a t-shirt can be a work of art—it speaks volumes without having to say much at all. So the t-shirt you’re considering may have a quote, it may be just a picture, or it may be a turn a phrase that, when paired with an image, reveals a deeper meaning.
Many shirts are not what they seem at first glance, and some of the best t-shirts actually leave people with a sensation. From shock and laughter to thought-provoking analysis, T-shirts give you a unique opportunity to promote ideas and an identity without saying a word, so be sure to select a shirt that makes some kind of statement about you.
4. Don’t Consider Trends . . . or Do!
When it comes to vintage t-shirts, wearing them is always on trend. However, depending on the year or the time of year, some trends are very exact and ever-changing. At one point anything amplifying the ‘70s might be trending while at other times, vintage college sweatshirts are all the rage. So the trend rule depends on you and your style.
If you tend to buck trends, then keep current trends in mind when shopping. That way you can keep your counter-cultural self well on the outskirts of current fashion trends in vintage clothing. On the other hand, if you’re the type that embraces trends, then by all means tune in to trends so you can stop ahead of curve.
It all comes down to what choice really represents you. Never let trends bully you into a choice, but also don’t clutch trends so tightly that you give up a vintage t-shirt you really love just because it doesn’t fit someone’s idea of “in” at the moment.
5. Buy from Someone You Trust
When it comes to t-shirts, you want to be sure you get quality clothing and that means buying from someone you trust. No matter how cool the shirt looks or fits your style, don’t close the deal unless you trust the person selling it.
Vintage t-shirts allow you to make a statement to others that reveal as much or as little as you want to about you, your interests, and your passions. Running from fun and energetic to serious and passionate, t-shirts let you open up to others in a unique way and show others at least a glimpse of what makes you unique.