Going Graphic…. My Tee Picks

photo: remi relief

Casual mash-up of luxe and laid back, is a no brainer: tee, jeans, blazer and a pair of flats and then add accessory, play with colors…in short – be creative. I don’t need to specify that not any tee goes, otherwise there would be no brands like James Perse, Enza Costa or other pricy makers of staple whites and blacks.

I love t-shirts and own a pretty big collection, at least for my limited capacity Japanese closet, and still search for more to buy. Most of it is in mono colors or stripy, quite simple really, for me essential qualities are specific texture (of course cotton), color, proper hang and the right length. Want to add a little chic and impact to it? Go graphic. A couple days ago I bought this wonderful t-shit from Journal Standard L’essage with a groovy urban print on it. It is so much fun to style with the rest of my wardrobe; seems like I can wear it in myriads of combinations and look spot -on with each one of them. And this thick cotton … aaaah There is this one great thing about nice print tees: they can carry an entire outfit, so even without much effort in accessories department and with simple bottoms, it still looks city cool.

That brings me to musing upon the subject of what is the perfect print? When you decide to go with a graphic tee there are two situations which you are bound to find yourself in. Option one – it will be a slogan, a face of Kate Moss or other model (not my thing, if I want to look at models, I’ll buy a bloody fashion rag!) or something difficult to coordinate without looking like a juvenile. Option two is a stunning, fashion statement print, but they want all your limbs for it. Recently I came across an interesting bit of news about a 91 grand tee from Hermes. Even after I learned that it was made of crocodile(“die-or haute couture” in words of NACO PARIS), it still sounds insane. Actually, made me feel sorry for the long- snouted creature. Another day when I saw a fancy piece of graphic on NET-A-PORTER for around 600 USD (!) it didn’t look that expensive any more.

So how to sort out the right motif and keep it reasonable?

In this post I offer you a line up of my humble finds. The brands below are swish, contemporary and with an edge , so go ahead and check their web sites. You might find something to suit your fancy better than my picks. As for the selection, I just tried to stay within style and colors which give plenty of options for “the mix and match” game.