The Grown Man’s Guide to Wearing Graphic T-Shirts

We all know that Graphic T-Shirts can be fun wearing but not knowing how to wear it can be stressful. Here is how to wear a Graphic T-Shirts!

The Grown Man’s Guide to Wearing Graphic T-Shirts

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Here’s how to wear graphic tee shirts like a grown man.

Graphics – The Junk Food Of Your Wardrobe

Whenever I start working with a client, the first thing I do is pare down the amount of graphics, patterns, and colors in their closets.

Not that there’s necessarily anything wrong with them, I wear graphics, patterns, and tons of color. But it’s kind of like junk food – most people looking to get their style “into shape” overdo it.

Before we can introduce the occasional graphics back into their style diet, we have to get them in a good place. Which is why the first phase in all wardrobe redesigns I do focus on toning down all the graphics ala Rule #7.

Once we get that in order, like any healthy diet, we can enjoy the occasional graphic t-shirt like we can the occasional Big Mac.

So let’s assume you’ve gotten your style in order. How do you balance the casualness of a graphic tee with looking mature?

Here’s my trick

Could This Hang In A Museum?

When I look at a graphic tee, I ask myself “Could this image be framed and hung in a museum?” I naturally call this “The Museum Rule”.

If the answer is yes, it’s what I would consider a more sophisticated, “grown-up” graphic. These graphic tend to be on the more abstract or minimalist side.

If not, say, in the case of a brand’s logo or a throwback tee from your favorite rock band, I consider it a bit more casual.

Here’s how I rank the most common graphic tee styles, from more casual to less casual.

Notice I didn’t say “More Casual” to “Formal”, but instead rank them by “More Casual” to “Less Casual”.

Why?

T-shirts by nature are casual, so in turn they’re going to make your look feel more casual.

Slapping a graphic on that tee multiplies the casualness. It’s like adding sugar to your soda!

Still, this doesn’t mean you can’t look put together and stylish, so long as you keep my scale in mind.

Here are some more rules to help you incorporate graphic tees into your style:

• Just stay away from brand logo tees The only exception I give to this rule is Saturdays, whose brand name is so normal it’s practically invisible. Save the Gucci and Balmain tees to the kids and guys that need to show off.
• The more minimal the graphic, the more sophisticated and grown-up it will feel A good way to think about it: compare the vibe between a crazy mocha-frappa-double-whip drink vs a black coffee. One is a drink some 14-year old kid would buy, the other is for a grown man ready to get to work.
• When going for word t-shirts, opt for single words instead of phrases Single words follow the “minimal” rule and feel a bit more sophisticated than a phrase t-shirt, which often comes off as cheesy. As for word choice, it almost doesn’t matter. When I worked as a designer, we found that single word t-shirts sold really well no matter what the word was, as long as the font design was cool.
• When it comes to band shirts, it helps if you are actually a fan Look, I know it sounds like some high school rule, but you’ll enjoy a band shirt more if you’re an actual fan. Plus you shield yourself from any awkward conversations with fellow fans if you didn’t actually listen to them. (Bonus points if it’s vintage.)
• If graphics aren’t your style, don’t wear them I know for some readers, a graphic tee doesn’t align with their aesthetic. Totally cool. I have some clients that absolutely want to go a bit more traditional menswear with their style and avoid printed tees. Ignore this post. For those guys that want to blend a more relaxed, casual style, here are some look ideas.

There you have it, The Grown Man’s Guide to Wearing Graphic T-Shirts

How do you wear your favorite Graphic T-Shirts?

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See ya, Cosby!