| One of the startling things about the trend towards | | | | Graphic tees make sense in lots of contexts. Most |
| graphic tees is that they're so egalitarian. If you see | | | | students would feel comfortable wearing them to |
| someone wearing a t-shirt with a graphic design, it's | | | | class, and most younger professionals feel fine about |
| almost impossible to tell whether they're living just | | | | them outside of business situations. In many more |
| above the poverty line or in the top income tax | | | | casual business, they're even acceptable at the |
| bracket. It's interesting to analyze the trends that | | | | office. Because there are so many appropriate |
| have led to this, both those intrinsic to graphic tees | | | | contexts for graphic tees, their designers are able to |
| and completely unrelated. | | | | experiment with diverse styles -- something that |
| It's easy to assume that their ubiquity makes graphic | | | | might be too edgy for the office is just fine for a |
| tees meaningless, but this is quite incorrect. It could | | | | party, so it's easy to market it to partygoers and |
| also be easy to assume that they're basically a | | | | expect that some of them might try it on nine to |
| requirement -- no more unusual than socks, for | | | | five. Even though graphic tees might appear to be |
| example -- but this misses the point, too. What's | | | | the market of a partier, they're really the mark of |
| special about graphic tees is that they're enormously | | | | someone sufficiently at ease with work and fun to |
| versatile, they're more expressive than other kinds | | | | wear the same kinds of clothes for both. |
| of dress, they're reasonably priced, but it's possible | | | | Unlike many other fashion items, graphic tees are |
| to splurge on them anyway. Splurging on graphic | | | | quite affordable. Getting them for around $20 each is |
| t-shirts is not a huge issue, because they never reach | | | | not uncommon. Compared to the hundreds of dollars |
| the ridiculous heights of other kinds of clothing. | | | | that someone can spend on watches, jewelry, or |
| Graphic t-shirts are much more diverse than most | | | | other accessories -- or the higher prices that one can |
| articles of clothing. While your jeans can identify you | | | | spend on clothing with less signally power -- these |
| as an artist, a blue-collar worker, or a fashionista, | | | | are a great deal. |
| they can't do much more than that. With a graphic | | | | Despite the low prices, it's still possible to show a |
| t-shirt, you can tell people your favorite band, share | | | | serious interest in graphic tees. Many sites that offer |
| your favorite city, show off your taste in graphic | | | | sequences of t-shirts, or multiple shirts by the same |
| designs or graphic designers, demonstrate an affinity | | | | designer, or simply a large selection, give you the |
| for plain old weirdness, or otherwise express your | | | | chance to go all out as a collector. Like any other |
| personality. Because their distinctive feature is a | | | | trend, one way to pursue status is to buy into it |
| graphic design rather than the physical shirt, it's easy | | | | more so than anyone else -- for all their affortability, |
| for there to be lots of variability. | | | | graphic tees offer this option, too. |