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How slogan T-shirts are making a celebrity-fuelled comeback: from Hailey Bieber’s tongue-in-cheek ‘nepo baby’ shirt to Victoria Beckham’s Rolls-Royce in-joke and Kaia Gerber’s tee about books
STORYAnnie Brown
- The ‘I Told Ya’ shirt in Luca Guadagnino’s tennis film Challengers worn by Zendaya is thanks to Loewe creative director Jonathan Anderson; it was based on one worn by John F. Kennedy Jr in the 90s
- Slogan tees were once worn by Britney Spears and Julia Roberts, and consultant Jessica Steuart-Hoyler says that they represent a shift from quiet luxury into ‘a louder, expressive alternative’
The slogan T-shirt occupies a unique place in the fashion history. Perhaps no other fashion item has crossed over so perfectly with pop culture. Consider Britney Spears’ “Dump Him” shirt in 2002, or Julia Roberts’ handmade “A Low Vera” shirt that same year. The former came after the pop star and Justin Timberlake broke up, and the latter was interpreted as an act of shade throwing at her now-husband’s then-wife, Vera (it was a messier time!).
Fast-forward two decades and the slogan T-shirt has never been quite so, well, on message.
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Rihanna is, as ever, at the vanguard of its return. The singer and beauty mogul was recently snapped wearing a T-shirt dress with “I’m retired” emblazoned across the chest. An upcycled creation from Conner Ives’ spring/summer 2024 collection, the look sent fans into a spin, with many lamenting the fact that the singer – who hasn’t released an album since 2016 – might be as good as her word.
The slogan T-shirt has long been a vehicle for clapping back at critics, as well as reclaiming and embracing one’s status as the butt of a joke. Take Hailey Bieber and her “Nepo Baby” T-shirt, or Victoria Beckham turning her hilarious banter with husband David from the Beckham documentary into a line of T-shirts with the catchphrase “My Dad Had a Rolls-Royce”. Meanwhile, model and actor Kaia Gerber’s T-shirt with the phrase “Come to My House, I Have Great Books”, was a charming nod to her personal passions – and perhaps her acclaimed book club.
One of the coolest slogan T-shirt moments this year was the work of Jonathan Anderson. The Loewe creative director and JW Anderson founder was behind the costumes for Luca Guadagnino’s tennis film Challengers, starring Zendaya. The “I Told Ya” T-shirt he created, which became a symbolic plot point in itself, was based on one worn by John F. Kennedy Jr in the 90s. That shirt itself was reportedly based on “I Told You So” buttons created to mark his father, John F. Kennedy’s 1961 inauguration as president of the United States.
The unisex top was worn by various members of the cast to promote the film, and sold as part of a capsule collection by Loewe. As Challengers co-star Josh O’Connor told Rolling Stone, there is something so appealingly irreverent about the shirt.
