Though style is a seasonal phenomenon, there are things every fashionista should cling to all year round. Classy T-shirts and denims are all-time favourites and a must in the wardrobe. And now, with vacations on, tees will serve you to a T from peppy picnics to lazy days at home. Women can choose from a tantalizing range of tops, but men swear by T-shirts.
The cool-dude look has caught on again, with holiday T-shirts hitting the shelves. T-shirts with colourful psychedelic graphics strike a bold style statement. “Pieces with images of the latest cartoon characters, superheroes and WWF fighters are a craze among youngsters, and printed tees carrying personalities like Che Guevara and Michael Jackson move well among all age groups,” says a salesman.
Kitschy and fancy
With strong influences from Dadaism and hippie culture, T-shirts have become kitschy and fancy.
“Collegians were always into it but even middle-aged men and oldies are going for T-shirts these days,” says Ramesh at the Dreamboyz store. Sourced from the street markets of Bangkok, China and Mumbai, the range here includes T-shirts with rubber printing, denim patchwork, and embossed metal studs.
“The cheap cost, easy-maintenance and comfort have led people to increasingly go for T-shirts,” feels Vinod, a young dad. “They also conceal age and sufficiently cover up extra flab.” The price ranges from Rs. 200 to Rs. 500. Among other options, T-shirts with spooky skull prints and vampire graphics are a hit. The shelves in most men's stores overflow with these. “The worn-out effect tagged with skull prints are simply cool. It gives the bad-boy look and makes you stand out,” says Maruthu, a college-goer.
The Indian cricket team jersey also strikes an emotional connect. “We ran out of stock as there was tremendous demand for Indian team jerseys during the World Cup matches,” says Ramesh. “Guys just went crazy picking up T-shirts with images of Sachin and Dhoni.” Similarly, the ongoing IPL has triggered the sales of team jerseys reading ‘Chennai Super Kings' and ‘Mumbai Indians'.
As a style statement, graphic T-shirts take the lead as they are not mass produced. Certain designs are available only in a particular size and colour and usually no two pieces look alike.
Fashion freaks these days are even going for customized designs and prints on T-shirts. Body Language puts its in-house customized graphics and captions on tees. “We tried printing Tamil sayings and verses, but only a niche segment goes for it as Tamil captions are considered secondary,” feels Vivek, the store owner. “Rather, foreigners pick up T-shirts with Tamil graphics with Indian tri-colour prints.”
Online fashion sites come in handy for exclusive items. www.tshirthub.com has an option to customize your T-shirt graphic and print. It's basically a blank canvas on which you draw and paint using the Design Your Own tool. You also choose the style and fabric you like. You can upload pictures, add text, edit everything and review it on screen.
Once you finish your design, punch in the number of pieces you want, save it and check out. All you need is the latest browser and the latest Flash plugin to start the Design Your Own tool. www.myntra.com is another Bangalore-based website that offers musical tees, toon-tees and party T-shirts at cheap rates.
Mode of self-expression
More than any other kind of clothing, T-shirts are a mode of self-expression. When you want to say something, let the T-shirt speak for you. T-shirts with slogans are still big this holiday season.
MBA – Master of Bad Activities, says a bold, blue tee. Some carry thoughtful or witty captions, while others crack goofy jokes. There are also T-shirts that speak up for environmental and social causes. A salesperson at M-channel notes that the store got bulk orders for T-shirts with a message for Women's Day.
www.inkfruit.com, run by the Bombay-based firm Fingerprints Fashion, has started a T-shirt campaign ‘India against Corruption'. The T-shirt, with a clenched fist graphic, costs Rs. 249 and those who feel strongly about the issue can also sign up and contribute designs. With options galore, it is time to go on a tee hunt and wow the town.
