Graphic, logo and
tie-dyed tees have been popular with various circles for decades, from kids to
hippies to jocks and gamers. But the popularity of athleisure and the rise of
high-end streetwear has stepped up the T-shirt game with luxury designers and
celebrities going up against active and surf-skate heavyweights, all of them
vying for the attention and wallets of consumers who are in a constant search
for newness.
“Graphic tees are
very important right now, especially among the youth,” says Anthony Moni, men’s
stylist at Rag & Bone’s SoHo location in New York. He commented that the
culture now is people want to represent something they have on.
Most of the
T-shirts at Rag & Bone are made of 100% cotton. They also retail at a
higher end price point, too: base tees retail for US$75 while fun graphic models
go for about US$120 and its signature dagger embroidery tee sells for US$125.
All-cotton tee
shirt lines appear to be the trend among the better labels and designers. But
it’s not by accident that they’re using the natural fiber, rather than a
synthetic. These brands are making a direct appeal to what today’s shoppers say
they want.
Compared to clothes produced with man-made fibers, more than 8 in 10
consumers say cotton apparel is the most comfortable (87%), according to the
Cotton Incorporated Lifestyle Monitor Survey. Consumers also say it’s the most sustainable (85%), trustworthy (85%),
soft (85%), authentic (83%) and reliable (81%).
At G-Star RAW’s
SoHo store, camo-style tees are trending right now for men, according to the
store’s manager, especially the style that has the word RAW splashed across the
chest. She said that
although camo-styles tee are the trending now, printed tees are popular all
year round.
But one thing
nearly all consumers do want in their t-shirts is the authenticity of natural
fibers. In fact, nearly 6 in 10 (59%) say they’re actually bothered when brands
and retailers substitute man-made fibers for cotton in their T-shirts, according
to Monitor research. Women are
significantly more likely than men (64% versus 53%) to be irritated by this.
Additionally, the
majority of consumers (65%) say they’re willing to pay a premium to keep their
T-shirts cotton-rich, according to Monitor data. That’s because about 4 in 5 consumers (79%) say cotton and cotton blends
are their favorite fabric to wear. Additionally, more than 7 in 10 say better
quality garments are made from natural fibers like cotton.
That explains why
so many high-end streetwear and athleisure companies use all-natural fibers for
their casual knits. Off White, A Bathing Ape and OVO (October’s Very Own) all
have graphic, message, fun or irreverent tees that are all-cotton or cotton rich.
Supreme also deals in 100% cotton in its T-shirts — although every item it
offers is completely sold out.
All of these
elevated casual brands hold special appeal for young men. The Doneger Group
released a survey of 350 men that found “a consumer who clearly sees fashion as
a way of standing out but who is somewhat intimidated by it, presenting an
opportunity for retailers to help modern men through guidance, looks and
products.”
The Doneger
survey found 48% of men describe style as a means of self-expression. The
modern man also “wants to attain chill guy status, a relaxed way of showing his
individuality to stay ahead in work, life and love.” And like the Monitor survey, Doneger found that 64
% of men are willing to pay more for clothes made with higher quality
materials.