Slogan Tees Are Back

‘‘Protect the dolls,’’ read Tom Ford’s creative director Haider Ackermaan white tee from Connor Ives while posing next to actress Tilda Swinton. As a slang term referring to a beautiful trans woman, ‘‘doll’’ was born out of ballroom culture, a safe space and subculture nurtured by queer people of color in New York in the '60s. There, they would perform, dance, lip-sync, and model, supporting and celebrating themselves. It was on February 24 at the Fall/Winter 2025 show that New York-born designer Conner Ives took his bow wearing a white T-shirt that read ‘‘Protect The Dolls.’’ One month later, Tom Ford’s creative director was posing with the tee too. 

Fashion Responds to a Political Climate

In a time like this, with US President Donald Trump pushing a transphobic agenda, fashion’s message is clear: protect the dolls. But that's not the only poignant statement that fashion is sending through slogan shirts. Whether it's Willy Chavarria's ‘‘How We Love is Who We Are,’’ Adrian Appiolaza’s Moschino ‘‘SOS Save Our Sphere,’’ or Patricio Campillo's ‘‘El Golfo de México’’ — just after Trump stated he would rename the “Gulf of Mexico” to the ‘‘Gulf of America’’ — designers around the world are using slogan tees to make relevant, powerful statements.

The Legacy of the Slogan Tee

Slogan tees have been around since the ‘60s when a shop called Mr. Freedom on the King's Road in Chelsea sold Disney-inspired ones. But it wasn't until the ‘70s, with the punky, rebellious, and fearless designs of Vivienne Westwood, that the slogan tee evolved into a political statement. In the ‘80s, Katharine Hamnett's shirts like ‘‘Vote tactually’’ cemented the look, and it grew into a major trend in the ‘90s, as seen in Chloë Sevigny's ‘‘It takes strength to be gentle and kind,’’ Stella McCartney's ‘‘About fucking time!,’’ and Drew Barrymore's ‘‘Girls kick ass.’’ The 2000s still witnessed the clever comments emblazoned on shirts — think Barrymore's ‘‘I won't vote for a son of a Bush,’’ Anne Hathaway ‘‘FedUp we need freedom & unity,’’ or  Vivienne Westwood's ‘‘I’m not a terrorist.’’ But it also saw the rise of the quirky and of relatability, with socialites like Paris Hilton, singer Britney Spears, Sex and the City's Jason Lewis, Mean Girls’ Rachel McAdams, and actress Pamela Anderson donning slogan tees such as ‘‘Don’t be jealous,’’ ‘‘Dump him,’’ ‘‘Fuck yoga,’’ ‘‘A little bit dramatic,’’ and ‘‘Shuck me, suck me, eat me raw,’’ respectively.

Balancing Politics and Personality

Following years saw a balance between quirky expressions and political statements — think actress Lindsay Lohan’s ‘‘Same Old Chic,’’ Prabal Gurung's Fall/Winter 2017 ‘‘Our Minds, Our Bodies, Our Power,’’ Moschino Spring/Summer 2014  ‘‘Holy Chic,’’ singer Miley Cyrus’ ‘‘Protect kids, not guns,’’ and Viktor & Rolf Spring/Summer 2019 ‘‘I am my own muse’’ in a tulle dress. From 2020 onwards, despite the occasional use of slogan tees — such as model Bella Hadid in 2022 with ‘‘Free Palestine’’ —, bit by bit the messages fade away with the emergence of more minimal trends such as quiet luxury and old money. 

2024 Sparks the Slogan Tee Revival

Now, however, they are everywhere. Its sartorial reappearance was sparked in early 2024 during Luca Guadagnino's Challengers press tour, where actress Zendaya was spotted wearing a Loewe ‘‘I Told Ya’’ shirt, just like her character Tashi wore in the movie. From then on, musician Charli XCX graced L. A Streets with a Baby Tee that read ‘‘Linked with Addison on Melrose,’’ actress Anya Taylor-Joy stepped out in an ‘‘I Heart Cowboys’’ tee, and beauty mogul Rihanna hit New York in an ‘‘I'm Retired’’ design. 

From Tours to Front Rows

It was far from over. Singer Olivia Rodrigo embarked on the GUTS tour with a closet full of slogan tops ranging from ‘‘Live laugh love’’ to ‘‘Carrie Bradshaw AF,’’ model Emily Ratajkowski sported a graphic shirt with Stormy Daniels' face and name on it after Donald Trump was found guilty of all charges in his hush-money trial, which Daniels was the main witness, actress Taylor Russell attended the Loewe Spring/Summer 2025 show in a piece that read ‘‘Holywood,’’ and Severance star Britt Lower was spotted at a game in a tee asking for ‘‘free popcorn.’’

 The Message Continues in 2025

In 2025, the rhythm continues. One of Bella Hadid's pieces in collaboration with Frankie's Bikinis reads ‘‘lucky,’’ musician Doechii walked for Dsquared2 Fall/Winter 2025 with a design spelling out ‘‘iconique,’’ Gigi Hadid starred in a Havaianas campaign after being announced as their global ambassador, wearing a bright yellow shirt that proclaimed ‘‘It's better in Brazil,’’ and creative directors such as Chavarria, Campillo, Appiolaza and Ives incorporated statement tees into their latest collections.

Say It With Your Chest

Be it a quirky expression or a political statement, the messages of slogan shirts are straightforward, signaling stances, thoughts, opinions, and facts without having to say a word. 

Fashion as Individual Expression

But their resurgence may be more than just speaking our minds. In a time where fashion feels very generic — from the ultra-niche trends promoted on social media to the lack of diversity on the catwalks of the fashion capitals — the quotes on our shirts allow us to express our individuality, adding a personal twist to our outfits. Consider as a way to say it with your chest, ‘‘I cry a lot (and that's okay),’’ ‘‘Come to my house, I have great books,’’ ‘‘The future is female,’’ or ‘‘Save our Sphere.’’ At times like this, talk through your clothes while you still can.