Where Did Your Favorite T-shirts Come From?

UPDATE: This previously ran on August the 28th but because we never get bored of a good rock tee we thought we’d bring it back.

When I bump into our videographer around our office, she stops me dead in my tracks and I ask “where is your t-shirt from?”. This usually becomes the start of our conversation. Her tees always look traveled, like they have had a blast at some awesome concert, had a gritty road trip out west, or got drunk on some crazy night. They look loved and loved back, faded and beautiful, with washed out graphics and little holes that she sews up with bright-colored thread.

She has a beautiful, curated collection of tees that I always want to know more about. They tell something about her that fascinates me; I can’t quite put my finger on what it is, but I just love how you can tell that there’s a lot of love behind the purchase of each tee and that she wanted it to be part of her life because it meant something to her. Here she shares why she bought four of her favorite vintage tees:

The Zeppelin tee I bought recently on eBay. They’re my favorite band of all time, and the likelihood of finding a shirt in a thrift shop is next to impossible these days, so…

if I could come back in time, I’d be an 18-year-old at a Zeppelin show. In fact, the guy who I bought the shirt from saw them in ‘71. Jealous.

vintage tees

The “life is grand” shirt is from Wes Lang… not him personally. I started following his blog and one day noticed he was putting some of his stuff on shirts… just cut it down a bit
and voila. Love his aesthetic.

vintage tees

The lightning bolt surfboard shirt I bought on eBay, too. I don’t know the age but it’s definitely on the older side. I just love everything about it – the color, the graphic, the holiness…

vintage tees

The plain tee was just a men’s undershirt I found at a thrift sho, but it had been worn so amazingly perfectly…it kind of became a burnout on its own. A sweet ex-co-worker over-dyed it for me
and mended it with little bits of red thread. She really made it that much cooler with just a few simple changes. Perfect basic!

vintage tees

Shop some of our Vintage Tees!

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11 years ago

I get mine from goodwill! LOVE it

http://www.fashionwrapup.co

lindsey
11 years ago

i have a bunch of my mom’s old shirts from the 70’s. they are my most precious posessions, as she passed away when i was a kid.

11 years ago

For many years my uncle spent summers here in Virginia as the stage manager at a local venue for big acts, then he’d go back to South Florida for the rest of the year and would work as a stage hand. He has tons of killer shirts, picks, and silks—and great stories too. So my coolest stuff usually comes from him.

Christina
11 years ago

most of my favorites came from my dad – he has the best, perfectly worn tees from his teenage sunset blvd days in the 70s

11 years ago

The Zeppelin tee I’m wearing now is from Etsy. Unfortunately it’s not vintage :/ One day I will get one! I couldn’t imagine feeling better in anything but a vintage Led Zeppelin tee!

Chrishell
11 years ago

I had a Zeppelin shirt signed by JPJ, and Robert. My papa had it and got to meet them when they came to Michigan! :3

11 years ago

my dad bought me a kiss t-shirt in the early 2000’s. kiss was his favorite band when he was my age and it was his way of bonding with me. it started as a super heavy cotton but i’ve worn it down to the point that i can see through it! it’s well loved and always plays a role as an endearing little conversation piece!

11 years ago

Wow, this was so lovely. I have became a t-shirt lover the last months ( not that I haven’t always liked them) but now I really consider the shirt long before I buy it, if it’s good enough and if it’s something I will wear. I also find that quality shirts lasts so much longer so the ones from H&M I dropped a long time ago. I usually buy mine at a underwear shop called Oysho. It’s the loveliest shop and they have everything so nice and comfy. Since they don’t have it in the country I live in I always buy a shitload when I’m first out of country :D

Lex
11 years ago

Is that Wes Lang shirt mens or womens? I love his prints but I don’t know what size/style to order to cut it into that oversized look.