Since the t-shirt went from shift to shirt, t-shirt design quickly flourished in the wake of its transformation. Every now and again, a specific design strikes the right chord with enough people to keep it at the forefront of pop-culture for decades at a time. Let’s take a look at some of the designs that made history and what t-shirt design trends are capturing the cultural zeitgeist of today.

Popular T-Shirt Designs From Days Gone By

After shooting to prominence in the 1940s, t-shirts became a ubiquitous symbol for the rebellious youth of the mid-twentieth century. But it didn’t end there: the youth of the 60s stepped up their t-shirt game and introduced the psychedelic tie-dye trend, which still survives in various incarnations to this day, along with a number of iconic graphic designs.

 

The Smiley Face: Good guy, Frank Loufrani, just wanted to see people smile more (and make some money in the process), when he registered this famous image for commercial use. And this simple, but cheerful, design caught on very quickly. Today, this t-shirt design has gained even further popularity in the advent of emojis with a number of variations following suit.

 

I “Heart” NY: This simple design was brought to us by the New York State Department of Commerce and has become a must-have impulse purchase for anyone, who has made the trip to the Big Apple.

 

Mickey Mouse: Among the first iconic logos to grace t-shirts in the 1940s was Disney’s own poster-rodent. One could argue that this was the genesis of Disney’s massive merchandising empire.

 

Che Guevara: Isn’t it ironic that a Cuban socialist guerrilla leader became the face that sold thousands of t-shirts in capitalist societies the world over? It is unclear whether it was the irony alone or an identification with the icon’s ideology that has allowed this design to stand the test of time; all we do know is it still hits home for many.

 

The Rolling Stones Tongue: Nothing says rock and roll like Mick Jagger’s tongue. It simply captures the wild, youthful recklessness of the music genre. Or maybe it’s just a cool design. Either way, this symbol has become a mainstay in any music lover’s closet.

 

The Modern Take

While these iconic designs still live on in various forms today, they haven’t stood in the way of daring young designers presenting their own original designs as well as twists on some of the classic looks of bygone decades.

 

Revived devotion to old faithful: Since the band, Nirvana, presented their grunged-up version of the classic smiley face, it’s become common to see new twists on old favourites. For instance, you no longer have to visit New York to sport a “I ♥ NY” variation; if you have a dark sense of humour, you can easily find a “I ♣ baby seals” version instead.

 

New ways to wear your star sign: It’s time to wear out the old line of “What’s your sign?” without wearing out the fresh takes on rocking your zodiac sign. Consider a new spin on your symbol, or perhaps an anthropomorphised version of the corresponding animal.

 

Tattoos with variety: If you struggle to make up your mind about what to have inked on your skin, you could always just sport your tattoo design on your chest without the permanence and pain of committing to an actual tattoo. This style was introduced by Christian Audigier’s Ed Hardy and Von Dutch lines and mainstreamed the darkly rebellious Iron Fist Clothing.

 

Kawaii everything: “Kawaii” is a cutesy, little art style brought over from Japan, characterised by large, sparkly, innocent eyes. Needless to say, it’s caught on and now everything has been given the kawaii treatment, from your favourite marvel superhero to your favourite foods.

 

Shout your fandom: While t-shirts promoting bands and movies are nothing new, the fans have taken matters into their own hands in recent years. There is no shortage of quotable lines from bingeworthy series and cult-classic films. Do not be surprised to run into t-shirts proclaiming that the wearer hails from Hogwarts or identifies as a Jedi master, or admits to being neither single nor taken, but “in love with a fictional character”.

 

These are just some examples of the latest trends in modern t-shirt design, but this list could easily be endless. With the t-shirt being a popular staple in many a closet, it’s likely we’ll be seeing more graphic design innovations as time goes on.

 

Be Iconic

Never assume that it’s all been done before. T-shirt designs are pushing the envelope that bit further every day. Be at the forefront of t-shirt design with your own ideas. BlankTeeShirts.com.au offers high-quality t-shirt printing services, so you can make your ground-breaking designs a reality.