In 2002, Britney Spears grabbed a Starbucks while wearing a baby blue T-shirt featuring a phrase that would exist in the collective consciousness forevermore: 'Dump Him'.
In the wake of her split from Justin Timberlake, a break-up that was dominating tabloids at the time, these two simple words were more than mere decoration. They were an act of narrative reclamation, a feminist statement, a celebration of liberation. Above all, they embodied what the internet would now refer to as a 'mood'.
As well as Britney's 'Dump Him', there was Paris Hilton's 'Don't Be Jealous', Lindsay Lohan's 'Skinny B*tch', Dior's A-list catnip J'Adore Dior, and a host of other slogan t-shirts that made the style a mainstay in the Y2K wardrobe – and its subsequent revival. Perhaps the most memorable resuscitation in recent years was Hailey Bieber's viral cropped white 'nepo baby' tee in 2023, seemingly a sartorial exercise in self-awareness. 'That was me being, like, I'm very aware of the situation [and] I'm going to wear it loud and proud because you are already labelling me as such and it’s true,' Bieber told The Sunday Times.
Victoria Beckham 'My Dad Had A Rolls-Royce' Slogan T-Shirt
Off-White Quote Tee
Loewe I Told Ya
Dior J'Adore Dior T-Shirt
Another self-referential classic in the form was Victoria Beckham's 'Fashion Stole My Smile' top, which she designed to 'poke fun' at herself. The designer recently returned to the style to create a 'My Dad Had A Rolls Royce' t-shirt, in reference to her much-memed confession in the 2023 Beckham Netflix documentary.
FIND OUT MORE ON ELLE COLLECTIVE
But the latest tee going viral – via Zendaya, Jonathan Anderson and, er, John F Kennedy Jr. – bears the phrase 'I Told Ya'. The cult piece was originally worn by JFK's son, who was photographed wearing it by paparazzi while playing frisbee with his dog. Now, Anderson has revived the style for Luca Guadagnino’s new film, Challengers, in which it's worn by Zendaya, who plays the character of tennis player-turned-coach Tashi. The actor has called Tashi her 'most unapologetically cruel character', so we're guessing that if she tells ya something, you should probably listen.
While it's unclear what the words actually mean, the fact that it was first worn by a man with whom the New York tabloids were obsessed makes sense. The slogan tee tends to give a knowing nod to intrusive culture with playful irreverence but also a touch of defiance, which makes them fun to wear for us mere mortals too. They're the physical enactment of what Ariana Grande encouraged us all to do in her single 'Yes, and...', by which I mean: 'say that sh*t with your chest'.
Back in 2006, the slogan t-shirt went haute with Henry Holland's cult collection of tops with huge text that said things like 'Cause me pain Hedi Slimane' and 'Do me daily Christopher Bailey'. But they've also got political precedent. In the 1980s, Katharine Hamnett wore one that read '58% don't want Pershing' (an anti-nuclear statement) while meeting then Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher. And who could forget Maria Grazia Chiuri's 'We should all be feminists' T-shirt years later, making a statement in her first collection for Dior in 2016?
At NET-A-PORTER, there's been a 100% increase in searches for slogan tees over the last two weeks, according to the retailer. Meanwhile, a recent edit of graphic vintage T-shirts on Reformation seemed to sell out almost as quickly as it landed.
And in New York, Olivia Rodrigo appeared on tour for her album Guts wearing a pair of rhinestone-studded micro-hot pants and a white tank top that read 'Carrie Bradshaw AF' in large pink letters (accompanied by a Manolo Blahnik, obvs).
Whether the star had just binged Sex And The City on US Netflix or is a longstanding fan, the piece did what many good slogan tops do: tap into an aesthetic through nothing more than text. Whether it's a political statement, a phrase that captures the zeitgeist, or just a bit of fun, the style always moves more than the sum of its parts. Long may it reign.
ELLE Collective is a new community of fashion, beauty and culture lovers. For access to exclusive content, events, inspiring advice from our Editors and industry experts, as well the opportunity to meet designers, thought-leaders and stylists, become a member today HERE.
