What Makes A T-Shirt Vintage?
There are many ways you can tell if a t-shirt is vintage or not but a very clear tell tale sign is the stitching. Most modern tees these days are poorly made and are double stitched at the seems. However this does not always mean that a double stitched tee is not vintage as a lot of brands such as Nike and Adidas started using the double stitching method a lot earlier than other clothing manufacturers. Some of our favourite tees to stock at Lautoka Vintage are 90's and early 2000's sports tees from brands like Champion and Reebok, which still use the double stitching method.
In terms of vintage graphic tees we are currently loving white Nascar racing graphic tees or black Harley Davidson t-shirts, the dates these tees are made all vary and it is much harder to find these t-shirts made pre 2000's. The graphic tees made in the 80s & 90s era are much harder to find and therefore have much more value.
It varies with what people define as a vintage tee but any tee that can be dated to the 80's, 90's or early 2000's from either looking at the stitching used, if there is a date on the actual graphic or dating the label inside the tee, are all great ways to tell if the tee you are going to buy is actually vintage.
Why Are Graphic Tee's So Popular?
Vintage tees, but especially band & biker graphic tees have become so popular recently due to multiple celebs being snapped while rocking them as part of their average day to day casual attire.
Some notable celebrities who have made these vintage graphic t-shirts so popular include Justin Bieber and Hailey, as pictured below rocking two stunning 90's harley graphic tees.
Why Are Some Vintage Tees So Expensive?
Going back to the first question, some vintage tees are so expensive because of how rare they are due to the age of the tee. The older the tee typically means there are a lot less of these vintage t-shirts around. However, there are always alternative options, you can sacrifice the exact print you want for a similar style without sacrificing the quality for a slightly newer vintage tee.
Where Can I Buy Myself A Vintage T-Shirt?
There are so many great vintage stores and vintage tee merchants to list but why not check out our wide range of vintage t-shirts right here at Lautoka Vintage
Written By - Zachariah King