The Coolest Graphic T-Shirt Brands For Men In 2024
Display your affiliation to a sports team, your favourite brand or just add a pop of colour to a laid-back fit with a quality graphic tee.
There’s more than one reason why the T-shirt is the most worn garment in the world. It’s easy to style and suits everyone, plus it’s endlessly comfortable and looks great worn on its own or layered with other pieces.
There will always be a place for logo-less plain tees in your closet, but if you want to push the boat out slightly and elevate your casualwear, you need a graphic T-shirt.
Featuring some form of print on the front or back, a graphic tee can display your affiliation to a sports team, your favourite brand or just add a pop of colour to a laid-back fit.
You can go bold with bright colours or keep it muted with tonal shades or even monochrome designs. From how to wear them to the best graphic T-shirt brands around, here’s all you need to know about this modern-day wardrobe staple.
What is a graphic T-shirt?
Stussy
A graphic tee is essentially a T-shirt with some form of print on it. The print can be small or large and can be applied anywhere on the tee, whether it’s the chest, back or shoulders.
Graphic tees play a core part in streetwear brand’s collections, and historically they were the first garment many of today’s key names produced. Stussy and Supreme both started out as skate-inspired brands that produced graphic tees, with their distinctive logos featuring prominently.
Today, the world’s biggest luxury labels also produce graphic tees, with the likes of Gucci, Balenciaga and Prada all regularly peddling their own, from more subdued chest logo designs to bold all-over prints.
Why you should add a graphic T-shirt to your wardrobe
Aime Leon Dore
Graphic T-shirts are incredibly easy to wear, and are much more visually interesting than their plain counterparts. Depending on the logo or print you go for, a well chosen graphic tee can instantly lift an outfit, injecting a flash of colour and point of interest to even the most basic of combinations.
Throw a graphic tee over a pair of jeans and sneakers, for example, and you’ve got an easy, comfortable fit that will serve you well throughout the weekend and beyond.
Not only that, they’re also one of the easiest ways to show your allegiance to a sports team, favourite brand or club, and can proudly display logos, script or badges on the front or back. And fashion is all about developing your own personal sense of style that represents who you are, right?
Key graphic T-shirt types
Logo tees
The Hundreds
With logo graphic tees, what you see is what you get. They most often feature brand or team logos at the chest or centre of the tee, with the motif usually fairly small.
This makes them a great entry point to graphic tees, as you won’t tend to find anything too bold or garish. A simple logo tee can be worn in much the same way as your regular tee, perfectly complementing tailored trousers, jeans, chore coats and bomber jackets.
Abstract tees
Pleasures
Many brands prefer to offer their graphic tees with interesting abstract prints. These could be anything from geometric patterns and shapes through to painted landscape scenes, floral designs or anything in between.
If you want to take things a step further on from logo tees, abstract prints are a great way of moving things on slightly, with vibrant colours and bold shapes spicing things up and turning casual looks from fairly pedestrian and unremarkable into something far more visually stimulating.
Large printed tees
Off-White
If you really want to go all out, consider a large printed tee. These might feature all-over patterns, or graphics applied across the entirety of the back and shoulders.
They can of course feature all manner of unique designs, with brands looking to flex their creativity with contrasting shapes and colours.
These types of tees obviously make more of a statement, so consider toning things down with the rest of your look if you want to successfully pull them off.
The best graphic T-shirt brands for men
Nike
The sportswear giant regularly produces some of the more interesting takes on graphic tees out there.
Each season the brand offers an array of designs, with spins on its classic Swoosh logo through to bold renditions of throwback styles.
If you want to buy your first graphic tee, this is one of the best places to start, and it won’t break the bank, either.
Adidas
Not content with being outdone by its Beaverton-based rival, Adidas has upped its casualwear game in recent years, and now regularly produces some of the most inventive, most accessible graphic tees around.
Look out for monochrome designs and eccentric plays on the brand’s Trefoil logo, which will instantly inject a sporty feel into your casual looks.
A Bathing Ape
One of the most iconic names in Japanese streetwear, A Bathing Ape has long been loved for its graphic tees.
Originally founded in 1993, and arguably one of the first globally popular streetwear labels in the world, the brand’s signature camo prints take centre stage, while unique takes on its instantly recognisable ape logo are never far away.
Stussy
There’s little doubt that Stussy was a pioneering streetwear brand, given that it was started in the early 1980s. Founder Shawn Stussy began selling surfboards, with which he’d throw in T-shirts that had been printed with his signature.
They proved so popular that he ditched the boards and focussed solely on the clothing, which quickly expanded into a full collection. Today the brand is globally renowned and its graphic tees are still among the best you can buy.
Supreme
There is hardly a clothing brand that Supreme hasn’t influenced in one way or another. Credited with bridging the gap between streetwear and luxury, the New York brand has dominated the industry for three decades.
Its box logo tees continue to be hot property, but the brand’s seasonal printed T-shirts are the way to go, with inventive designs consistently selling out online and in store every week.
Off-White
Another brand that blurred the lines between streetwear and luxury is Off-White. Founded by late visionary designer Virgil Abloh in 2012, the label quickly became known for its singular designs and unique branding, which included cable ties on its shoes and its distinctive four arrow logo on its hoodies and tees.
Today, Abloh’s legacy and design handwriting lives on through its selection of graphic T-shirts, which continue to be a common sight at fashion weeks across the globe.
The Hundreds
Founded by Bobby Kim and Ben Shenassafar in 2003, The Hundreds is a favourite amongst those in the know, offering affordable streetwear that doesn’t sacrifice brand cachet.
The LA label’s vast collection always includes dozens of graphic tees, either in the form of abstract prints or with its trademark Adam Bomb logo emblazoned across them.
Palace
Based in London, Palace was launched in 2009 and quickly established itself as the UK’s biggest streetwear export.
Known for its bold designs and collaborations with everyone from Adidas to Ralph Lauren, the brand’s graphic tees are among the best in the business and still have that sense of scarcity thanks to limited drops.
Aime Leon Dore
Beloved for its contemporary takes on preppy, 90s-inspired design, Aime Leon Dore has been among the most hyped brands around since it was established in 2014.
Its T-shirt range includes everything from subtly branded tees through to large printed designs, with bold colours and varied takes on the label’s logo featuring throughout.
Noah
Noah is one of those brands you could fill your entire wardrobe with. Its range goes from Ivy League-approved pleated trousers and blazers through to casual staples like hoodies and sneakers.
Its T-shirt line is made from exceptionally high-quality cotton, while designs run the gamut from chest logos through to bolder graphic pieces.
Carhartt
Workwear brand Carhartt has long specialised in utilitarian staples, from its hardy chore jackets through to its cargo pants.
The brand’s T-shirts have always been a firm favourite of ours, though. You can pick up minimal logo designs alongside more vibrant, colourful graphic prints, all made to last and inspired by the brand’s Detroit roots.
Jordan
Arguably the most revolutionary name on this list, Jordan changed the game with the release of the first Air Jordan sneaker back in 1985.
The brand has since become a monolith, with a full collection of wares ranging from performance sportswear through to lifestyle pieces.
Its T-shirts are nothing short of iconic, with the Jumpman logo easily recognisable around the world.
AMI
If you’re interested in brands that produce simple, beautifully-cut garments with contemporary detailing, AMI is for you. The French brand is renowned for its classic designs made from well-sourced fabrics, and its T-shirts are no exception.
Look out for the label’s signature heart logo, which is emblazoned on everything from knitwear to relaxed-fit tees.
New Balance
Although best known for its retro running shoes, New Balance has expanded into everything from coach jackets through to boxy-cut graphic T-shirts.
Its designs range from more minimal styles featuring the ‘NB’ logo, through to large printed pieces boasting plenty of colour.
Pleasures
Pleasures is all about the graphic T-shirt. The brand has made its name off eccentric designs, ranging from collaborations with Sonic Youth through to gothic font renditions of its logo.
Expect loose, boxy cuts that are perfect for combining with relaxed-fitting jeans and trousers.
Skateboard Cafe
Starting life off the back of a skate video made in 2008, Skateboard Cafe has gradually developed into a fully fledged lifestyle brand, producing its own boards alongside a curated clothing collection.
The brand’s tees are top notch, coming in a wide array of colours and prints, ranging from simple logo tees through to bold cartoon-inspired designs.
Heron Preston
There isn’t much Heron Preston can’t do. The American is an artist, designer, DJ and creative director and has long been revered for his eponymous brand’s eccentric pieces.
The T-shirts in particular are a favourite among streetwear fans thanks to their unique designs, which range from simple logos through to Renaissance-style painted herons.
Patta
Originally founded by Edson Sabajo and Guilaume ‘Gee’ Schmidt, two legends of the Dutch nightlife scene in the 90s, Patta is a completely black-owned business and one that specialises in bold logo designs.
The brand’s streetwear T-shirts are renowned for their vibrant graphic prints, while laid-back fits ensure they offer all-day comfort.
Undercover
An OG of the Japanese streetwear scene, Jun Takahashi founded Undercover in 1993. He first started selling his wares alongside Nigo of A Bathing Ape, with the two opening a shop together in Harajuku and quickly building up a cult following.
Graphic tees have always formed a part of its collections, and continue to be incredibly popular today with their large prints and bold colours.
How to wear graphic T-shirts
When it comes to styling graphic tees, it’s usually best to team them with relatively minimal, classic pieces. T-shirts that feature bold prints and loud colours are at their best when combined with simple, pared-back garments, as this allows them to be the focal point of the look.
Try wearing one with classic selvedge jeans, minimal white sneakers and a five-panel cap and you’ve got an easy, relaxed look that can be worn throughout the weekend and beyond.
