Tees that talk: Homegrown brands add masala to messagewear

Economic Times

10-05-2025

Last month, influencer Apoorva Mukhija aka The Rebel Kid made her first appearance after the controversial India's Got Latent episode, where she was on a panel of judges when an offensive joke was made by guest Ranveer Allahbadia. In a five-second video posted on her Instagram account, she greeted her 3.7 million followers, with a caption pointing to an explanatory video on her YouTube, while wearing a white bandeau top that read, 'Stay Feral'.
ADVERTISEMENT It was not the first time a slogan tee was used to drive home a point. Back in January 2023, Rhode founder Hailey Bieber wore a 'Nepo Baby' crop top after New York Magazine's cover on the topic. The same slogan was worn by filmmaker Karan Johar—often called the godfather of Bollywood's nepo babies—in January 2025, while cricketer Yuzvendra Chahal sported a 'Be Your Own Sugar Daddy' tee in the middle of his divorce from Dhanashree Verma.
Apoorva Uniyal of homegrown fashion label Mixxd says slogan tees have become extensions of our digital personas: 'We are seeing fashion being used to reclaim narratives, challenge labels and express individ uality. It's the most wearable form of micro-activism.' Mixxd has only one slogan tee shirt but it's their bestseller: the 'Namaste Bitches' tee, which is not for the faint of heart.
That is always the case with slogan tees, says Pranav Misra, cofounder of homegrown unisex fashion brand Huemn. Its current bestseller has 'Everyone Sucks' in bold print. 'If you are wearing that bold text across your chest, it is a reflection of your personality. It introduces you before you even open your mouth,' says Misra, who calls these tees a deliberate choice. He says text and design depend on the messaging they want. 'Everyone Sucks' connects with a lot of people but works better as text.
BORN TO REBEL The current slogan tees are very different from those of the past, says fashion con sultant and writer Varun Rana. The long and rebellious past of slogan tees arguably started in the US in 1948 when Republican presidential candidate Thomas E Dewey had T-shirts emblazoned with 'Dew it with Dewey'.
ADVERTISEMENT It turned clothing into a billboard. It democratised messaging: anyone could wear a political stance, a joke, or a belief right across their chest And it was put to good use: from anti-war movements to peace slogans in the 1970s to political statements like 'Choose Life' in the 1980s. Now, says Rana, it's more revealing of your personal self: 'You find slogan tees for literally any kind of thought or feeling you may have. And you can print your own tees for as little as Rs 300.' He adds, 'Slogan tees are always in fashion. The kind of world we live in today, what's happening in our country and because of social media, there are a lot of feelings out there, and if you give everybody a chance to express those feelings, they will do so.' And the tee is the medium of choice. Uniyal says that due to an overload of microtrends on social media, consumers are carving out a sense of personal style that feels authentic. She says, 'Indian audiences are not holding back—from cheeky lines to bold statements and Indianised phrases, people are proudly wearing their personalities, opinions and humour.' Misra says people want to wear their opinion on their sleeves. In 2020, actor Rhea Chakraborty walked into the office of the Narcotics Control Bureau, during the investigation and furore related to Sushant Singh Rajput's death, wearing a tee that said: 'Roses are Red, Violets are Blue, Let's Smash the Patriarchy, Me and You.'
ADVERTISEMENT In 2018, US First Lady Melania Trump wore a jacket with the slogan 'I Really Don't Care, Do U?' while visiting a migrant children's shelter, and in 2017, actor Anuskha Sharma wore the Dior tee 'We Should All Be Feminists'. Even luxury designers have come onboard. In 2017, Prabal Gurung had models walk the ramp with tees reading, 'The Future is Female' and 'I Am an Immigrant'. Last year Loewe's 'I Told Ya' tees were all the rage after Zendaya wore it in Challengers. Early this year, Sabyasachi marked his 25 years' show with slogan tees in his trademark maximalist style with messages like 'Cat Lady', 'Dog Dad' and 'All Dressed Up Nowhere to Go'. Vedang Patel, cofounder of homegrown merch and fashion label The Souled Store (TSS), says the consumer is now demanding bold, witty and desifirst designs that spark conversation and connection.
ADVERTISEMENT He says, 'Today, slogan tees are driven by nostalgia, pop culture and a renewed desire for selfexpression.' Lines from Bollywood like 'Control Uday'and 'Yeh Baburao ka Style Hai' are huge hits. TSS' best sellers often tap Bollywood, cricket and meme culture.
GEN NO BARWhile Gen Z and millennials are driving the trend, celebrity stylist Isha Bhansali says there's a slogan tee for every generation. She points to the Nor Black Nor White (NBNW) T-shirt sported by Zeenat Aman with the word 'Aunty' on it.
ADVERTISEMENT Recently, internet's favourite daddy Pedro Pascal wore a tee, 'Protect the Dolls', created by designer Conner Ives, to a red carpet. Misra says the bottom line for picking a slogan tee is to wear a thought you can get behind. Bhansali agrees: 'A slogan tee's shelf life is as long as you believe in what's written on it.' Patel says while slogan tees make 2% of their total T-shirt sales, the demand is coming from not just tier-1 but tier-2 and tier-3 cities as well. Indie brands like NBNW and Hate Copy work on pop culture designs that use Indian craftsmanship with messages that mirror desi lifestyle. Brands like The Right Feel pay homage to Indian art and film subculture with Hindi words like 'Pyaar' or 'Ishq' on tees.SPEAK MY LANGUAGE Patel says regional languages, pop culture and local slang play a massive role in shaping designs. He adds, 'There's a clear shift: consumers now want tees that speak their language, both literally and culturally.' He has noticed a strong demand for slogans in Hindi in tier-2 and -3 cities. 'It's all about authenticity—people want to wear what feels real to them,' he says. Uniyal agrees and says that people want to embrace their roots—whether it's through language, identity, or hyper-local culture Bhansali is a fan of cheeky tees and ones with self-deprecating humour. She suggests a fusion look for styling. Women can pair it with salwars or a flared skirt, and men can wear it under a suit or with pleated trousers. But is it for all ages? In an online guide on TheEssentialMan.com on graphic tees for 'older men', stylist Peter Nguyen came up with the 'The Museum Rule'. His advice: look at the graphic and ask yourself, 'Could this image be framed and hung in a museum?' If the answer is yes, it's a more sophisticated, 'grown-up' graphic.
As Uniyal says, 'Slogans spark a reaction, be it a smirk, a nod, or a moment of 'That's so me.' It's less noise, more impact.' The tees are talking and we are part of the conversation.
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