Nothing beats a great vintage tee. I mean, really. We used to scour the racks for massive, neon colored shirts to cut the sleeves off of for basketball practice. There was a time in high school where every occasion was marked with a handmade t-shirt—homecoming, plays, student council, God, even honor roll. The second I made it to New York, I relished to wear t-shirts with zero affiliation. The more obscure and random, the better.
The best vintage tees are worn-in, a little papery, and should never be dried in a machine. My current favorites are an oversized Prince tee I wear when I want to pretend to believe in luck, a little blue Silver Lake one, and a gift from my childhood best friend she brought back from London almost a decade ago. It simple reads, “Fashion Dept.”
This week, we have Quincy Clark on the newsletter to talk about his fav vintage tee. He runs Campus Thrifts, a very excellent resource for your own vintage tee plus other well-curated vintage finds. Remember the friend I went to Tulum and the soirée with? He’s her cousin’s boyfriend’s little brother. I feel like that sentence alone is proof I’m marrying into a half-Italian family.
Like me, Quincy gets the emotional connection between clothes and consciousness. Read on to hear about the story behind his favorite vintage tee.
"Buster, The Drunken Pig" is my go-to shirt. For sentimental reasons rather than style I will hopefully pass this shirt down to my children as it has been passed to me. My parents went to St. Croix for their honeymoon in 1991, and stumbled onto a beach front bar. They were amazed by how many drinks Buster could put away in the span of a few minutes and decided to get a tee shirt to remember this legendary pig. A few years ago we spread my mothers ashes on the same beach, and while I wasn't able to watch Buster do what he did best, I was able to listen to my dad revel in the nostalgia. Which to me, was just as good.
Archived Outfit
I pride myself in spotting great vintage tees with niche visuals. Here’s a sampling.
Send a redeeming message with this $10 shirt.
Just a few of the finer things in life for $20.
Candid and confusing. I love that!
Adore a faded yellow. Rod Stewart only adds to the fun.
In a sporty state of mind for under $20.
Honorable Mentions
Walking in Wonder—John O'Donohue is one of the greatest spiritual writers of all time. His book of prayers has long been a standby for me. This book features his writings on all sorts of topics. I’ve been reading it every morning for five minutes to set the tone of the day.
An Everlasting Meal—Reading food memoirs has always brought great comfort to me. This one is a perfect hybrid of recipe book and moving essays. Do I plan to cook anything the brilliant Tamar Adler recommends? No, but loved reading it nonetheless.
Wedding fiends! The outfit has been approved in its final fitting. My bridesmaids’ dresses arrived this week. The groom remains in his tux research phase. Next week, we celebrate with family in Iowa. My cousin/bridesmaid and I have booked very chic, very expensive facials for the week before. Sorry to my food budget!
This is my public resolution to walk more. Working from home, I find myself with embarrassing low daily averages. I’m going to start small by aiming for 5k a day. ( I know, cringe!) Any tips on making it happen? Do you use a treadmill? A post-dinner walk routine I should know about?
Thank you so much for reading. This week I wrote about Fig.1, Klur, and a boy I met on a cruise. See you next Thursday! x
Long Live A Really Great Tee
I bought a dorky pedometer so I could count my steps without being reliant on my phone for yet another thing. My mom gave me her Who concert t-shirt from 1979 when I was in middle school. I also have her Rolling Stones and Clash t-shirts from the 80s. My favorite vintage tee I've thrifted is a blue Screen Stars tee with a sagittal view of the brain! I've really been enjoying your newsletter and was wondering if you need anything as a something borrowed for your wedding. I have some vintage clutches I've shared with friends when they were brides if you need one :)