The weather is getting nicer every day and as much as I love the warm weather and the bright sun, I think I hate baking inside a tight, restrictive collared dress shirts even more. In college I never wanted to wear anything other than a fresh, cheap graphic tee and a pair of old jeans. I even went as far as making a promise to myself that I would never sell-out and be one of those sweaty, suit wearing corporate cogs dripping all over the uptown express train during rush hour. As I sit here in my cramped cubicle wearing my tight, starched, collared shirt that promise seems like a lifetime ago. The vintage t-shirts and well-worn jeans of my youth have been replaced by deadlines and corporate dress codes.

I needed a backup plan. I needed professional attire that also didn’t try to strangle me in the sweltering heat of a New York City taxi cab but I couldn’t sport a t-shirt and jeans and ever expect to get anywhere above middle-management. My solution was simple: cheap polo shirts! After almost passing out one afternoon I decided that I’d buy polo t-shirts by the truckload and use this arsenal of professional yet casual attire to wage war on restrictive clothing. Take it from me, cheap, breathable clothing is a far superior to ties and dress shirts. Comfort aside the environmental benefits of not having to get my shirts dry-cleaned make me feel good– almost as good as all the money I saved!

“Barack Obama, the breakout hit of the summer” DNC News.

Maybe Im the only one who finds that hilariously accurate, but once I saw that quote on a graphic t-shirt, I just had to post about it. I found this blog called “tree hugger” the other day and amid their posts about eco-loving and environmentalists of the USA that express moving concerns for wildlife, there was a small and yet poignant post: Mother Lovin Obama. The graphic as seen above can stand on its own as a poster, desktop wallpaper, or even your trendy iPhone background. If youve been keeping up with this urban fashion blog, then Im sure youve noticed that Ive been on a tangent of Barack Obama and his relation to todays youth fashion. I should of course make it clear I have no actual political affiliation. If McCain or Barr had graphic tees, canvas bags, and backpacks as cool as Obama Paraphernalia I would be more than happy to write about it. But this is very far from reality so youre stuck with Obama as my prime example of politics and fashion. The 70s funk feel on this t-shirt is reminiscent of the Good Ol Days where having fun was okay and people were inclined to believe in things like hope, change, and human integrity (as well as a little dance part-ay now and then). The Obama graphic tee capitalizes on not only appealing to the white hipster demographic, but it also appeals to the urban fashion community and successfully melds itself within the fashion grassroots effort by the Obama campaign. The t-shirt was design by Aron Kressner of Vivavi.

The Polo T Shirt was originally a heavy, cumbersome, long-sleeved shirt worn during early European sports such as tennis, polo, golf, etc.; the shirt however became a burden not only to movements, but it also turned out to be uncomfortable during long matches due to the high volume of sweat (such as tennis, polo, and golf). This dilemma begged a solution; the likes of which was brought about by the innovative Rene Lacoste. A male, French tennis champion, Lacoste turned the heavy polo shirt into a light, short sleeved shirt made out of cotton to allow for more fluid movements. These shirts were adopted by private schools, and then inevitably adapted to modern day society where men usually wear polo t shirts instead of wearing a long sleeved dress shirt.

It was more than likely because Polo Tees had become such a staple in our world that urban culture lashed back. They did this by combining their graffiti and stencil influenced T shirts with the haughty upper-class polo tees. The result was clothing companies suddenly overflowing with new clothing lines that offered these graphic polo t shirts. Urban culture had spawned an entirely new fashion movement which ranged from famous graffiti tags on polo tees all the way to grunge mixed with famous Latin quotes. The reach of urban culture stretches further than polos, we find their influence in our jeans, shoes, hats, and even our socks.

For years polo wearers with or without popped collars have clashed with those who do not wear polos, those who are anti-polo. The main reason why these anti-polos exist may be largely due to the fact that they dislike those who wear polos, not the polos themselves. Well now all those anti-polo-wearers who do like polos, but just can’t stand those they call “preppy” . The answer is graphic polo shirts. Polos, but different. Here is a look at some classic polos and their non-preppy counter-parts:

Preppy:

Graphic Polo Shirt:

Preppy:

Graphic Polo Shirt: