Band T-shirts have been a top-selling vintage staple for at least a decade. True collectors can tell from a distance which decade a special piece is from and what special series it is from. This fashion starts with trash metal bands like Slash or Metallica, all the way to British rock bands like Led Zeppelin or Pink Floyd. Get your own unique band T-shirt if you want to stand out from the crowd and love real treasure hunting!
How to spot an original band T-shirt?
There are several things to look out for to ensure that you find a real vintage treasure and your mate's dad doesn't look at you questioningly and say, "So what are your five favourite Pink Floyd songs? But don't worry, we've got some tips to help you look authentic and really see through the secret world of band T-shirts.
In the 1950s, Elvis fans came up with the idea of making a limited number of T-shirts exclusively for fans. The idea was then taken up by other fans of the band, and soon fans of the Beatles and the Rolling Stones were able to boast their own T-shirts, too. At first, however, they were printed in very small numbers and did not bring in much revenue for the bands.
The first large number of band T-shirt prints was made by Bill Graham, owner of the Filmore nightclub. He collaborated with local artists and designers to create surreal and psychedelic band T-shirts that became a big hit with bands. Examples include Jefferson Airplane and the Grateful Dead.
Four tips to get the best band T-shirt:
And now a little guide to the different styles.
Hair metal
This category includes bands that are into the hard rock genre, who fall into the metal category mainly because of their huge headbands. It's a genre full of long and ear-catching guitar solos. And their T-shirts are recognisable because there is always at least one with a scarf on their head, a hair-dressed counterpart and logos in many colours. Examples include Guns N' Roses, Whitesnake, Bon Jovi and Poison.
Thrash Metal
The kings of spin, the creators of the coolest T-shirts. Thrash metal started in the late 80s with fast, pounding drums, long guitar solos and lots of shouting. Bands like Metallica, Slayer or Megadeth are examples. You'll easily recognise the T-shirts, as the most important component is the skulls!
With these orchestras, usually no one but you will be able to read the subtitles, they will be written with unreadable letters. So you don't really need to know much about the band, because no one is likely to hold you to account. But they're still good choices because they look cool. Bands - Morbid Angel, Entombed, Cradle of Filth, Cannibal Corpse. T-shirt look - white patterns, illegible text, scary figures.
English Heavy Metal
These are perhaps the most common and authentic looks for band T-shirts. They're the ones your parents probably wore in the 80s, so they might as well be worth a look in the bottom of your wardrobe. These are the ones with the most inclusive patterns, logos and pleasing colours. Bands - Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, AC/DC, Motörhead, Led Zeppelin.
But we don't just have music T-shirts, we also have film T-shirts...
