Innocence Lost (Or: A Few Good Striped T-Shirts)

Nostalgia!

Jul 10, 2024

Do you ever see an old picture of yourself and think Where the hell is that damn [insert clothing item here]? That perfectly worn-in T-shirt you stole from your dad or those jeans you found at a vintage shop that made you look like the very best version of yourself? Where could they be? Where is that item, once so crucial, a vital essential, now lost to the vagaries of time?

I have a few of these, but one recently came to mine when I saw a picture of myself (above) from when I must have been, oh, I don’t know, three or four years old? I was in the backseat of my mom’s Honda (no car seat, ha), wearing a striped T-shirt, bands of blue, red, and white in varying widths. Sometimes I even think I can remember that day, the heat of the sun on the leather seat, the tightness of the belt across my lap, the radio playing, but it’s probably a trick of the mind. Memory is a funny thing, isn’t it?

Since I came across that photo I’ve been on the hunt for a similar-ish tee, something that feels vaguely retro and childlike. Like something a kid in one of those ‘80s movies Goonies or ET would wear. The Platonic ideal of said shirt would have a boxy fit, be made from mid-weight material, and that have the perfect color combination. I want something that maybe has a warm sepia-ish tone, so that it subtly conjures the idea of an old photograph, maybe some yellows or browns, but I’m staying open. I actually have one that I like quite a lot, from Entireworld (RIP) that’s yellow with thin blue stripes, but it doesn’t quite scratch the itch.

It’s a very specific type of striped T-shirt, though I’m not sure if there’s a name for this particular style. So I was slightly surprised to find that quite a few brands — Miu Miu, Bode, Loewe — have made versions, something like the type of T-shirt a little boy or maybe a dopey teenager would wear, but because these designers are so smart, the shirts don’t look silly or childish. The colors are just right — a little faded with unexpected combos — and the fabrications are obviously a bit elevated. Also, the fits are in line with the slightly cropped vibe that’s been making its way through menswear (a godsend to someone like me who is vertically challenged).

Take the Bode one, for example, which is made from a jacquard cotton and features little Scottie dogs inspired by the designer, Emily’s, mother and her love of that particularly winsome little breed. The Loewe ones, meanwhile, are part of the ongoing Paula’s Ibiza summer collection and — get ready for this: not actually T-shirts. They’re cotton-and-linen sweaters which give them that slouchy look and airy feel. Genius. Then there are the Miu Miu ones, which are pulled from the spring/summer 2024 show, which I think is probably my favorite fashion collection over the last two or three years. They’re winkingly naive, playful and tongue-in-cheek. All of the four colorwars are are pitch-perfect, but if you put a gun to my head (dramatic!) I’d pick the green or brown. Sadly, they’re mostly sold out.

Anyhow, summer is a very childlike season (is there anything sadder than seeing a person wearing a suit on a hot summer’s day?) and I think one of these toddler-like shirts are kinda the perfect thing to wear with cut-off khaki shorts and a sandal or slip-on canvas sneaker (a Vans one, obviously). Here are a few of my favorites.