T-shirts do the talking

It came as no surprise when I heard that a friend of mine had screen-printed his own image onto a T-shirt with the words, "I'd fuck me." He also wears a T-shirt that says, "My pussy has teeth," and waits tables in "I'm at your cervix."

My friend has jumped on the statement T-shirt bandwagon. I do give him credit for being both original and hilarious. Proclamation tees are everywhere, and they cover everything from politics and religion to blatant obscenities and utter hogwash.

Of course, celebrities have spurred the trend. Madonna has been spotted in a "husband beater" tank and her latest original tee, "Kabbalists do it better." Kudos to Armani for a politically minded tee with "Think fashion makes a statement? Try voting" emblazoned across the front.

The latest T-shirt craze is so widespread, though, that unless the slogan is genuinely unique, it loses its value, whether playful or serious. Impressionable teen girls have snatched up Urban Outfitters' "I did Justin three times" T-shirt. Barf. The Lenox Square store is full of mindless exclamatory tees, which almost guarantees you'll run into someone wearing your shirt. Possibly even on the same day. The horror, the horror.

Go ahead and hop on the trend, but do so because you actually believe what your shirt says, or hunt for vintage shirts and promote recycling. Value Village has some of the cheapest tees in town. Just remember to check for pit stains since they're used. For handmade, often one-of-a-kind shirts, try the Young Blood Gallery boutique in Grant Park. Even better, be truly novel and design your own personal testimonial T-shirt.

If you have a tip or have noticed a trend you think our resident fashionista should know about, e-mail your comments to product@creativeloafing.com.