11 Custom T-Shirt Trends You Need For 2024
Sure, you could wear a white plain t-shirt, but why? Customized t-shirts and apparel can influence, create unity, and be very effective marketing tools. Cost-effectively they draw attention towards your business or cause, promote team unity, and help us feel like we are part of a family, group, or tribe.
To be successful and really hit the target in 2024 incorporate a few or all of these important trends:
- Sparkles
Let’s be honest, we’re all attracted to shiny things so add a little extra bling or shine. If you want a design to really sparkle you can use glitter, metallic, foil, or even rhinestones.
Adding custom sparkles to your garments through screen printing or film, you can really add some glitz to your design. Sparkles can be applied to almost any garment including t-shirts, sweatshirts, sweatpants, yoga, athleisure, athletic wear and even hats.
- Athleisure
The popularity of athleisure garments aren’t going away anytime soon. T-shirts, tank tops, hoodies, and fleece jackets are great options for health and wellness concerned consumers. They are ideal for teams who spend a lot of time working outside, too. Athleisure is a great choice for branded garments. Even if your office is formal, employees will really get excited to receive a fleece, hoodie, or jacket as a corporate gift.
- Inspirational Design and Words
They brighten up your day the moment you look at them, authentic t-shirt designs that simply and beautifully encourage and inspire are trending. Combine a self-care, self-love, and positivity message with a visual element that conveys positivity will make anyone smile. These designs can go anywhere on custom apparel including the front or back of a quarter-zip pullover, down the sleeve or leg of a long sleeve shirt or sweatpants, or even on a front pocket. Pay attention to the color palette you use since colors have a huge impact on design and how it is perceived.
- Tie Dye
Tie dye is having a renaissance, in fact the term “tie dye” is up over 5,000% in Google searches as compared to last year. You can find tie dye on the runway with Prada, Christian Dior, and Stella McCartney's collections.
Tie dye is here to stay, the pattern gives us comfort and reminds of a more carefree time. Nostalgia doesn’t just make us feel happier, it makes us feel more connected, energized, and motivated.
- Dri-Fit / Wicking Fabric
People have not only started to eat healthier but have also started to adopt a variety of physical activities. To support the increase in physical activity, the latest trend in apparel is moisture wicking performance fabric.
Dri fit apparel, otherwise known as a performance apparel, is athleticwear made of microfiber polyester fabric. This material wicks away moisture from the body, allowing you to stay comfortably dry and cool during your workouts.
The material is completely breathable and allows sweat to be absorbed from your skin and moved to the exterior of the apparel. This makes the moisture much easier to evaporate after being exposed to the air and sun.
- Distressed Look
When it comes to t-shirts, the distressed effect is everywhere, from bands to sports teams, religious organizations to fundraisers, you name it. Why is it so popular … people crave authenticity and a true lived-in, worn look.
The distressed effect can be applied to any design. It uses a thinner ink, resulting in a softer “hand” or feel. Tiny breaks in the ink layer keep the print itself more flexible and breathable.
- Sustainable Fabrics
Environmental sustainability is a trend that will continue through 2024. These eco-friendly products are made of recyclable and sustainably sourced materials such as organic cotton, wool, and bamboo. These garments reflect the value of the environmentally concerned consumers and offer the performance and comfort you need. If your company or club has a sustainability policy or an environmentally friendly office, consider using for your corporate wear.
- Team Name and Number Fonts
There are more than half a million fonts in existence. Sans serif through monospaced, but for team names and numbers you want to think strong, easy to read, simple, and bold. Some of the most popular fonts to use for these applications include Pro-Block, Varsity, and Agency. To enhance player visibility and make jerseys and uniforms truly stand out, use high contrasting colors.
- Bright Bold Colors
Make a statement with bright colors that draw the eye. Choose shirts or designs using your brand’s loudest color. If your brand or design uses more subdued colors, consider adding a pop of color that complements your logo or design.
- Retro Designs and Typography
After the challenges of 2022 we can all appreciate a simpler time in history, making retro or vintage designs very popular.
Vintage colors can range from vibrant diner scenes to subdued and muted tones captured on film cameras. Pair with a font that includes scripted or all-caps along with angled or curved text. Retro fonts are great for a vintage style and provide a familiar yet old age look.
Designs that incorporate original brand or older style logos are an easy way to create a simple graphic tee that is easy to pair with other accessories. With a simple and retro graphic tee, you can dress your look up or down.
If you’re looking to capture a sense of adventure, or perhaps a nostalgia for bygone days, a retro/vintage design is a great way to accomplish that.
- Connecting off-line with online
Hashtages, QR codes, augmented reality, and website URL’s are all great examples of how you can connect off-line with online efforts. The move to digital communications will continue to accelerate though 2024. To optimize these examples, make sure they are large enough to see and/or scan, as well as in high contrast colors. Place them prominently on the front, back, or down the arm of your apparel.
Creating the perfect t-shirt design not only takes graphic design skills, but also the knowledge of what works and does not work for print. High-5 Printwear is always available to help you create the perfect custom t-shirt or apparel.
You can always draw inspiration from the Internet, social media platforms, and other t-shirts that you happen to see, but don’t forget that keeping it original and authentic is the best way to go!