It's easy to look upon band T-shirts as a nostalgic (if not slightly embarrassing) artefact of your salad days: a time when you went to gigs and actually enjoyed them, and pushed your favourite tracks to a romantic interest via an over-curated mixtape.
Fast forward to 2018, and the humble band T-shirt is suddenly a lot less risible. While pictured at the Sundance Film Festival screening of First Reformed, Ethan Hawke made a very convincing case, teaming a Saint Laurent tribute to Patti Smith with gabardine tailoring.
The rules are simple. Settle for a band or musical act that has stood the test of time: your Dylans, your Bowies, or indeed, your Miss Smiths. After all, you may know every lyric to Taking Back Sunday, but that's nothing to be proud of. Then, incorporate within a sharper look: casual trousers or chinos, with a structured jacket to counter the merch vibes.
But most importantly, actually like the artist you're paying tribute to. Remember that infamous Ramones T-shirt? When the majority of wearers were stumped when asked to quote a song beyond 'Hey Ho'? We certainly don't need a repeat of that.
