The World's Best Band Tees Are Back, In Exhaustive Detail
Levi's does jeans obnoxiously well. After all, you don't get a multi-dimensional Beyoncé co-sign without knowing how to make some doggone good denim. But Levi's up-top offerings are nothing to scoff at either, and the denim supplier is channeling two of the most powerful forces in fashion, music and nostalgia, for its latest band tee collection.
In collaboration with pioneering indie band Sonic Youth, Levi's is dropping four band tees that borrow from original Sonic Youth merch from the '90s.
Although I suppose "borrow" might be putting it lightly as Levi's went to great lengths to accurately replicate the coveted vibe of Sonic Youth's mega-popular shirts, some of which sell for upwards of four figures today.
This includes matching the shading and color of each tee to get the most authentic remake possible, and the collar labels are inspired by 90's era shirt tags to keep things authentic inside and out.
The Levi's Sonic Youth collection includes some of Sonic Youth's iconic prints, including the Washing Machine, animal grid and the iconic Dirty print.
Band tees are the most universally cool wearable fashion relic, whether they're bought at a post-show booth or a third-party retailer (no matter what those "name three songs" gatekeepers may say). So it makes total sense that Levi's, one of America's epochal everyday labels, is bringing back Sonic Youth's iconic band tees. But don't just take my word for it.
Levi's senior director of global collaborations and customization design, Leo Gamboa, noted in a statement that music has been at the root of Levi's style mission for decades — Hello, Oasis merch — while Sonic Youth also notes that musicians of all genres love a good pair of Levi's jeans.
"Rock & roll bands have always worn Levi's on and off the stage," Sonic Youth said. "As a band defining the interplay of the radical and traditional, we are excited to partner with Levi's to crank up the noise and spread the good word."
Even though the group officially disbanded in 2011, Sonic Youth's band tees are still a hot commodity. Levi's remake of Sonic Youth's most iconic band tees, available now on Levi's website, land at a much more affordable $40.
