Standom Personified: Style Savants Talk Band Tees, Musical Trendsetters, and Walmart’s New Commemorative Collection
In a moment when it’s more important than ever to amplify Black voices, music is essential. Music has always been a connective force, bringing people together across generations, tastes, and identities. Its influence stretches beyond sonic boundaries—tug at any thread of modern culture, and you’ll unravel a connection to music, from how we talk to the way we dress. This interdisciplinary impact is at the core of Walmart’s new collection: four band tees spotlighting Black artists who’ve united millions of fans with their distinctive sounds and trend-setting personas.
The collection distills the influence of legendary rock and blues guitarist Jimi Hendrix, boundary-pushing alt-hip-hop duo Outkast, West Coast rap icon Nipsey Hussle, and new-wave amapiano ingenue Tyla. The retailer that’s become an unofficial go-to for core essentials recognizes these artists’ cultural impact while making the act of stanning them more accessible than ever. Each pioneering performer is featured on their own statement tee. Once considered retro concert merch, the simple garment has become a wardrobe staple that embodies music’s sway over fashion.
Ushering in the arrival of the newly-minted cultural commodities, two burgeoning creatives who exist at the intersection of fashion and music breathe life into the collection. Understanding the link between the two disciplines, celebrity stylist Caitlyn Martinez and DJ-producer Rich Fazo’s artistry is fueled by this innate connection that is personified through a classic band tee.
"I style musicians, so music is very important in my work. I always want to listen to what they have cooking up to help cultivate their look. ” Martinez explains.
You can see and feel what someone should or could look like based on the music they make.
The style architect grew up listening to hip-hop greats whose signature looks still serve as references in her work. Today, she’s curated ensembles for dynamic entertainers like Rosalía and Coi Leray, among many other talented acts. Her career in fashion is inextricable from the playlists, music videos, and tours she grew up on—and that now help inform her work.
Martinez embraces the versatility of the Tyla band tee by adding personal touches that thoughtfully incorporate the shirt into her own aesthetic. “I love vintage punk tees and their cropped fit, so I’ll cut my band tee and layered it with a thermal. At that point, it becomes an expression of who I am,” she declares.
Martinez’s stylistic choice reflects just one of many possibilities for these garments. A band tee signifies your fandom (or “standom”) while allowing you to express your personal style. Just as we define ourselves through curated music tastes, we further express our identities in the way we dress up or down. Paired with designer duds, a band tee fuses high fashion and popular culture. Worn with jeans, it creates a casual streetwear look that lets you connect with fellow stans wherever you go—a reminder of the communities fostered by bonding over our favorite artists.
Thinking about the variation of style aggregates, Fazo finds that good artist merch can be the perfect bridge for high-low styling. The secret to making the combo of retail and designer work? “Confidence,” he says. “It doesn’t matter how expensive or cheap something is. If you wear it like you own it, it works. The best outfits aren’t about labels—they’re about how everything flows together and tells the story.”
Of the offerings in Walmart’s crisp new collection, the multidisciplinary artist is partial to the Outkast and Nipsey tees, having run into Outkast’s André 3000 and the late “Ocean Views” rapper while in NYC. He cites André as both a style and musical inspiration, yet he acknowledges that every featured artist deserves the spotlight.
Black artists have influenced every corner of music, culture, and fashion, but they don’t always get the credit they deserve.
Fazo doubles down noting that “Nipsey was about more than rap; he was about ownership and building something bigger. Outkast changed the entire perception of Southern hip-hop. Jimi Hendrix redefined rock. Tyla is proving that African music belongs on a global stage.” These points speaks to what any stan will tell you: music is never just music. It is culture, identity, attitude, and, furthermore, the blueprint for a generation of tastemakers and future game-changers.
While the world may continue to argue over which artist deserves the most acclaim, we can all agree that band tees are the best way to rep our faves—and Walmart’s making it easier than ever to do so. Together, the artists appearing in the department store’s latest t-shirt capsule represent successive waves of sound and style, inspiring their respective generations to think, act, and dress in new ways while owning their individuality. If music’s the great unifier, band tees are the common threads that bring artists’ impacts on fashion full circle. So, keep stanning in (legendary) style; we wouldn’t expect anything less.
Click here to discover the collection of band tees and a curated selection of Black-founded products.
