Why the H- can't I find t-shirts anymore???

Since summer has arrived and I haven't received my yearly quota of free college tees, I have been forced to find other alternatives. This has proven to be a much harder task than I had originally expected though and I can't tell if it's just me, or the t-shirts...

I'm beginning to realize that t-shirts are becoming as much a mainstay in fashion as they ever were. Bro's wear their Affliction t-shirts to clubs and bars, and companies like Armani, try to sell us $50 t-shirts that already look destroyed. Not to mention this new Christian Audigiar character who's glorified Lisa Frank fantasy animal designs have become some of the more expensive items on the clothing racks.

I can't get into it, but it seems that t-shirts are becoming too elaborate "artistically" for me. Maybe it's because I wash my t-shirts. When you wash a shirt, it fades, and the designs begin to crack after a while, and eventually it's time to get a new shirt. If I paid $50 for a t-shirt, I would have a hard time watching this process occur, or, I would consume myself by making sure that that shirt never went in the dryer thusly hanging it to dry. Frankly, too much effort for T-SHIRT. Maybe a nice jacket or something, but a t-shirt?

Walking through a Nordstrom's (this years styles), Nordstrom's Rack (last years rejected styles), or a Macy's, I soon realized that t-shirts, although maybe not as elaborate as a Christian Audigiar, are still these "works of art" that I can only see on some mega bro, or an American Apparel model wearing. Shirts with patches, or awkward cuts; shirts with dated logos like "Crush", or exotic places you've never been like "Montana", or "Ireland"; and shirts with funky cartoons litter these stores. I kinda like the funky cartoon shirts, but they tend to be on funky colors too and I don't know if I could pull off a pale teal shirt. T-shirts from Express have weird glitter on their Gothic designed eagle wings with a neuvo silk screen style "tattoo art" down the chest and sides, and American Eagle and Gap logo shirts don't make any sense at all...

I'm starting to think that this is when I cross over and out of the following generation. I always enjoyed a good Volcom stone shirt, or a RVCA shirt, but I can't seem to find a subtle one. The way things are looking though, I don't know if I'll ever enjoy these new "artistic" designs. I've found myself getting plain v-necks and solid-color t-shits, but this ultimately makes me feel like I have no fashion sense, which, whether it's true or not, is not a happy feeling. I can only hope that the "artsy" tee goes out of style as quickly as the t-shirt on top of the polo thing that swept Abercrombies and Gap stores across the nation not too long ago.

Maybe I should consider the t-shirts that you can find online with the goofy sayings, and puns. The only problem with those so far is that I can't find one that I feel I could wear in public without drawing unnecessary attention to myself. I guess this this all means if I'm going to shop for t-shirts at a mall, I had better get used to the idea of going straight for Gap v-necks. Otherwise I guess it's come down to me scouring the internet for some t-shirt that doesn't make me look like a complete asshole and that doesn't require that I buy salmon colored shorts to accompany it.

I guess I like the idea of t-shirts being a simple commodity. Or maybe I'm just a fan of more subtle styles. I like to think that that doesn't make me an oldie, but the more I think about it, being detached from teens these days might not be a bad thing.

I never got into Lisa Frank. I was more of a Peachy guy. I guess that how I like my t-shirts too. But I don't want to have to shop at Walmart to get my Peachys, or my t-shirts...