The Graphic Tees GQ Editors Are Buying This Summer 2026

It’s been a rough few years for the graphic tee. A longtime Americana staple, the much-publicized death of merch two years ago posed an existential threat to the style, as men the world over quickly pivoted from colorful tees to earthy button-ups and simple blanks.But you can’t keep a good man—or a funny illustration of a golfer absolutely biffing it—down for long. This summer, the streets of New York, Paris and London are filled with stylish guys letting their T-shirts do the talking. Some are taking their fits in a maximalist direction entirely, pairing these tops with sporty shorts and shades. Others are keeping the rest of the formula classic—chinos, a suit, some denim—and letting their fun tee show they do still have a personality.Both approaches are great. Once you’ve decided which is for you, all that’s left is to then select what you want your tee to telegraph. Your favorite band? Sports team? Your evolving judgement on the long-term viability of capitalism? That’s the magic of the graphic tee—there’s nothing it can’t say or show.To help get you involved in the hunt, I polled our entire edit staff to aggregate a who’s who of our favorite options on the market right now (beyond the weirdo gems of yesteryear you can always score for the low on eBay) as well as the categories they broadly fit into.Playful Graphic TeesPreppy Graphic TeesSporty Graphic TeesPrint-Forward Graphic TeesPlayful Graphic TeesThe most respected tees right now? Tongue-in-cheek ones that show you have a sense of humor, don’t take yourself too seriously, and are happy to dress for other people’s enjoyment as much as your own. After all, summer is the least serious of all the seasons, and your clothing should celebrate this in some way. The league leader, currently, is Emily Dawn Long, but the vibe can be achieved even with a serious repro maker like The Real McCoy’s.