We’ve welcomed a generation of comfort-concerned shoppers in the years after the pandemic, and the HBO-made-famous baby tee gained the tick of approval for comfy fashion that doesn’t compromise on style.
Racking up a massive 200 million views on TikTok with the hashtag #babytees in the last week alone, it’s fair to say that the 90’s baby tee revival is out in full force.
Originating a decade earlier but trailblazed by 00s icons like Paris Hilton and Britney Spears, these tiny tees might be small but they pack a punch. Often featuring pastel colors and playful graphics, they're the perfect companion to a pair of Y2K cargos, comfy joggers, or baggy low-waist jeans.
Baby tees = main character moment activated.
Let’s find out what the baby tee is all about.
What Does Baby Tee Mean?
Admittedly, search results for the term may be a tad confusing when you find you’re recommended clothing for actual infants to buy. To clear things up baby tees are not made for babies. The baby tee title refers to the shrunken nature of these t-shirts which are the equivalent of a t-shirt that would fit a very young child. In fact, the hottest brands pushing out baby tees often use kids-size medium, or large t-shirts to print on.
The baby tee is essentially a classic t-shirt scaled down to tinier dimensions. Baby t-shirts usually feature a nostalgic graphic on the front, and are embellished with diamantes, cherries, y2k fonts, and playful slogans. They’re usually worn as elevated basics to jazz up an outfit and often paired with baggy trousers, cargo, low-waisted jeans, and mini and midi skirts, Figure-hugging with enough room to move around comfortably (free the pits), the shrunken silhouette is the t-shirt of choice for all the it-girls.
What’s The Difference Between A Baby Tee And A Crop Top?
The difference between a baby tee and a crop top is that a baby tee fits more like a regular t-shirt, just shrunken down and a little more form-fitting. Designed for maximum cuteness with an undercurrent of 90’s nostalgia, the baby t-shirt is the big sister to the modern-day crop top.
Instead of the tight-fitting crop tops that are shorter and allow the midriff to show, baby tees tend to sit in line with or just over the belly button. This silhouette was especially popular in the 90s when low-rise jeans were popular, as the length of the t-shirt allowed just a slither of stomach to show. Today’s crop tops are more suited to the high-waisted jeans popularised in the 2010s as the hem tends to meet the waistband or show just a smidge of the upper torso.
Alternatively, some baby tees you can find on the market aren’t cropped at all and are more of a fitted t-shirt shape, not too tight, not too loose, but perfectly classic and timeless, iconically sported by the likes of supermodel Claudia Schiffer in the 90s.
Where Did The Baby Tee Trend Come From?
While we can’t pinpoint the exact month in the year we all swapped out our torso-baring crop tops for a longer number, we can explore the fashion influences that led to this point.
Fashion comes around in cycles, as we know, there’s no doubt that you’ve worn something in the last few years that could’ve been shopped straight from your mom’s closet *cue immediate feelings of nostalgia*.
Recent years have seen the resurgence of all things Y2K and ’90s, with the countless online aesthetics and ‘cores’ referencing old-school fashion movements with a modern twist (e.g. downtown girl). It’s been said that baby tees gained popularity as an antidote to the youthful crop top and aversion to showing our stomachs, but we think it’s something far more romantic.
Baby tees are the perfect blend of both eras of fashion; marrying the hyper-fun, bedazzled, and whimsical traits of the Y2K trend, with the more classic, minimal elements that 90’s fashion can offer. Together they formed the baby tee; constructed with the silhouette of the 90’s fitted tee, and embellished with the tongue-in-cheek graphics of the early 2000s.
The big screen has shown a whole baby t-shirt movement, thrusting tiny tees into the public eye, via the likes of the divisive teen-show Euphoria. The gritty HBO series even had a regular t-shirt designer for the show, styling the cast in sassy graphic baby tees all throughout the season.
On the subject of sassy tees, Britney and Paris Hilton were queens of a cheeky t-shirt logo, and today, the baby tee is no stranger to the paparazzi. Kendall Jenner, Bella Hadid, and Olivia Rodrigo are some of the most recognizable wearers of the graphic baby tee, rocking the shrunk-to-perfection numbers in effortlessly styled vintage fits.
Today, we’re fawning over baby tees for their versatility and comfort. Easily paired with any bottoms, the baby t-shirt adds a playful dimension to any outfit.
Gymshark Women’s Baby T-Shirts
We’ve created a collection of graphic baby tees with catchy slogans and gym-inspired graphics to wear with your favorite leggings for a fun gym ‘fit, or paired with your casual everyday clothes for that main-character Y2K aesthetic.
Barbell Cherries Crop Top
Taking inspo from the cherry-clad baby t-shirts of the past, but designed for gym lovers, the Barbell Cherries Crop-Top is a new staple for your workout wardrobe. Perfect for those who prefer a more low-key graphic, the plain-white tee features a small barbell illustration designed to look like juicy red cherries. Coming in at a midi-length, with a slim fit and regular sleeve drop, we know you’ll love this fruity baby tee.
I Heart Gym Crop Top
I Heart t-shirts and cheeky slogan tees have made an ironic comeback with the Y2K resurgence, embracing the laissez-faire attitude toward fashion we have a growing appetite for. Who said you need to go to NY to sport an I ❤️ NYC t-shirt? That being said, our I Heart Gym Crop Top is undoubtedly for the gym-girlies though. Printed on crisp-white or jet-black backgrounds, with a loving graphic to the front, it’s time to bring some romance to your next workout.
It’s Giving Gym Baby T-Shirt
Baby pink, blinged-out typeface, can we get any more 2000s? This cutesy baby tee gets the thumbs up from us for adorability and scores a 10/10 for millennial nostalgia. The slightly cropped t-shirt features “it’s giving…”, a popular online phrase that means all things vibey. There’s no denying that wearing this diamante-inspired graphic tee shows exactly who your tribe is and what your vibe is.
Love The Gym Crop Top
One for the British girlies, the Love The Gym baby tee sports a silly slogan that references a local colloquialism from Birmingham, England. If there’s one thing Brummies are known for it’s their use of abbreviations and terms of endearments, and “tbf babs” sums that up completely. Available in a gorgeous bright blue, with a white wordmark, this is a bold choice for a baby tee, but if you get it, you get it.
Protein & Dreams Crop Top
The world of Dreamland is known to be filled with imaginary tales and impossible events, but sometimes we’re just dreaming about the most mundane things… like hitting our macros. Hilarious and absurd, the protein and dreams logo makes no sense and all the sense at the same time. Would it not be a dream to hit your protein goal every day?… Enjoy the vibrancy of this bright yellow baby tee the next time you’re feeling a little silly.
Coming Soon…
Building your baby-tee collection? Here’s a sneak peek of some more designs we have coming up, set your reminders for 28th December!
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Now you’re sorted in the itty bitty t-shirt department, how about delving into their oversized opponents? Explore our baggy tees and how to style them in our style guide on how to style oversized t-shirts.
