In the fashion realm, cult pieces often find their origins in unexpected corners, though it’s clear that there’s still gas in the Y2K aesthetic which has borne yet another trend. Cue baby tees, which have been winning over the style set in recent weeks. But what exactly constitutes a baby tee?
Essentially, baby tees are cropped T-shirts which are often tight-fitting (but not always).These pint-sized garments feature a shorter length, typically ending just above the waist, and are reminiscent of the tees that were commonplace in the early ’00s—the sort worn by Britney Spears and Paris Hilton, often in tandem with low-rise jeans and skirts slung low on their hips. Back in the day, baby tees often showcased playful graphics, motifs, and vibrant colours, though 2023’s take looks somewhat more refined than the crops that dominated my own wardrobe first time around.
This week when I added a couple of cute cropped tees to my latest Zara order that I realised I’d been unwittingly influenced to do so. Be it on Instagram or TikTok, my eyes have been opened to the fact that baby tees are absolutely everywhere right now, and their presence is affecting the entire Who What Wear team. Upon sharing my observation on our group Slack channel, floods of messages poured in; “So that’s why I suddenly want to buy one!”, “I hear the Skims baby tee is really great”, and “I‘ve been trying to shrink an old T-shirt this week” were just some of exchanges we shared.
Baby tees are still basics; wardrobe foundations that work with a significant amount of other clothing, so they’re pretty well open to any styling interpretation you see fit. Lean even farther into the Y2K aesthetic by paring yours with cargo trousers (here’s looking at you, Sofia Richie), or take the quiet luxury approach with some chic suiting and heels. Either way, summer’s looking cropped, and I’m here for it.
Scroll on to see how fashion people are currently wearing the baby tee trend and shop some of my favourites on the market.
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