There are some things that become social icons because they are a part of a social consciousness; becoming so popular that they endure the test of time. Sometime vintage and vintage style tee shirt design reflects this. Take for instance the TV show from decades back, I Love Lucy. This is a show that was extremely popular then and is still very popular; owing to this you may still come across the odd tshirt design that proclaims to love Lucy. Or you may have one that says Beam me up Scotty, There’s no intelligent life down here; a throwback to times when the Star Trek was such a hit TV show.
Sometimes a particular year could be one that is special for nostalgic reasons or because it was a year of some great sporting achievement. And so you have graphic tees highlighting a particular year say 1982 that was special for a particular reason. Vintage style tshirt designs are very popular when you want to declare yourself to be the fan of any particular band or a star from yesteryear. Say for instance a Jimmy Hendrix t shirt design or one with the classic Marilyn Monroe picture would make a really uniquely retro statement. The retro style of tee shirt design can also be created by using old fashioned illustrations, the kind of illustrations that became so popular during the 50s; a very easily recognizable style that was used widely in photographic and other advertisements.