Details

The WARD OF STATE Tee transforms a simple cotton shirt into a powerful narrative of identity, displacement, and reclamation. Made from 100% premium cotton, this piece features bold front lettering reading “WARD OF STATE” and a stark “365” across the back, symbolizing the emotional weight of existing without inherited legacy, cultural protection, or institutional care.

This design speaks especially to the Black American experience: a history shaped by erasure, survival, and self-definition in a country that often abandons the very people it was built upon. The tee reframes the term ward of the state, traditionally used for orphaned or unclaimed individuals, into a statement of visibility and truth.

• Relaxed, structured silhouette
• Mid-weight 100% cotton jersey
• Mock-neck collar for a sculptural, modern profile
• Oversized stencil-style “WARD OF STATE” screen print front graphic
• Back print “365”, representing the continuous, year-round experience of existing without inherited protection
• Double-stitched hems for durability
• Machine wash cold; hang dry

Styling

Style the WARD OF STATE Tee with the CHELSEA GRAYS Structured Denim, the Cleveland 93’ Knit Vest, or layered under the Signature Cape Blazer to amplify its conceptual impact. For a pared-back everyday look, pair with tailored trousers or wide-leg cargo pants to highlight the shirt’s stark graphic power. Its clean silhouette and emotionally charged artwork make it a standout piece that bridges fashion and social commentary.

Mood

The WARD OF STATE Tee embodies the CHELSEA GRAYS ethos: storytelling through garment design. It channels the emotional reality of those who feel untethered, individuals who must build identity without ancestral maps, without institutional protection, without the luxury of inherited legacy.

The 365 marking reinforces a truth lived every day of the year: survival, self-definition, and the pursuit of belonging in a nation that often overlooks its own.

This shirt is more than apparel it is a declaration, a memory, and a reclamation of identity, worn boldly on the body.