Graphic animal t-shirts are now flying off the racks where they once collected dust

A collection of animal t-shirts featuring a variety of animals, including tigers, chameleons, wolves, elk, and several species of birds. Photo by Riley McDaniel.

Those once cheesy souvenir animal t-shirts that did nothing but sit on racks and take up space are now a hot commodity. Graphic animal t-shirts often leave the shelves as fast as they’re placed upon them.

The U.S. secondhand apparel market grew 14% in 2024, five times faster than the retail clothing market, according to ThredUp's 2025 Resale Report. The report projects the industry will reach $74 billion by 2029 if it continues growing at about 9% annually.

At Daydream, a buy-sell-trade secondhand store, animal t-shirts have become a popular item. The Arcata location, which opened in Oct. 2023 near the Plaza at 9th and H streets, did so well that the owners recently opened another store at 211 G Street in downtown Eureka. Co-owners Jayna Nix and Ben Blair said that animal tees never stay on the racks for long.

“There seems to be consistent excitement around graphic animal tees,” Nix and Blair said. “T-shirts with animal print graphics don’t seem to last long on the racks.”

For Daydream, the popularity of these t-shirts connects to a bigger trend toward sustainability and eco-friendly fashion.

Leah Dyar, the owner of Found Curated Thrift, which opened in Sept. 2021, had another goal in mind when opening the shop, to support anyone in the community that needs help. Found Curated Thrift has three locations including Found in Fortuna, Found in Old Town, and Found in Arcata. The most recent opening was Found in Arcata, which opened in July 2025. Inside Found Curated Thrifts, there are many racks of secondhand clothing and if you’re lucky, you might just find a graphic animal t-shirt yourself.

“We raise money every month to help any local people … they can be nominated on our Facebook page, Found Curated Thrift,” Dyar said. “The last one I personally remember selling was to an older lady, probably in her 70s. It was a $25 t-shirt … but she thought it was so cute, she had to have it.”

The shirt she bought had a graphic of a kitten, just one example of the many animal designs that have become popular. For Ryan Giglio, a senior majoring in kinesiology at Cal Poly Humboldt who has many animal t-shirts, going into the secondhand store and shopping is one of his favorite ways to pass time. Each animal t-shirt has its own character, allowing him to show off his style and personality.

“I like when the animals are predators, big cats and birds,” Giglio said. “Or when it has a cute little baby animal like a leopard or cheetah.”

ThredUp's 2025 Resale Report found that 68% of people aged 18 to 44 shopped secondhand in 2024, and 56% said secondhand is the first place they look when shopping for clothes.

Beanie Mar, a junior at Chico State, has grown her closet with The Mountain animal t-shirts. Mar got her first animal tee in 2022, which was her junior year of high school, but has recently started collecting more.

“When I wear my shark shirt I feel like I can take on the world,” Mar said. “It gives me the confidence and motivation I need to get through the day.”

Now it’s your turn to score a hidden gem, go find an animal t-shirt at your local secondhand store.