Graphic tees are all the rage, and we can understand why.

There are so many varieties - bold, cutesy, retro, tongue-in-cheek, edgy rock 'n' roll - that the wearer of the right one speaks volumes to the world without ever saying a word.

Conveying a message is what the best fashion does, whether the message is, "I'm rich," "I'm a fashion victim," "I'm serious," "I'm funny" or "I just don't give a good gosh darn."

It doesn't really matter what your clothes say, as long as they say - as in this case - what you intended.

Age: 20

Residence: Washington, D.C.

Job: Chemical engineering major at Howard University

Self-described style: "Real calm and fresh."

The look: Green graphic T-shirt. Greenish-gray cargo pants. Green Nike woven "Footscape" boot.

Where it came from: T-shirt from thehundreds.com. Cargo pants from H&M.; Shoes from St. Alfred, a store in Chicago.

Why the Gestapo-like graphic tee?: "I just liked it, so I bought it. It says to me, 'Forget the police.' This is my first time wearing it. I bought it like two summers ago."

"Calm, serene" style: "This is a real relaxed look. I'm not trying to put on a hundred layers with all the hats and stuff. I don't have time for all that."

Categories of fashion: "There's three kinds of people. There's professional cats, the people who wear suits everyday. Then you have people that are like, 'Yo, that's hot!' So they go out and buy it. They buy the same old sneakers, the same old T-shirts as everybody else. That's corny. That's played out. Then there's people like me who stay fresh every day."

Will wear anything, as long as it's "fresh": "Just think of anything you can think of, and I'll probably wear it. Some crazy sneakers with some cargo pants. Or a crazy T-shirt. You gotta switch it up. You gotta be versatile. And you'll get recognized. See? I'm out here now - getting recognized."

tanika.white@baltsun.com