The 41 Most Iconic Pieces From the Golden Age of Merch

For about a dozen or so years there, the ascendance of merch—transforming practically overnight from a thing you bought thoughtlessly at a concert to a clouty vehicle for self-expression to an omnipresent force driving the fashion industry forward—was one of the most fascinating ongoing narratives in menswear. We here at GQ, especially, covered that rise with glee: reporting from the front lines of the Great Merch Wars of 2016; watching with ever-deepening curiosity as the trend spread from music and movies to buzzy restaurants and shipping services to local bodegas and regular people. Read more at GQ.