13 Cool Best-Friend Shirt Ideas to Celebrate Friendship

Friendship is one of the greatest gifts in life. It’s something you want to celebrate and take care of. And what better way to show appreciation to your friend than through wholesome and meaningful gestures? Customizing print-on-demand trending products like t-shirts to gift your best friend is just one way to do it.

So, whether you’re seeking the perfect gift for your BFF or you’re a dropshipping business owner looking for t-shirt design ideas, we’ve got you covered. In this post, you’ll find 13 best-friend shirt ideas to inspire you, along with recommendations for the best t-shirts for printing.

1. Best friend definition

A “best friend” is a vast concept that can be interpreted differently by everyone. The best way to show what it means to you is by clearly stating your definition.

Definition designs are very popular for t-shirt printing, as they make exceptional gifts for loved ones. They also look sleek and minimalistic, making them perfect for everyday use. Try defining the love for your bestie on our Unisex Lightweight T-shirt.

2. Subtle best friend shirts

Another simple best friend t-shirt design idea that represents your bond is personalized t-shirts with your initials or names. It’s a classic and versatile design choice that won’t go out of style and will be the perfect best friend gift idea for your closest companion.

Customize the Unisex Basic Softstyle T-shirt and experiment with different print or embroidery designs so you and your BFF can demonstrate your connection wherever you go.

3. Matching clipart best friend t-shirts

If you’re searching for friend designs that don’t involve text or personalization, custom t-shirts with matching clipart might be something you’ll approve of. The beauty of this design is its ability to adapt to any friendship union. Either a cute heart or a shared inside joke—it can be anything that symbolizes your friendship and has a shared special meaning.

4. Foodie best friends

Food’s amazing at bringing people together. If you and your bestie share a love for it, you might like food-designed t-shirts that complement each other. For example, you can customize the Unisex Staple T-shirt with a guac and taco or peanut butter and jelly duo, or do a pizza design representing your friend as “the missing piece.”

5. Pets as best friends

Pets are powerful at expressing the love and loyalty a real friendship entails. Including them in best friend t-shirt designs is a cute way to add sentimental value to a plain shirt. For example, if you’re a cat owner and your bestie has a dog or vice versa, you can customize a shirt with both your pets. It’s a heartfelt gesture that can serve as a best friend gift.

Source: Etsy

But who said pets can’t be your besties? If you and your furry friend share a special bond, you can create a best friend t-shirt for yourself that celebrates it. For example, choose an illustration of a human’s palm and a pet’s paw and add your names for a personal touch.

Source: Etsy

Try these designs on:

• Unisex Tri-Blend T-shirt

• Women’s Relaxed T-shirt

6. Best friends in the family

Your family members can also be your best friends. Whether it’s a sibling, a parent, or a cousin, they can play a bigger role in life than just being a relative. 

This unique bond can be celebrated by creating matching best friend t-shirts. For example, customize them for mothers/fathers and daughters/sons to cherish your little life-long bestie. Wearing them together at photo shoots and other outings will create lasting memories for both of you.

Consider these t-shirts for family designs: 

• Men’s Premium Heavyweight Tee

• Women’s Fashion Fit T-shirt

• Toddler Staple Tee

• Baby Staple Tee

7. Best friends who complete each other

If you feel like your BFF completes you, you’ll like these best friend t-shirt designs that perfectly demonstrate that. For example, customize one shirt with salt and the other with pepper to symbolize how well you complement each other. Or design two shirts, each with one half of an avocado that forms a whole when connected.

8. Wordplay best friend designs

Wordplay, aka split-screen designs, make sense only when worn together. It’s a funny way to represent the powerful unity between you and your BFF. To create t-shirts like these, you have to split your design in half and print or embroider each half on a different shirt.

If you’re up for attention, wear them together at school or a party, or create cute pictures in them for cheerful memories.

9. Funny best friend shirt

Share a good laugh with your besties by customizing your matching t-shirts with a funny quote or a comedic illustration. A shirt like this will serve as a memorable best friend gift, bringing joy each time it’s worn.

If you’re choosing a funny quote for your design, go for bold and decorative font styles that’ll go with the t-shirt design trends for 2024.

10. Matching best friend designs

Although it’s very clever if the best friend shirts complete each other, fully matching t-shirts that differentiate only in a small single detail are just as effective in representing the unbreakable bond between you and your best buddy. Choose a favorite quote or any other design that best describes you and your BFF, and create matching friend shirts.

11. “Who’s who” t-shirt designs

You can celebrate your individuality by creating best friend t-shirts that distinguish your characters or features. If there’s already an existing recognition by certain qualities, like height or personality, that other people use to differentiate you both—make it into a fun t-shirt design.

For example, such design might include labels like “the quiet one” and “the loud one” to lightheartedly embrace those qualities in your friendship. Shirts like these will represent each of you and the inside jokes you and your other friends share.

12. 3+ best friend t-shirts

We can’t forget about the best friend squads that consist of three or more friends. To celebrate the bond between your friend group, you can create more than two best friend shirts, each uniquely representing the special friendship you share.

These types of designs will be exceptional and catch attention when worn together with your besties at concerts, festivals, or other outings. Try out these designs on our Unisex Premium T-shirt and create funny shirts to share with your best friends.

13. Long-distance besties

Long-distance best friend shirts can bring comfort to friends who are separated by distance. They make the perfect sentimental gift to send out to your bestie on their birthday, Christmas, or National Best Friends Day, ensuring closeness and shared joy from afar.

Choose a heartfelt quote, an inside joke, or a personalized design with both of your locations to cherish the bond you share despite the miles between you.

Here’s to friendship!

Those were just some ideas to inspire you to create the perfect best friend t-shirts. Remember that the significance of matching BFF shirts lies in the thought behind it. So reflect on your friendship, and create designs that best resemble you and your best friend.

If you’re uncertain about designing your own t-shirt, check out our step-by-step t-shirt design and logo placement guide.

May your designs turn out as wonderful as your friendship!