The I Have That Shirt Too Kinda memes popular on X, Reddit, and TikTok, are a style of meme that cheekily promotes a sense of demure one-upmanship, primarily between women.
The "I have that shirt too kinda" meme is a reaction image with the caption, "I have that shirt too kinda," in response to an initial/source image. The meme's image is a more flattering or attractive version of the source image, while the caption gives this competitive effort a feigned demure or non-intimidating tone.
On Sept. 13, 2018, X user @Karinerino posted the first version of the meme, in response to a post by @Princess_Onyx. In @Princess_Onyx's post, she shared a selfie where she is wearing a striped shirt with a sweetheart neck and a bow; she is looking down, her lips pursed. This original post was captioned, "Shine on me."
While the post got minimal engagement, digital creator and model @Karinerino responded to it with her own, more confident selfie, where she is looking directly at the camera suggestively and invitingly.
She is seen wearing the same shirt as @Princess_Onyx, and captioned her image, "I have that shirt too kinda." Though this response meme accrued around 130 likes, it made the rounds on X as a popular meme alluding to how women subtly compete with one another.
In 2019, @Princess_Onyx posted a photo of herself with @Karinerino, in a nod to their meme's popularity and as a friendly counterpoint to the meme's perceived meaning.
For years, this meme would crop up in contexts of women engaging with each other online. The meme eventually gained traction on X in the spring of 2023, spreading to TikTok in early 2024.
@bryceadambrown the layers here ???????????????? #dirtycash #pur #kitty #yas #catpainting #relatable #ihavethatshirttookinda #meme #relatable ♬ Dirty Cash (Money Talks) - Sold Out 7 Inch Mix - Adventures Of Stevie V
The meme is a starting point for conversation about comparison culture, women's bodies, women's fashion, and online interaction. While the discourse around this meme can range from productive to humorous to empowering to unproductive, it always highlights the highly charged topic of competitiveness between women in online spaces.
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