American casual aesthetic, thoughtful Japanese design.
With the weather heating up, it’s time to start switching our wardrobes for lighter clothes, and if you find that your T-shirt collection needs a spruce up, Studio Ghibli has exactly what you’re looking for.
Produced by the studio’s cool GBL brand, which boasts an “American casual” aesthetic for hip fashion-savvy individuals, the 2026 Spring Summer GBL Basic T-Shirt range contains 12 different designs. Despite the name, there’s nothing basic about this collection, as each design incorporates subtle playful touches such as glow-in-the-dark elements, embroidery, and mixed materials.
▼ Made with 100-percent cotton and finished with a stonewash process, each T-shirt has a soft feel and worn-in look to give it a vintage vibe.
There’s a lot to explore in each shirt, with different layers of meaning and special design elements that fans will love.
▼ Castle in the Sky Laputa – You can read it! You can read it!
Kicking off the collection is this clever design, inspired by the scene where Muska holds the levitation stone over a stone tablet to control Laputa Castle.
It’s one of the best shirts in the entire collection, as part of the lettering on the front is printed with phosphorescent material, creating a design that glows faintly in the dark.
The levitation stone is rendered in embroidery, adding a subtle accent, and the keystone appears on the reverse side of the shirt, in the form of a small pocket.
▼ Kiki’s Delivery Service – Jiji Plush Toy
In Kiki’s Delivery Service, there’s a charming scene where Kiki’s black cat Jiji has to step in and mimic a child’s stuffed toy that bears a striking resemblance to him.
That humorous scene is captured beautifully on this T-shirt, with sagara embroidery making JIji look even more like a stuffed toy.
▼ This extra textural detail lets you pet Jiji in real life.
The orange hue was selected to resemble the colour of the carpet in Ketto’s house, and around the back is a subtle line print depicting Jeff, Ketto’s dog who looks after Jiji during his stuffed-toy moment.
▼ Aw, sweet ol’ Jeff…with a nervous Jiji.
Image: Studio Ghibli
▼ Pom Poko – Bakegaku Practice
Pom Poko centres around a group of shape-shifting tanuki (Japanese raccoon dogs), some of whom can shape-shift better than others. One character who needs to fine-tune their skills is Ponkichi, who takes part in Bakegaku Practice (“Transformation Science Practice”), and his efforts are seen on this T-shirt, where he’s pictured alongside some beckoning cats.
▼ The embroidered details make Ponkichi stand out against the crowd.
▼ The T-shirt takes its design cues from this scene in the movie.
Image: Studio Ghibli
The back features a large “Transformation Science Revival Human Research” print that refers to the tanuki’s five-year plan to study humans and revive the ancient art of transformation to protect their natural environment against development.
▼ If this print looks familiar, that’s because it was written by Abbot Tsurukame in the film.
Image: Studio Ghibli
▼ Spirited Away – Yarn Play
One of the sweetest moments in Spirited Away takes place at the house of Zeniba, where Chihiro’s companions, No Face, Baby Boh (in mouse form) and Yubaba’s transformed bird, sit at the table with balls of yarn.
This design draws you in with different embroidery techniques – chain stitch embroidery on the yarn and drapery embroidery on the spools of thread.
The front of this T-shirt is so detailed that it needs no extra embellishment on the back, using only the simple “Studio Ghibli” tag that appears on the back of all the shirts.
▼ Ponyo on the Cliff By The Sea – Ponyo and Jellyfish
One of the most adorable scenes from this beautifully made movie is when the titular character hitches a ride on a large jellyfish, while sheltering under a smaller one. This tee captures that magical moment, with polyvinyl chloride material used on the jellyfish portion to give it a transparent effect, and simple line art for the smaller figures to make the main jellyfish stand out.
▼ The use of different materials, a rare feature for a T-shirt, is one of the most appealing aspects of this design.
▼ The back of the neckline is embroidered with images of Ponyo’s siblings.
▼ My Neighbour Totoro – Chase
In the movie My Neighbour Totoro, young character Mei comes across a mysterious white Totoro walking by her countryside home. Soon, the little Totoro is joined by a blue Medium Totoro, and when Mei lays eyes upon them, she immediately chases after them.
▼ “Fled Into the Bushes” is what the two Totoro did to escape Mei, and the act is captured on the front pocket of the shirt.
The two scamper away in such a hurry they have no time to retrieve the acorns that fell from the sack carried by the Medium Totoro.
When the two creatures run into the bushes, escaping into what’s revealed to be a low tunnel between the plants, Mei ends up running into the upper branches. Stepping back, Mei’s face is covered in green leaves, and that moment is recreated in the design on the back of the tee.
▼ Some of the leaves are beautifully embroidered, creating a tactile, three-dimensional finish.
▼ Kiki’s Delivery Service – Senpai Witch
This is the most ’80s retro pop version of Kiki we’ve ever seen, and it perfectly captures her youthful energy. The year ’89 is not a reference to Taylor Swift’s “1989” album, but the year that Kiki’s Delivery Service first debuted in cinemas.
Kiki’s red radio appears on the left sleeve, and the design details let us know that it’s on and playing music, just as it was when Kiki set off on her witch-training journey on the night of a full moon.
▼ During that flight, Kiki comes across a senpai (“senior”) witch who is further along in her training.
Image: Studio Ghibli
Annoyed by the noise of Kiki’s radio, the witch says to Kiki, “You’re new, aren’t you?” with a slight air of disdain, and these words appear on the back neckline, recalling the movie moment.
▼ Porco Rosso – You’re Beat. Do As I Say.
This tee employs a “sophisticated” burgundy hue to give it a cool and stylish look. On the front is an image that recalls a flight scene from the movie, where Porco Rosso flashes a series of light signals to his foes in the Mamma Aiuto gang, who read it out as: “Message from the pig. ‘You’re Beat. Do What I say.'”
▼ The back of the shirt features the emblem of the tail fin of Porco’s beloved aircraft, the Savoia.
The light signal and dialogue are printed using reflective material, so they glow and stand out when exposed to a light source, such as a camera flash.
▼ Porco Rosso – Be Quiet!
This design recalls a humorous moment from the film, when Porco rescues a group of children from the Mamma Aiuto gang.
In this scene, Porco is at the mercy of the boisterous kids, trying to maintain control of the situation as they scramble about the plane.
Image: Studio Ghibli
With embroidered details, this tee has a three-dimensional feel, and on the back you’ll find Porco in his singlet, saying, “Be quiet”, just as he does in the movie.
▼ Princess Mononoke – Silence, Boy!
This design is inspired by the memorable scene in Princess Mononoke where Moro says to Ashitaka, “Silence, Boy!” Moro’s powerful expression has been dynamically captured, highlighting the giant dog’s strong and imposing presence.
▼ Spirited Away – You Can’t Be Here
No Face stands in front of the brightly coloured bathhouse in this gorgeous design, which features a solid black colourway in honour of the character. Looking closely, you’ll see that No Face is actually embroidered with a thick cotton thread, resulting in a distinctive finish that’s both tactile and comforting.
“This is no Place for Humans” refers to the off-limits nature of the magical bathhouse for spirits, a sentiment echoed in Haku’s words when he sees Chihiro on the bridge and says, “You can’t be here”.
▼ Howl’s Moving Castle – Cleaning Up
The scene here recalls the moment when Sophie and Markl work hard to move Howl’s dejected and motionless body into the bathroom. This is when Howl emits a sticky green substance, which is perfectly replicated on the shirt through transparent printing, which gives it a liquid-like appearance.
The back of the shirt features an image of Sophie sweeping, with the words, “The Great Wizard Jenkins”, in reference to Howl’s alias.
Priced at 6,930 yen (US$43.43) each, the T-shirts can be pre-reserved online (links below) from noon on 24 April. It’ll be hard to choose a favourite between them all, but whichever one you choose, it’ll arrive just in time for T-shirt season, with deliveries scheduled for mid-May.
Source, images: Donguri Kyowakoku (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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