my fave kind of fandom merch is the subtle kind you can have in public in which someone could easily just mistake it for an aesthetic statement
THIS. There’s nothing wrong, of course, with wearing a t-shirt that effectively says “I AM A FAN OF A THING,” but for me...I love this shit. I have a quarter-scale version of the Fourth Doctor’s scarf, and I’d estimate that a full 75% of compliments I’ve received on it are from people who just thought it was a cool scarf. Not only does it save you from those awkward “So what’s your shirt about” conversations, but it makes those moments when someone does get it all the sweeter.