Spongebob is a cartoon favourite, but is he a fashion statement?

Spongebob is a cartoon favourite, but is he a fashion statement?

Cartoon T-shirts have made a bit of a comeback of late, with everyone from Paris Hilton to Jordan having a bit of fun with retro-styled tees.

But are they to everybody's taste? Well they're certainly a bit of fun and do have nostalgic value, but wearing one does undoubtedly increase the danger of you been asked for ID wherever you go.

Cartoon tees have been around for quite a while now, nipping in and out of style every so often, but this season there seems to be a real influx of them hitting the high-street.

Giles turned the idea of cartoon prints on their head back in 2008 when he sent dresses down the catwalk, decorated with decapitated Bambi heads imprinted on them.

They became something of a cult favourite, and soon we had the likes of My Little Pony, Fraggle Rock and Sesame Street characters imprinted on skirts, T-shirts and dresses.

More recently we've seen The Smurfs, Minnie Mouse and Spongebob Squarepants all making the grade and becoming top sellers for retailers, who are clearly hoping to capture the essence of youth and fun with their new stock.

Lets face it, it's not like we have anything else to smile about at the moment in terms of the struggling economy and with the country in the middle of a recession, maybe this is just the ticket to cheer us up.

So what do you think? Are they childish and immature or a retro style statement that's a bit of fun too?

Oscar The Grouch, £16, Topshop; Miss Piggy, £16.62, River Island; Spongebob Squarepants, £12, New Look