Fun Fact: Brief History of the T-Shirt

History of the T-shirt

It is impossible to say exactly where and when t-shirt history commenced. There is speculation by Archaeologists, that Roman Soldiers wore a short tunic like a modern day t-shirt under or over a separate kilt.

According to some the beginning of the T-shirt is credited to the navy. The US Navy that is, while other historians say it was The "swabs" in the British Royal Navy who wore them under their uniforms in World War I, some even suggest it was the French Army. American soldiers liked the comfortable lightweight cotton undershirt compared to the wool uniforms American soldiers wore and the rest is history.

Connection with the sea

Again there seems to be some discrepancy over dates, although most have the U.S. Navy issuing crew-necked, short-sleeved, white cotton undershirts around 1913. The newly created shirt allowed ease of movement and quick drying. By the 1920s the T-shirt had become an official term in the American English Dictionary. By the late 1930s a couple of US retailers were marketing them, namely Hanes, Fruit of the Loom and Sears, Roebuck & Co. Apparently this blossoming fashion did have one setback - in 1934 Clark Gable took off his clothes to reveal no t-shirt at all in the comedy 'It Happened One Night.'. Nothing but a bare chest. This it seems sent t-shirt sales plummeting for a while.

By World War II both the US Navy and army were wearing standard issue t-shirts as underwear. However, it was really in the 1940’s that the t-shirt really got going with returning US servicemen.

The Smithsonian museum has ‘the oldest printed T-shirt’ on record in their collection and on display. It is a campaign shirt for New York Gov. Thomas Dewey's 1948 presidential campaign.

Hollywood

Hollywood inevitably had the biggest impact on the classic tee with such iconic images as Brando's T-shirt in the 1951 'A Streetcar Named Desire' and James Dean's unforgettable white tee in 'Rebel Without a Cause' in 1955, which made t-shirt wearing cool and rebellious. This was followed by Elvis Presley and others adding to its popularity.

Protest issues

The 1960s saw the birth of the tie-dye craze in T-shirts and by the late 1960’s the introduction of screen printing guaranteed its success as a fashion accessory. The tee became a vehicle for publicizing social change and political unrest . Fashion-wise the classic tee soon spawned a number of variations such as the tank top, the V-neck, scoop neck and the muscle shirt. During the 60’s and 70's it was also music that capitalized on the popularity of the t-shirt. Rock bands began selling them at concerts with images and slogans and merchandising soon became a big money spinner.

The 80's and 90's

The 1980's t-shirt, popular with US Punks, is torn up and black. Students are not so concerned with political protests and embrace designer labels. The tank top or dress singlet (as it is known in Australia) appears and is regarded as acceptable public dress for both men and women. The muscle shirt and belly shirt for men and the halter neck for women, were popular casual apparel. The t-shirt heads in all directions. Hip-Hop, rap bands, t-shirt cannons, gay fashion and sexy belly shirts for women are some examples


2000

Political and personalization are the key words for the 2000's t-shirt. This is notably the most popular decade for political t-shirts ever, with more and more Americans wearing their political beliefs on their model T's. Even politically motivated minors wear t-shirts bearing political slogans - they can't vote but they can have their say. The unpopular Iraqi war and equally unpopular Prime Minister Blair has also fueled good sales of political t-shirts in the UK but not so in Australia where in spite of Iraqi, Prime Minister Howard remains popular. The ringer t-shirt has a resurgence. The use of the promotional t-shirt is at an all-time high. Rock band t-shirts, hip hop t-shirts, anti-bush t-shirts, military t-shirt and sports t-shirts, just to name a few, are all popular.

Today

With the internet in full swing anything is possible and the personalized t-shirt is now available on line.
Today the influence of the humble t-shirt reaches every high street and back alley across the planet. Once again social issues are topical along with environmental concerns such as global warming. The t-shirt has certainly stood the test of time and it has a long way to go yet.