History of t-shirt : Then vs Now

I will be the first to admit that I never really thought much about the history of t-shirts; our very beloved and most worn garment.

At this point in time, we have all kinds of t-shirts. Printed t-shirts and graphic t-shirts have taken centre stage in today’s generation, as a model of self-expression.

But undoubtedly, there are those days, where nothing beats a classic plain tee paired with some denim jeans or comfy sweatpants.

But, what was the origin of the t - shirt? Who invented the t-shirt?

It definitely intrigued me how something we use every day has gone through a whole evolution of its own.

Curious to find out?

Let's go back to where it all began.

Original use of T Shirt and it's name:

Well, it was formerly called a “union suit”, closely resembling what is popularly known as a “onesie” today.

It was used as an undergarment to keep the body warm in cold temperatures and as a hygienic barrier between the skin and a clean pair of clothes.

The origin of t-shirts dates back to the late 19th century.

It was worn by both men and women although a large majority of them were male workers.

It can be best described as a “piece of cloth sewn into a ‘T’ shape with shirt tails tucked between the legs”.

You can bet, it was not the most comfortable thing to wear for workers who would be bothered by the heat of their garments and would often cut them in half.

Who used the T shirt at first?

History suggests that it was issued as an undergarment to be worn by sailors under their uniforms.

It started with the British sailors who had to wear them under their woolen uniforms until gradually the British Royal Navy allowed their sailors to wear them as outer garments while working on deck.

Who made the T shirt first?

The very first company to have made t-shirts was in fact an underwear company known as Cooper Underwear Company.

Credit- https://www.manisteenews.com/local-history/article/The-Cooper-Underwear-Company-14208584.php

In the early 20th century, textile company P.H. Hanes Knitting came up with its own version of the t-shirt in 1902 as a two-piece undergarment.

The production of t-shirts increased when Fruit of the Loom started marketing t-shirts on a large scale. In 1938, Sears produced their version of the garment which they marketed as a “gob” shirt. (gob was used as a slang for sailor)

Who was the first to call it a “t-shirt”?

Any guesses?

It was none other than the famous American writer F. Scott. Fitzgerald who first used and introduced the term “t-shirt” in 1920 in his novel This Side of Paradise.

Credit - https://www.news18.com/news/lifestyle/4-best-works-of-f-scott-fitzgerald-to-read-on-his-birth-anniversary-2902569.html

Referring to the protagonist in this book he wrote, “So early in September Amory, provided with ‘six suits summer underwear, six suits winter underwear, one sweater or t-shirt, one jersey, one overcoat, winter, etc.’, set out for New England, the land of schools.”

Soon, the question to “what is a t - shirt?” found its answer in the  Merriam-Webster dictionary.

T shirt was once viewed as a symbol of...

It happened without warning that after the t-shirts were issued for use to the American soldiers and with the end of the Second World War, the t-shirt brought along with its war heroes another connotation to itself, one of “heroic masculinity.”

“You don’t need to be a soldier to have your own personal T-shirt”, Sears proclaimed in 1041.

“Dew-it with Dewey”

Although the existence of the t-shirt was well known, it was not widely worn or commercially popular as yet at that time.

Presidential candidate Governor Thomas E. Dewey was probably the first person to use the t-shirt as a promotional medium.

During his campaign in 1948, he had t-shirts printed with the slogan “Dew-it with Dewey.”

When T shirt started picking up momentum?

You can only imagine the attention a well known movie star can bring?

It was all the same with the t-shirt.

The t-shirt bonanza began in the 1950s when Marlon Brando channeled Stanley Kowalski in a white t-shirt in A Streetcar Named Desire, only to be followed by the blue-eyed dreamboat James Dean in 1955 in Rebel Without A Cause.

In 1977, Jacqueline shocked American movie watchers as she donned a wet see-through t-shirt in The Deep.

Interestingly, in 1950 a company then known as Tropix Togs got the original license to print Walt Disney characters.

It was at that time that  people started to realize that there could be a profitable market in producing graphic t-shirts.

The T shirt craze is here to stay

These events were enough to cause a widespread wave of t-shirt mania.

The innovations in print in the 1960s followed by the emergence of screen printing only rammed up t-shirt sales.

Graphic t-shirts and printed t-shirts became the talk of the town.

T shirt as a “Medium for message” – NYT

Just as you may have worn a t-shirt to let people know that today is just not your day, back then people also used this canvas as a tool for communication.

It was in the 1970s that the t-shirt became a canvas for communication.

It became a tool to voice out opinions, self-expression, and a medium to challenge the status quo.

Much credit goes to the Punk Movement.

The start of the Vietnam War also saw the use of t-shirts as a medium of protest so much so that the New York Times dubbed it as “the medium for message.”

Music, Movies and whole lot of fans

As the t-shirt became more and more popular, artists began to use it as a way to connect with their fans as well as means of marketing.

I'm sure there was a time you wanted these merch too.

So going back, music festivals, bands, indie artists, movies, fictional characters further popularized t-shirts.

It became a way to connect and associate with artists and characters all uniting under the banner of Art and creative expression.

It became an invisible string that started conversations.

Designer Houses

Picking up the momentum, many designer houses like Christian Dior, Chanel, Yves Saint Laurent (YSL), have used it as a medium to voice out, criticize and bring attention to social and political issues.

Print and design

With the rise of print and design, many artists and business enthusiasts have put out their own unique t-shirt designs and made businesses out of them.

This has further propelled the use and adoration of the garment.

Not only are t-shirts comfy or are great mediums for expression, but they also make thoughtful gifts for loved ones.

Be it a gift you received from a friend or one you bought for yourself, they hold a special type of sentimental attachment.

What’s your t-shirt story?

From their original purpose to shifting between wool, calico, jersey, and cotton, to being used as a communicative tool, the history of  t-shirts has been a loaded one.

I’m sure it goes without saying that we all have a couple of t-shirts that we all wait to come out from the dry just to wear again.

Be it a comfy pajama set, or a basic plain white tee, or a design we have simply fallen in love with, or a special gift from a dear one, t-shirts hold a special place in our sentimental hearts.

So, have you also got that t-shirt you cannot wait to just wear again and lounge all day?

Perhaps while jamming to some good old rock music, or a super chill indie tune while cleaning your room?

Or when you are just having one of those days where you feel like the world is at your feet as you try to finish your pending tasks?

Or simply on a chillax day with a good book and some coffee?

We would love to hear from you.

References:

• History of the t shirt - Realthread
• History of t shirts - Rushordertees
• History of the t shirt - Kingpinsshow
• Everything you need to know about the history of t shirts - Vogue
• The worlds most expressive garments - Tshirts
• Vogue fashion encyclopaedia - The history of t shirt
• Why and how the t shirts were made

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