Why T-Shirts Have Always Been Popular In America
T-shirts are prevalent in people of all ages and gender, and they are available in various colors, sizes, and styles. People wear T-shirts in the daytime, shopping, work, the beach, and even going to bed. People named the T-shirt as such because of the T shape of its body and sleeves. T-shirts are very comfortable to wear as the manufacturers have made them from stretchy cotton fabric.
V-Neck And U-Neck T-Shirts
People call a T-shirt with a V-shaped neckline V-neck T-shirt, whereas the one with a round neckline is called a U-neck or a crew neck T-shirt. The advantage of wearing a V-neck T-shirt is that its neckline doesn't show when people wear it under an outer shirt.
But have you ever thought about when and how T-shirts came into being?
History Of T-Shirts
T-shirts were worn by veteran soldiers, dockworkers, and miners beneath their uniforms as undergarments. Manufacturers introduced T-shirts in the United States during the Spanish World War, and authorities gave it to the members of the US Navy.
T-shirts were convenient garments for hot weather. It was a common practice for Marines and sailors to remove their uniform jacket in the hot weather and work in their Tees. Since then, they have become a popular item of clothing that people use as a self-expression tool.
Why T-Shirts Became Popular In America
T-shirt is a garment piece that fits nicely, can be washed easily, and is inexpensive; it became the youth's choice in America. They became famous as the undergarment or undershirt of workers in various industries such as sailors, agriculture, factories, farms, ranches. Garment manufacturers started making T-shirts in multiple colors, designs, and styles.
The Union Suit
The first T-shirt was called a union suit, and garment makers made it in New York. The union suit was a white-colored, one-piece garment with buttons in the front. We call it onesie nowadays. The onesie was close-fitting, and people used it as an undergarment.
As the union suit became popular, in 1902 P.H. Hanes, a textile company made its version, which was a two-piece undergarment, like a union suit but shorter.
The Gob Shirt
Sears launched their version of the early T-shirt, called the Gob Shirt, in 1938. The Gob Shirt looked very much like the modern-day T-shirt, and it could be worn as an undershirt or as an outer shirt.
T-Shirts In Hollywood
When actor Marlon Brando wore T-Shirts in the movie A Street Car Named Desire, T-shirts gained popularity in America. Hollywood saw that these comfortable garments had many potentials, and popular film caused T-shirts to gain more attention. As a result, T-shirts made the transition from an undergarment to a fashionable outer garment.
‘I don’t see myself going out in sweats, dropping Barron at school in sweats - it’s just not my style - never was. I like to put myself together and go out. I do wear jeans and T-shirt though! I like them - why not? They’re very comfortable, and when I’m home playing with my child, I like to wear a white T-shirt and jeans.’
Melania Trump
T-Shirts As A Promotional Medium
In 1948, when presidential candidate Governor Thomas E. Dewey used T-shirts to print the slogan 'Dew-It with Dewey' it was the first time when companies used T-shirts as a promotional medium. The Smithsonian Institute has the original printed slogan T-shirt on a permanent display for everyone to see it.
The Tie-Dyed T-Shirts Of The '60s
After the invention of plastisol, printing and tie-dying became very popular in the 1960s. During this time, bright colors and patterns gained popularity, and people used T-shirts as a medium of self-expression by using art prints for protests, slogans, and advertisements.
Litho-Transfer And On-Spot Printing Of T-Shirts In the 70s and 80s
In the 1970s and 80s, people invented new methods for making customized T-shirts like litho-transfer and on-spot printing at shopping malls. Music companies and musicians used T-Shirts for branding and sales, such as The Rolling Stone Logo and tie-dyed design tees.
T-Shirts Today
Nowadays, T-shirts are more popular than ever because they all depend on how you want to integrate them into your style. With the development of science and inventions, there are faster and cheaper ways to customize and print T-shirts. The use of the internet ensures that we are never short of ideas or designs to print T-shirts.
Customized T-Shirts
Custom printed T-shirts are a regular tool for advertising and branding of the following:
- Favorite band
- Movies
- Video games
- Popular shows
- Athletic teams
- Designer brands
- Educational Institutions
- Protest
- Souvenirs
- Marketing for consumer products
- Commemorate an event
- Personal statements
- Political campaigns
In A Nutshell
T-shirts are one of the most commonly worn garments in the present day. Their popularity seems to grow with every passing day in the US and the rest of the world because they are economical and comfortable.