The origins of the t-shirt date back to the late 19th century, when laborers would cut their jumpsuits in half to keep cool in warmer months during the year.
Some folks probably think the T shirt was around when manufactured clothing was first invented. Actually, the first manufactured t-shirt was invented between the Mexican-American War in 1898, and then in the US NAVY when they began issuing as an undershirt in 1913, Football teams used them as an undergarment to reduce chafing while wearing shoulder pads. But then in the 1950’s they Came Out!
Marlon Brando and James Dean wore tight fitting T shirts that became ‘the look’ of that era and from there it was full speed ahead.
A T-shirt, or tee shirt, is a style of fabric shirt named after the T shape of its body and sleeves. Later on V-necks were introduced so that the neckline of the shirt does not show when worn beneath an outer shirt, as would that of a crew neck shirt.
Graphic t-shirts first became popular in the 1960s when new inks were invented that simplified the printing process. One of the first printed t-shirts appeared as early as 1942, when an Air Corps Gunnery School tee appeared on the cover of Life Magazine.
Once T shirts made the jump from underwear to outerwear it opened the door to all types of decoration. It is believed that decorated shirts were first developed in Miami, Florida for locals and tourists. Probably the most massive fashion design occurred in the late 1960’s with tie-dyed T shirts which became a top fashion of the counter culture movement. They were distributed during the Woodstock Music Festival in 1969 and even without a slogan, the general population knew where the wearers were coming from. Some fashion T shirts even depicted a printed tuxedo, or the logos of famous designers, stating the wearer’s obvious taste in apparel. Not to mention free advertising for Calvin Klein and his buddies.
The first slogan on a T shirt is credited to the 1948 presidential campaign by Thomas E. Dewey stating “Do it with Dewey” but it was not successful because the American people chose to do it with Harry Truman instead.
Possibly the most successful use of a T shirt in a promotional campaign was “I (Heart) NY” designed by Milton Glaser to revitalize tourism for New York City. It is still the most copied design in T shirt history.
So where did all this take us? People started to make statements by wearing shirts depicting their favorite sports teams, rock groups, beer, cars, Disney characters, tourist destinations and everything else, again providing free advertising.
Thus Graphic Tees became popular. Graphic tees always look attractive and visually-appealing. They can be very effective when it comes to grabbing hold of the attention of other people. These tees can go a long way when it comes to helping an individual stand out.
But now you can buy or even create a T shirt to make any statement to the world that you want. Who matters, were you do your fishing (salt or fresh), your favorite dog, your political or social views, funny statements or just about anything you want to say can be put on a T shirt. So in a sense, the first real vehicle for social media was the T shirt, hopefully 100% cotton.
Trend titbit: What is the color for 2020?
Classic Blue
Pantone Color of the Year 2020 Introduction | PANTONE 19-4052 Classic Blue.