subject: The History Of The T-shirt [print this page] The t-shirt is probably one of the most bought, most worn items of clothing in the history of clothing, after all, can you think of a single person that doesnt own one or at the very least hasnt owned one in their life? Its like jeans; you can guarantee that if you open any wardrobe in the western world youll be greeted with at least one pair but more likely four or five pairs in varying shades of blue.
The t-shirt is an 18 century invention and started life as something to wear under outer clothing to create warmth and it is often still used as such today. However, it became a staple wardrobe item among the miners of the 1800s when they needed something loose and cool to cover their torsos in the hot conditions. It was all about covering the body for modestys sake even when wearing nothing mightve been preferable given the weather conditions (i.e. when it was particularly hot).
People of the older generation tend to continue to wear t-shirts either for warmth or for doing outdoor and household chores such as washing the car or doing the housework. Generations X and Y however have adopted the form of t-shirt and designed it, customised it, painted it and cropped it to within an inch of its double stitching. It is a staple in any and every wardrobe, whether youre talking the fitted tee for the ladies or the baggy t-shirt for the men, an array of colours and designs are on offer to throw on in the day with a pair of jeans or to dress up with a high-waisted skirt for her or a suit jacket for him.
The latest twist in the history of the t-shirt is from the ethical fashion world and its now all about sourcing the materials theyre made with from ethical and Fairtrade origins and creating what we now know as organic clothing and ethical t shirts. Its a big deal in the t-shirt world because despite paying slightly higher prices than those companies who are not ethically sourcing, you can still make a decent profit out of this garment because of its ultimate simplicity of design and construction. Any more complicated and (at the moment) ethical fashion starts to become slightly too pricey to be fully viable. Items such as the hoody can also be Fairtrade, ethical and organic and still make a profit, as can a lot of outdoor clothing where the overall garment shape and make up is simple and made up of a small number of separate pattern pieces. Simple templates can then be printed or embroidered to make them on trend and in fashion.
