The origin of the American t-shirt is not easily traced because there is so little written about it in history. The best way to track its existence is searching through historical photographs.
Legend says that American soldiers of WW1 envied the uniform of their British counterparts. The British wore an undergarment of a standard issue t-shirt. The pullover shirt had a round neck, short sleeves, and was waist-length. No buttons or collar graced the practical undergarment. Made from comfortable cotton, it was soft and lightweight on the skin. The soldier's sweat was absorbed by the undergarment, permitting fewer launderings of their heavy wool uniform.
Although it's not really known when the t-shirt began being worn by Americans as an undergarment, in 1920, Webster included "T-shirt" in its dictionary. What's more, a 1942 Life magazine cover depicted an American soldier wearing it.
In 1954, the famous actor Marlin Brando wore just a white t-shirt underneath his leather jacket for the first time in movie-making history. The famous movie was On The Waterfront. In Rebel Without A Cause, James Dean carried a pack of cigarettes rolled-up in one of the t-shirt's short sleeves and epitomized the fashion icon of America's dissenting youth.
At the turn of the decade, the conforming American middle-class was represented by the Leave It To Beaver television program. In it, the boys wore a plain, white t-shirt under their button-down plaid shirts. The beatnik counter-culture, however, (as shown on The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis television show) made their fashion uniform wearing only a t-shirt.
Southern California drag racers airbrushed elaborate lettering and stylish flames on their t-shirts before they started enhancing the look of their race cars.
The hippies made their own exotic statement by tying up the t-shirt with string or rubber bands, and then poured bright dyes to selected segments. This resulted in eye-catching patterns made of brilliant colors.
The wearing of only a t-shirt was fashionable in America until 1984 when the popular television show Miami Vice created a new fashion: Don Johnson donned a designer jacket over a t-shirt for a casual business look.
Legend also says the first use of the t-shirt for advertising was when Warner Bros. production studio, in 1939, printed a Wizard of Oz t-shirt. Later, in the early fifties, several companies in Miami decorated t-shirts with local resort names and Disney cartoon characters.
T-shirts made their first political statement in 1948 when supporters of Thomas E. Dewey (who lost the presidential election to Harry Truman) wore t-shirts screaming, "Dew It For Dewey".
In the 1960's, the advent of t-shirt screen-printing provided an economical means to express oneself. It didn't take long before corporate America utilized it regularly as a marketing tool.
Officially licensing of team names and logos was instigated by professional sports associations, and a seasonal money tree bloomed. Rock and roll bands entered the marketing arena with the concert t-shirt: a black shirt plugging the concert tour they were playing. Fans wore them long after the stated tour ended to prove they supported the band.
From a hand-written scrawl to a personal design created on one's computer, Americans let everyone know what they think with their t-shirts. Whether you are a diehard Red Sox fan or a political activist, a comedian without a mike or a mother-to-be, the t-shirt can communicate your passion to everyone, and it can do it for very little money.
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