A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE T-SHIRT!
THE T-shirt has now become an essential part of all dressing rooms both feminine and masculine. It comes in a multitude of models with styles that are all as different as each other: colors, patterns, materials, cut, ... But before becoming a true fashion basic of everyday life, let's look at its history. On the way to a journey through time to discover a fashion accessory who has been able to cross the ages without ever aging.
THE ORIGINS OF THE T-SHIRT
Precisely date the birth of the T-shirt is very difficult. However, we know that from the end of the 19th century it was American sailors who began to wear it often under a sweater or jacket. At the time, the t-shirt was rather seen as a underwear that absolutely had to be hidden, unlike, for example, a shirt . In 1913 it was still the American sailors who incorporated this into their traditional uniform cotton textile piece which had the advantage of allowing the body to cool down in summer while drying quickly. This is how the famous T-shirt as we know it today was born. Its T-shape even gave it its name, literally "T-shirt".
FROM THE 1930S TO THE 1950S
From the 1930s onwards, the T-shirt entered fully into civil society with a first foray into the world of sport in the United States where football players American quickly adopted it. It has the advantage of absorbing perspiration well compared to other textiles of the time and the shoulder seams support the players' shoulder pads to prevent irritation. From then on, the spread of the T-shirt is exponential and many American companies like Fruit of the Loom, Roebuck, Hanes begin to market T-shirt models. Its low price at the time (24 cents/piece) makes its success even faster. new models appear with more or less short sleeves and wider necklines. During the Second World War, American sailors continued to wear the T-shirt and the green color indicating belonging to the military world spread in stores.
FROM THE 1950s TO THE PRESENT DAY
It was in the 1950s that the T-shirt received a new spotlight when it was popularized on a very large scale by cinema and television. Walt Disney had souvenir T-shirts made and sold on a large scale with the image of Mickey Mouse . A famous American politician, Thomas Dewey, printed T-shirts with his slogan. In 1951, it was the turn of cinema to popularize this fashion accessory with the actor Marlon Brando who wore it very close to the body in the film "A Streetcar Named Desire". Four years later, it was another legendary actor of American cinema who gave a boost to t-shirt sales in the person of James Dean . We see it in particular in "Rebel Without a Cause" where the t-shirt truly becomes a cool clothes and popular. The 60s celebrated T-shirts with lettering, patterns, and all kinds of embellishments. It spread like wildfire in sports clubs, high schools, and universities. Nowadays, the T-shirt has become the textile piece the most widespread and most worn (by men, women or children) thus entering our customs and our daily lives. Depending on its color, its shape, the patterns, its material or even the way of wearing it, it is the reflection of our style and our personality.