T shirts history

The history of T shirts is long and varied with great historical reconances and an infamy and political edge that has not been seen in any other item of clothing! The T shirt is a political tool as much as a something to cover your nudity - through out the history of T shirts they have been used to place important and lilfe changing messages into the public domain.

T shirts history begins with the industrial revolution in England and the rise of international trade. Before then people wore clothes hand stitched from locally sourced materials, and had no predeliction for slogan T shirts or any design on their clothes. Being alive was the important indicator of health and to this end clothes were made for warm and life giving properties. Whilst garments existed that had short sleeves, they bore no resemblance to what we call a T shirt and so are generally excluded from T shirts history on the basis of not having all the qualities now associated with a T shirt.

After the industrial revolution mass production became a possibility and T shirt history grew exponentially. Although the cotton for the bulk manufacture of T shirts came orginally from the Americas, it was in Europe that the T shirt history develops first. After much experimentation cotton was found to be the ideal material for underwear, and T shirts were made from this to prevent the harder, rougher outer clothing from itching the wearer. Immediately the t shirt contributed to an easier, more fitted wardrobe, but it remained resolutely and undergarment and was only seen in public on washing lines and at the back of clothing establishments.

By the 20th century men in manual work could be seen wearing T shirts during the hot summer days in Southern European countries, though in America the vest still ruled supreme. It was when united States army personnel came to Europe in the first half of the 20th century that they were introduced en masse to the T shirt and saw in it a lightweight yet relaxed item that could be worn in mixed company - which a vest could not be. Even today the vest struggles to gain the acceptance that the T shirt has enjoyed for most of it's long history.

T shirts history takes off when the World Wars are over and Anglosaxon culture is being taken round the world as part of the cold war. Having been an item of underwear the T shirt is grasped with open arms by the population of Western and wannabeWestern nations and it has never looked back.

extract from 'I love T shirts' by Jonathan Powell

The history of T shirts

Find out about the history of T shirts here and discover an intriguing story!

T shirts are not just an item of clothing, they are a mobile billboard that makes the street into the world's biggest art gallery!

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