T-shirt (or tee shirt) is a shirt, usually buttonless, collarless and pocketless, with a round neck and short sleeves, pulled on over the head. There are also long-sleeved T-shirt and sleeveless T-shirt variants.
T-shirts were originally worn as undershirts. This still occurs, but T-shirts are now also frequently worn as the only piece of clothing on the top half of the body (except that women usually wear a bra beneath it).
A T shirt typically extends to the waist, although one fashion is for 'oversized' T-shirts. A more recent trend in women's clothing involves tight-fitting 'cropped' T-shirts that are short enough to reveal the lower abdomen including the belly button. T-shirt fashions include styles for men and women, and for all age groups, including baby, youth and adult sizes. T-shirts are often decorated with text and/or pictures.
T-shirts are manufactured by the textile industry. They are typically made of cotton or polyester fibers (or a mix of the two), knitted together in a jersey stitch that gives a T-shirt its distinctive soft texture.
Contents
[hide]
1 T-shirt history
2 T shirt decoration
3 Further reading
4 See also
5 External links


[edit]T-shirt history
The idea of the T shirt came to the USA during WWI when US soldiers noticed the light cotton undershirts European soldiers were using while the US soldiers sweated in their wool uniforms. Since they were so much more comfortable they quickly became popular among the Americans, and because of their design they got the name T-shirt. During WWII the T-shirt had become standard issue underwear in both the US army and navy.
After WWII the T-shirt started appearing without a shirt covering it. John Wayne, Marlon Brando and James Dean all wore them on national TV. At first the public was shocked but by 1955 it had become acceptable. The T-shirt became cool when James Dean wore it in the film Rebel Without A Cause.


[edit]T-shirt decoration

T shirts with bold slogans were popular in the UK in the 1980s
In the 1960s people started to tie-dye and screen-print the basic T-shirt and variants such as the tank top, wife beater, muscle shirt, scoop neck, V-neck etc. became popular.
Since then Tee shirts have become an accepted medium for self-expression and advertising, with any imaginable combination of words, art and even photographs on display.
Other methods of decoration used on T-shirts include airbrush, applique, embroidery, and the ironing on of either flock lettering, heat transfers, or Dye sublimation transfers. Laser printers are capable of printing on plain paper using a special Transfer Toner containing sublimation dyes which can then be permanently heat-transfered to T-shirts.
In the 1980s, thermochromatic dyes were used to produce T-shirts that changed colour when subjected to heat. This brand of T-shirt, Global Hypercolour, was a common sight on the streets of the UK for a few years, but has since mostly disappeared. These kind of T-shirts are still being produced, however, and are available to buy over the internet.
Since the late 1980s and especially the 1990s, T-shirts with prominent brand-name logos have been popular, especially with teenagers and young adults. These garments allowed consumers to flaunt their taste in designer brands in an inexpensive way, in addition to being decorative. While critics claim that wearing such logos serve only to advertise for clothing designers without being paid, brand-name T-shirts remain popular. Examples: Calvin Klein, FUBU, Ralph Lauren, The Gap
The late 1990s saw the renewed popularity of T-shirts with simple slogans and designs. The trend was most visible in 2004 when popularized by celebrities such as Britney Spears and Paris Hilton. Also notable that year was the popularity of political slogans and messages on T-shirts, coinciding with a presidential election.

A T-shirt (or tee shirt) is a shirt, usually buttonless, collarless and pocketless, with a round neck and short sleeves, pulled on over the head. There are also long-sleeved T-shirt and sleeveless T-shirt variants.
T-shirts were originally worn as undershirts. This still occurs, but T-shirts are now also frequently worn as the only piece of clothing on the top half of the body (except that women usually wear a bra beneath it).
A T shirt typically extends to the waist, although one fashion is for 'oversized' T-shirts. A more recent trend in women's clothing involves tight-fitting 'cropped' T-shirts that are short enough to reveal the lower abdomen including the belly button. T-shirt fashions include styles for men and women, and for all age groups, including baby, youth and adult sizes. T-shirts are often decorated with text and/or pictures.
T-shirts are manufactured by the textile industry. They are typically made of cotton or polyester fibers (or a mix of the two), knitted together in a jersey stitch that gives a T-shirt its distinctive soft texture.
Contents
[hide]
1 T-shirt history
2 T-shirt decoration
3 Further reading
4 See also
5 External links


[edit]T-shirt history
The idea of the T-shirt came to the USA during WWI when US soldiers noticed the light cotton undershirts European soldiers were using while the US soldiers sweated in their wool uniforms. Since they were so much more comfortable they quickly became popular among the Americans, and because of their design they got the name T-shirt. During WWII the T-shirt had become standard issue underwear in both the US army and navy.
After WWII the Tee shirt started appearing without a shirt covering it. John Wayne, Marlon Brando and James Dean all wore them on national TV. At first the public was shocked but by 1955 it had become acceptable. The T-shirt became cool when James Dean wore it in the film Rebel Without A Cause.


[edit]T-shirt decoration

T-shirts with bold slogans were popular in the UK in the 1980s
In the 1960s people started to tie-dye and screen-print the basic T-shirt and variants such as the tank top, wife beater, muscle shirt, scoop neck, V-neck etc. became popular.
Since then T-shirts have become an accepted medium for self-expression and advertising, with any imaginable combination of words, art and even photographs on display.
Other methods of decoration used on T shirts include airbrush, applique, embroidery, and the ironing on of either flock lettering, heat transfers, or Dye sublimation transfers. Laser printers are capable of printing on plain paper using a special Transfer Toner containing sublimation dyes which can then be permanently heat-transfered to T-shirts.
In the 1980s, thermochromatic dyes were used to produce T-shirts that changed colour when subjected to heat. This brand of T-shirt, Global Hypercolour, was a common sight on the streets of the UK for a few years, but has since mostly disappeared. These kind of T-shirts are still being produced, however, and are available to buy over the internet.
Since the late 1980s and especially the 1990s, Tshirts with prominent brand-name logos have been popular, especially with teenagers and young adults. These garments allowed consumers to flaunt their taste in designer brands in an inexpensive way, in addition to being decorative. While critics claim that wearing such logos serve only to advertise for clothing designers without being paid, brand-name T-shirts remain popular. Examples: Calvin Klein, FUBU, Ralph Lauren, The Gap
The late 1990s saw the renewed popularity of Tee shirts with simple slogans and designs. The trend was most visible in 2004 when popularized by celebrities such as Britney Spears and Paris Hilton. Also notable that year was the popularity of political slogans and messages on T-shirts, coinciding with a presidential election.