The American T-Shirt

The American t-shirt has become one of the bestIn Southern California, drag racers first airbrushed
mediums for self-expression. Whether you statefancy flames and exotic lettering onto their t-shirts
what you feel in words or by displaying the logo ofbefore they eventually turned to decorating their hot
your favorite product or brand, your feelings arerod vehicles.
made known to all who see you. In fact, justHippies tied up the t-shirt with string or rubber bands,
wearing a t-shirt is a statement in and of itself.and then applied bright colored dyes to different
It is hard to trace the exact roots of the t-shirtsections, creating unique, eye-catching designs when
because there is little documented history of it. Thethe t-shirt was worn.
best way to track its existence is searching throughWearing just a t-shirt was fashionable until 1984
historical photographs.when the Miami Vice television show set the fashion
Legend has it that American soldiers envied theirworld atilt: Don Johnson wore a plain t-shirt under a
British counterparts uniforms during WW1.The Britishdesigner jacket for the more than casual look.
wore a white t-shirt as part of their uniform (theyThe first known use of the t-shirt as an advertising
had been wearing these t-shirts as part of theirmedium was in 1939 when Warner Bros. distributed a
military uniform since the late 1890's).Wizard of Ozt-shirt. Later, in the early 1950's, several
The soldier's pullover shirt had a round neck, shortMiami companies started decorating t-shirts with
sleeves, and fell to the waist. It did not have a collarDisney cartoon characters and resort names.
or any buttons. Made from lightweight cotton, it feltIn 1948, t-shirts made their first political statement
soft and comfortable on the skin. The t-shirt soakedwhen supporters of Thomas E. Dewey (who lost the
up the soldier's sweat, allowing more time betweenelection to Harry Truman) wore t-shirts that
laundering the heavy, wool uniform.proclaimed "Dew It For Dewey".
Although it is not known when the t-shirt actuallyThe advent of screen-printing onto t-shirts in the
became a part of the American fashion scene,1960's allowed for an inexpensive method of
Webster added "T-shirt" to its dictionary in 1920.self-expression. Eventually, it also became a
Moreover, in WW2 a 1942 cover of Life magazinemarketing tool for corporate America to advertise
depicted it as worn by the American military.their merchandise.
In 1951, Marlin Brando wore a plain, white t-shirt underThe professional sports associations officially licensed
a leather jacket for the first time in cinematic history.the use of their logos and names and a moneymaker
The movie was On The Waterfront. James Dean, inwas born. Rock and roll bands introduced the concert
the film Rebel Without A Cause, added a pack oft-shirt: a black shirt listing the concert tour they were
cigarettes rolled-up in one sleeve and became theplaying. Fans wore them long after the stated tour
fashion symbol of America's rebel youth.ended as proof of their devotion to the band.
At the end of the 1950's and in the beginning of theFrom a hand-written scrawl to a personal design
1960's, the conforming American middle-class wascreated on one's computer, Americans tell the world
exemplified by the Leave It To Beavertelevisionwhat they think with their t-shirts. Whether you are
show. In it, the boys wore a plain, white t-shirt undera political activist or a diehard Red Sox fan, a
their button-down plaid shirts. The counter-culturemother-to-be or a comic without a stage, the t-shirt
beatniks, however, (as shown on The Many Lovescan help you shout your passion to the world, and it
of Dobie Gillis television show) made the wearing ofcan do it inexpensively.
only a t-shirt their uniform.