| T-shirts in the 80's were a statement to all who saw | | | | style of the 80's t-shirts and with very different |
| them. Some were statements about a teen's | | | | designs adorning their surfaces. Vintage shirts can be |
| favorite rock band or their favorite movie. Others | | | | found online and from thrift shops around the |
| became a personality statement with their whimsical | | | | country. As their owners would gradually outgrow |
| and sometimes funny sayings. As they began their | | | | their memorabilia, it would be given as charity to |
| reign over other forms of apparel, they were made | | | | thrift shops to help clothe the less fortunate. Others |
| primarily with appliques that were steam pressed | | | | would simply retain theirs in hopes of finding a |
| onto the surface of a fabric. This made a great | | | | collector that was looking for that specific design. |
| looking shirt but after numerous times in the washer | | | | Many collectors don't really care whether they will fit |
| and dryer, the appliques would begin to bubble, | | | | them or not, they purchase them to hang as |
| stiffen and peel from the fabric ruining the looks as | | | | memories of better times. |
| well as the memory of the design. | | | | Some collectors will pay very good money for one |
| A short time after manufacturers discovered they | | | | shirt that they are missing in a set. For instance, |
| were on to a successful product, someone | | | | "Dead Heads" collected t-shirts from all of the |
| determined it would be cheaper and easier to screen | | | | Grateful Dead's concerts. Missing one of their |
| print the designs and the designs would last much | | | | concerts meant they would have to try to find |
| longer than appliqués. Screen printing a shirt | | | | someone who had purchased a shirt from that |
| allowed them to make numerous t-shirts of the same | | | | specific concert in order to complete their collection. |
| kind without purchasing more products to do them. It | | | | Finding that specific t-shirt became a quest and they |
| allowed them to mass produce them at a lower cost | | | | would pay almost anything to obtain it. |
| and greater profits. | | | | Whether you are a collector or simply love the 80's |
| Vacations were made extra special with the purchase | | | | t-shirts, you can find just about any style, design and |
| of souvenir t-shirts that would commemorate their | | | | color online. Many people value these shirts and only |
| time in a special place or with a special person. Band | | | | part with them after wrestling with their adulthood. |
| t-shirts began taking off to promote teen's favorite | | | | The 80' may have been a happy time for many but |
| band that they had seen in concert and cartoon | | | | for the t-shirt industry it was only the beginning. The |
| characters adorned the fronts of children and adult's | | | | industries success with this funky apparel became |
| chests. People were proud to wear these stylish | | | | one of the longest trends in history. Who knows, |
| clothes and would pay good money to purchase | | | | hanging on to your old t-shirts could start another |
| them. | | | | trend in about 30 more years. |
| Today these same t-shirts can be purchased in the | | | | |