A Journey Through T-Shirt Style: From the 1800s to Present-Day Trends

The Evolution of T-Shirt Style: A Journey Through Time

If there is one article of clothing every person in the world has in their wardrobe, it's the T-shirt.

So how did this closet staple make its way into our - well - closets? Here's a detailed T-shirt timeline!

The Humble Beginnings

• The earliest iteration of the T-shirt was first spotted in the 19th century, inspired by tunics and evolved from the undergarments widely used by miners and dockworkers.
• In 1904, Cooper Underwear Company ran an advertisement for buttonless undershirts. Their target market: single men who never learned how to sew.
• In 1913, the US Navy introduced white cotton undershirts with crewnecks and short sleeves as part of the official uniform.

The Golden Age of T-shirts

• In 1951, right after the war and amidst the Golden Age of Hollywood, actor Marlon Brando starred in the movie adaptation of the Broadway hit "A Streetcar Named Desire". He donned a T-shirt in one of the film's most iconic scenes, cementing its status as a stand-alone garment. Levi's also began manufacturing men's T-shirts in the same decade.
• In the 1960s, printed and statement T-shirts, including tie-dye designs, hit the racks as people got more comfortable with self-expression through clothing.

Era of (Fashion) Exploration

• In the 1970s, the T-shirt started branching out into different styles such as ringers, short cap sleeves, and ¾ baseball sleeves. Silkscreen printing also became more common, which gave way to wider design varieties and more affordable clothing.
• The 80s saw music bands and fashion brands such as Calvin Klein, Ralph Lauren, and American Apparel delving into T-shirt designing. Midriff shirts also rose to popularity in this decade, as well as pastel-colored gym T-shirts.

T-Shirt Takes Over Music

• The 90s music scene was filled with shirts, shirts, and more shirts. This carried on until the late 2000s, when wearing tall tees (oversized white T-shirts) also became the norm among hip-hop fans. Graphic band T-shirts continued to be at an all-time high.
• Meanwhile, the V-neck has also made its first appearance.

From Necessity to Luxury

• After successfully making its way through street and casual wear, the T-shirt infiltrated high fashion in the 2010s. High fashion houses began collaborating with streetwear brands - one of which is Louis Vuitton's former men's artistic director, Kim Jones, with skateboarding brand Supreme for its Fall 2017 collection.
• More T-hirt styles soon followed such as cropped T-shirts, baby T-shirts, and muscle tees.

The T-shirt has gone a long way from being a humble white undergarment. Now, it can carry your whole outfit and be the center of your ensemble. There's surely a style for everyone, and we don't see it leaving the OOTD line-up anytime soon.