It is true that T-shirts take pride of place in most anybody’s wardrobe nowadays, we see t-shirts in every corner of the world with a lot of variations and styles. Because of their simple and elegant features, t-shirts have become an inevitable part of modern fashions. But have you ever been curious why t-shirts are called t-shirts, not other names? Well, in this article, Printerval definitely clears up your query.
What is a T-shirt?
A T-shirt, also known as Tee shirt, refers to a style of fabric shirt. Previously, there was only a type of t-shirt called crew neck t-shirt which has short sleeves and a round neckline and lacks a collar. The materials to make t-shirts were the common fabrics that are stretchy, light, and inexpensive as well as easy to clean because, in the past, t-shirts were worn as undershirts.
From the 19th century to the mid 20th century, t-shirts underwent a significant evolution when they transitioned from undergarments to general-use casual clothing.
T-shirts are commonly produced from cotton textile in a stockinette or jersey knit, distinguishing with shirts made of woven cloth. Nowadays, the t-shirts’ manufacture has become highly automated and may include cutting fabric with advanced machines such as a laser and a water jet.
It does not cost arms and legs to produce or buy t-shirts, as a result, people call them “ fast fashion” which are manufactured and sold on a large scale, in comparison with other types of attire. For instance, it is estimated that there are two billion T-shirts sold in the United States annually and in Sweden, a person buys nine t-shirts a year on average.
Although fast and cheap production processes of t-shirts can be environmentally intensive, firms and producers always attempt to use friendly environmental materials to manufacture t-shirts nowadays.
T-shirts have never gone out of date and still contribute to the large consumption of fashions every year. In particular, custom t-shirts were created, giving t-shirts a great revolution for creators, manufacturers, and customers.
( Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/T-shirt)
What does the T in T-shirt mean?
You may wonder why Tee but not other letters. Well, look at the shape of any t-shirt and you can find the answer. A t-shirt includes a straight body and sleeves at the top, two main parts form the shape which looks like a letter T. Interestingly! But the term “ t-shirt” derives from its T-shape. The name seems too simple but in reality, simpleness works better sometimes.
Besides, the term t-shirt also underwent a long period of controversial history until it was officially named t-shirt. In the early time, the similar types of cotton undershirts worn prior to the t-shirts were all sleeveless varieties so were not really "t" shaped shirts, or t-shirts, at all.
How has the term “ t-shirt” changed over time?
T-shirts were used for the first time in 1913 by the United States Navy as underneath jumpers that would cover chest hair for their sailors. Singlets were worn by civilian men which were known as sleeveless undergarments. And the t-shirts produced for sale to civilians started in the late 30s by Hanes and Sears Roebuck.
It was not until 1938 that Fruit of the Loom began manufacturing mass proportions of the t-shirts. But at that time, t-shirts were called the "gob" shirt. The term “ gob” derives from the popular slang for a sailor in the United States Navy. In particular, Sears advertised the gob shirts as being suitable to wear as an outer garment rather than only as an undergarment in this decade.
Dying t-shirts appeared by military men when they used coffee grounding their shirts to make themselves better camouflaged. That facilitated the widespread use of standard green military t-shirts in American Marines and then the Army.
Most military members preferred the t-shirt shape for many reasons. Firstly, backpacks were more comfortable at the backs of the shoulders with the t-shirts on. Secondly, the sleeves allowed for better sweat absorption. And one more reason is the added sleeves protect shoulders from sunburn.
The use of t-shirts was increasingly popular when Marlon Brando wore a form-fitting t-shirt as an outer garment in "A Streetcar Named Desire'' and then James Dean and Elvis also gave the t-shirt a sexy new look and a tighter style. T-shirts were the clothing for both sexes in the 1950s. In the 1960s and 1970s, there was witnessing of the popularity of tie-dye t-shirts and the t-shirts printed with music and television stars.
Through many innovations and changes, the basic "t" shape of the shirts has still stayed the same whereas the length of sleeves, necklines, etc has diversified. T-shirts or Tee shirts, as an inevitable part of American culture today, never go out of date when it comes to fashions.
( Source: https://www.infobloom.com/what-does-the-t-is-t-shirt-stand-for.htm)
How many styles of t-shirts are there today?
We see t-shirts everywhere and with such popularity, they are diverse in terms of styles. Fashion constantly changes, there is no solid trend from year to year. As a result, a large number of t-shirts are created to meet the huge demand of customers. Here, Printerval lists some typical styles of t-shirts so that you can figure out what style you are owning.
Basic sleeve T-shirt
As one of the most simple styles in T-shirts, the basic half sleeve is a little close to the neck crew neckline. This style is also the most popular one and is widely used by both men and women for its easy fit to most people. The long sleeve Crew neck differs from the basic half-sleeve in terms of the length of sleeves. This style is suitable for outside wear.
Polo collar t-shirt
When talking about polo, we talk about t-shirts with collars. Polo collar t-shirts can be listed in other types of shirts but in general, they are still similar to t-shirts.
V-neck t-shirt
This style is also known as a Football Jersey which has a neck with a V shape, to distinguish it from the crewneck t-shirt.
Douchebag neck t-shirt (Scoop neck)
This style is mostly worn by men. The Douchebag neck t-shirt has a deep scoop neckline showing more of the body than a basic t-shirt would and could be accompanied by metal chains and shaved chest to complete the attitude.
Henley collar T-shirt
Baseball T-shirt
This style is widely called Raglan sleeve Tee. Baseball t-shirts are divided into half sleeves and long sleeves.
Where can I buy t-shirts?
With the booming of fashion brands, it is impossible to count how many t-shirts’ brands and shops there are. When facing too many choices, surely you will be confused because you can not determine what is the best one. At Printerval, we sell all styles of t-shirts at reasonable and stable prices, you can also receive many discounts when shopping at our shop. As a trusted brand of t-shirts, both ready-made and custom products, we sell our products to millions of customers with high insurance of quality, shipping, and return policy. Printerval presents in many countries in the world, sells t-shirts to customers, and brings them value and what they need.
You can start shopping for t-shirts right now on Printerval.com!
