by Mark Walters
t shirts have been around for generations, as everything from the daily uniform of those hard at work in manual labor, to the undershirt of white collar businessmen, to fashion statements adorned with the logos of the new, hottest uber chic casual-wear designer.
The t shirt is not, as most would likely assume, an American invention. Indeed there was a time in the history of the US when it not only did not have a name, but actually did not even exist as a staple of the American wardrobe.
The t shirt first was worn by American troops during WWI who, during an especially hot summer spent in Europe, realized that whereas they were dressed in the heavy wool of their uniforms, the European troops were wearing simple "T" shaped, cotton shirts with their uniforms' trousers. And while the Americans were struggling to find relief in their military garb, the Europeans seemed to be enjoying a relative degree of comfort.
Despite the path of introduction into the US the t shirt traveled, it was still not even considered an actual word by the Webster's dictionary until the early 1920s. Still viewed only as an undergarment and nothing more, it would be more than thirty years before it would finally receive its starring role as Hollywood legends John Wayne and James Dean both chose to wear a simple t shirt in what would turn out to be landmark roles in each of their careers.
Given the t shirt's dominance in fashions and trends today, it is difficult to fathom a time when it was not available as a man or woman's most simplistic go-to wardrobe choice. Today there are entire forums set up for the single purpose of discussing the many specialist t shirt artists who exist; there are entire companies built on the back of their success in tailoring the perfect, silky-soft and comfy T. T shirts are now used as everything from sleepwear to billboards; fashion statements to clingy accoutrements meant to accentuate muscle tone, and everything in between. Perhaps one of the most taken for granted pieces of a person's wardrobe, the flexibility of form and color, fabric and style; worn with jeans or shorts, over swimsuits or under dress shirts, they have come a long way from that time when they did not even officially have a name.
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