You can tell a lot about people just by looking at their T-shirts. Seriously. Take a mental inventory of the shirts you’ve collected over the years. They tell your story better than most autobiographies.
This wasn’t true with my father or grandfathers. The only T-shirts they owned were plain white Fruit of the Loom undershirts. Few people ever saw them because they were exactly that — undergarments. Fashion statement? Hardly. They were about as exciting as white socks.
That started changing about a century ago. The U.S. Navy began issuing T-shirts as undershirts with uniforms in 1913. Off duty, sailors and Marines often peeled off the outer uniform and wore only the T-shirt. Workers soon followed suit, appreciating a lightweight shirt that could survive a hard day’s labor. By the Great Depression, T-shirts had become standard attire for farmers, ranchers and laborers.
Then Hollywood stepped in. Marlon Brando famously wore a fitted T-shirt in “A Streetcar Named Desire,” turning an ordinary undershirt into a symbol of rugged cool. A generation later, Arthur “Fonzie” Fonzarelli proved you could wear a plain T-shirt under a leather jacket and instantly become the coolest guy in the neighborhood.
By the rebellious 1960s, T-shirts had evolved into wearable billboards. Protest slogans, company logos, vacation souvenirs and concert merchandise became common. Then came the memorable catchphrases. Remember “Frankie Say Relax”? Whether you understood it or not, somebody you knew likely owned the shirt.
Today, Americans spend more than $5 billion annually on T-shirts. That’s a lot of cotton and a staggering amount of questionable fashion decisions.
Incidentally, the T-shirt gets its name because, laid flat, it resembles the letter T. Not exactly the most creative naming process, but it stuck. The term entered American English in the 1920s and soon earned a place in the dictionary.
Now, think about what’s hanging in your closet. Your T-shirts reveal your favorite sports teams, schools, employers, vacation destinations, concerts, charities, races, restaurants and hobbies. They advertise the causes you support, the jokes you find funny and, occasionally, your questionable taste in humor. You may think you are a private person, but your laundry basket is quietly telling everyone otherwise.
In some ways, your dresser drawer says more about you than social media ever could. At least you know what’s in your dresser. What’s floating around on Facebook’s servers? That’s anyone’s guess.
Today’s T-shirts feature everything from inspirational quotes to political opinions to messages that should probably stay indoors. Will we ever return to the days when T-shirts were just plain white undershirts?
Don’t bet your shirt on it.
Have a fantastic Friday, and thanks for reading.
Shane Goodman
Editor and Publisher
Times Vedette digital newsletter
shane@gctimesnews.com
641-332-2707