T-shirts are the most comfortable and preferred form of daily wear, and it remains fashionable, sustainable, and affordable, and it seems like it never got separated from its roots. The t-shirt is a crew-necked, t-shaped outfit that transformed into a vesture from being considered inner-wear. The story goes back to the 18th and 19th centuries when people used to wear jumpsuits while working, especially labourers.
The garment was called a ‘union suit’ then. However, people ended up cutting the one-piece garment into two and the top part was kept long so that it could be tucked in the pants. Perhaps the suits were uncomfortable to pee in. The same problems are faced by girls nowadays who wear jumpsuits. Even though this experiment gave us one more comfortable unisex vestment, it was a labour suit at that time that turned out to become daily wear during the Great Depression, when people had no choice except to wear it.
Printed t-shirts weren’t in fashion till the 60s. Cool printed apparel came in the 1960s. The credit goes to Michael Vasilantone, the American artist who first created printed t-shirts. Some clothing brands started producing one-color dyed t-shirts and printed their names on it. This technique was called screen printing and was done by blocking the damp-proof area to print something using a mesh and converted into ink onto a substrate. This was a branding strategy and then it gave way to new ‘hip-hop attire’. Now they are carried-off as a one-piece dress by girls and various designs are also available for boys, both printed and non-printed.
These days t-shirts include different styles like long-sleeved, pocket, baggy, hooded t-shirts. Then there are slim-fitted, muscle-fitted t-shirts for those who want to show off their flamboyant physique. The scoop-neck style gives off a kind of party vibe. Nowadays, Indo-western dolphin cut and side-slit t-shirts are new fashion statements.