T-shirts and t-shirts and tees
So, who invented the T-shirt?
Once upon a time in merrie olde England, in a rustic cottage in a small village in winter time, a husband felt chilled and called to his wife, “Old woman, bring me some hot tea, bring me my Fokking shirt (he had been on the nerdball team at ‘Fokk University’ – see my hub), and throw another log on the fire – NOW!” His wife, tired of his constant orders and miserable attitude, threw his shirt at him and then threw the cup of tea all over his favorite shirt. Ergo, the “tea-shirt” was born. There are also rumors she beat him about the head with the fireplace log but they are unsubstantiated. As is this anecdote.
Well, we don’t really know who invented T-shirts. But we do know that T-shirt history began with the Industrial Revolution in England and the subsequent increase in international trade. Before that time, folks wore clothes that were hand-sewn from materials available locally. They had no desire to wear political pontifications, suggestive slogans or any other denigrating designs on their undershirts which had short sleeves but looked nothing like what we call a T-shirt today.
Union suits either $1 or 80 cents
Early T-shirts
In Europe, cotton was discovered to be the ideal material for underwear, and garments made from soft cotton prevented harder and rougher outer clothing from scratching the tender skin of the wearer. The cotton used to manufacture them came originally from America. But they remained an undergarment and were only seen in public on clothes lines.
The T-shirt evolved from undergarments used in the 19th century, by cutting the one-piece "union suit" underwear into separate top and bottom garments, with the top long enough to tuck under the waistband of the bottoms. T-shirts, the tops, with and without buttons, were adopted by miners and laborers as convenient comfortable clothing for hot environments.
By the 20th century, workers in Southern European countries were wearing T-shirts during the hot summer days, but in America the vest still ruled supreme. It was when United States army personnel came to Europe in the first half of the 20th century that they were introduced to the lightweight cotton T-shirt.
T-shirt Tidbit: The word, T-shirt, did not become an official word until the 1920s when it was first included in Webster's Dictionary.
The T-shirt evolved from undergarments used in the 19th century, by cutting the one-piece "union suit" underwear into separate top and bottom garments, with the top long enough to tuck under the waistband of the bottoms. T-shirts, the tops, with and without buttons, were adopted by miners and laborers as convenient comfortable clothing for hot environments.
By the 20th century, workers in Southern European countries were wearing T-shirts during the hot summer days, but in America the vest still ruled supreme. It was when United States army personnel came to Europe in the first half of the 20th century that they were introduced to the lightweight cotton T-shirt.
T-shirt Tidbit: The word, T-shirt, did not become an official word until the 1920s when it was first included in Webster's Dictionary.
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