History of the American T-Shirt
- By T-ShirtKing.com

At the beginning of the twentieth century, the T-Shirt quickly became an American favorite. Now, a century later, at the beginning of the twenty-first century, the T-Shirt remains as popular as ever.

The American T-Shirt began during WWI when American troops noticed European soldiers wearing a comfortable and lightweight cotton undershirt during the hot and humid European summer days. Compared to the wool uniforms that the American soldiers wore, these undershirts were cooler and more comfortable and they quickly caught on with the Americans. Due to their simple design, these shirts became known in the USA as "T" shirts or, as we know them now, "T-Shirts".

By the 1920's, "T-Shirt" had become an official word in the American English language with it's inclusion in Merriam-Webster's Dictionary. By W.W. II, both the Navy and the Army had included the T-Shirt as standard issue underwear.

Initially pegged as an undergarment, the T-Shirt soon came in to it's own on the big screen. John Wayne, Marlon Brando and James Dean all shocked Americans by wearing their underwear on national TV. In 1951, Marlon Brando shocked Americans in his film "A Streetcar Named Desire" when his T-Shirt was ripped off of his body revealing his naked chest.

By 1955, the T-Shirt was tolerated worn without another shirt covering it. Then James Dean made the T-Shirt real cool in "Rebel Without A Cause". James Dean made the T-Shirt a contemporary symbol of rebellious youth.

In the 60's people began to tie dye and screenprint the basic cotton T-Shirt making it an even bigger commercial success. Advances in printing and dying allowed more variety and the Tank Top, Muscle Shirt, Scoop Neck, V-Neck, and many other variations of the T-Shirt came in to fashion.

The T-Shirt was inexpensive, in style, and could make any statement you cared to print. The American T-Shirt came into it's own during the late sixties and seventies. Rock and Roll bands began to realize that they could make significant amounts of money selling their T-Shirts. Professional Sports caught on and soon the officially licensed T-Shirt became hot merchandise.

During the 80's and 90's the production of T-Shirts and the mechanics of printing on them increased the volume and availability. Soon the American T-Shirt was being called a commodity item in the apparel industry.

At the beginning of a new millennium, the t-shirt has entered cyberspace and is now about to become even bigger. The American T-Shirt is well built and it is made to be worn. The artwork symbolizes the cultural and social climate of our times. The printing is state of the art created by true craftspeople. The T-Shirt is a great product.

Comfortable, Casual, and Always in Style.

The staff at T-ShirtKing.com is proud to bring the American T-Shirt to a worldwide audience. We know that, with your help, T-ShirtKing.com can make fashion history.

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