Article Directory
Free Online Article Directory. For Article Authors & Publishers

Why Does America Love T-Shirts?

It has been love at first sight since the first t-shirts were handed out to sailors during the Spanish-American War, it has been a serious case of love at first sight. Lightweight, cool, comfortable, and cheap to produce: t-shirts have been part of American fashion almost as long as America has been, well…America.

The modern t-shirt as we know it didn’t start out looking like it does today. The grandfather of the t-shirt was something called a “union suit”. You may have heard of it as “long johns” or just “long drawers”. These undergarments where used primarily as a thermal layer under the clothing to keep the air next to the skin warm with insulation. It wasn’t until the late 1800’s that people began separating the union suit into two pieces and wearing them as two different articles of clothes. This improvised undershirt became the father, or the precursor, to the modern t-shirt.

The t-shirt was originally meant to be used as a type of underwear since it’s earliest inception. Always very popular with the working class, it was used primarily with men in very labor-intensive jobs. Farmers, miners, dock workers, and sailors all made use of the earliest examples of the t-shirt. It became more and more common for people to strip off the outer layers of clothing during the warmer months and to just wear the t-shirt undergarment. This proved to be much more comfortable than wearing several layers of clothing, as was the custom of the time.

It was probably these very same working class people that Naval Officials saw working at the docks when they decided to include t-shirts as part of the required uniform of U.S. Navy personnel during the Spanish-American War. Just like the working-class laborers before them, the U.S. Navy seamen found that working in just their t-shirts was far more comfortable than full dress uniform or even shirtless. The t-shirts added all of the cooling comfort of less clothing, but still afforded a sense of modesty and protection from the sun’s rays.

It was only a matter of time before the t-shirt infiltrated American fashion after it gained a foothold amongst the Naval servicemen and the common working class. It was hard to resist wearing a garment that provided such comfort when the clothing options of the time were so heavy and sweltering. It was seen as a form of rebellion all the way up to when Marlon Brando made it popular with the film “A Streetcar Named Desire”. Every Hollywood rebel stereotype seemed to prefer a solid white t-shirt from that moment forward, from James Dean to “The Lost Boys.”

America loves t-shirts because America loves freedom. T-shirts are a subtle embodiment of that American tradition. They offer comfort and a sense of casual flair that was missing from American fashion before the t-shirt burst onto the scene in the 1950’s. Even that sense of rebellion is preserved now that printed t-shirts are now extremely popular. Rock bands, poplar brands, and even Disney have long since capitalized on the popularity of the t-shirt as a means of advertisement. Funny and offensive t-shirts are the new rebellion amongst today’s youth. Yes, I believe it is safe to say that America does indeed love the t-shirt.

Author Resource:- Funny T-shirts, Novelty T-shirts
Submitted 2010-09-08 20:54:28
By: Albert Baker 99 or more times read
Article Read 122 Times
Article From
Article Listed
[Valid RSS feed]  Albert Baker's Author Feed
http://www.articlelisted.com/author-rss-feed.php?rss=7851
[Valid RSS feed]  Category Rss Feed
http://www.articlelisted.com/rss.php?rss=134

Related Articles

  • One Hitter – Try It Out


    Smokers like to have it in all kinds and in various types. There are the pipes, there are the bubblers, the dugout bats, grinders – you name them, and you would have them all.
  • Metal Smoking Pipes – Choice and Economy


    People are never the same – their personalities, their backgrounds, their styles and their lifestyles are all different, and so are their choices.
  • Glass Pipes – Stylish and Inspiring


    Glass pipes have remained among the most interesting pieces of collection to art lovers, and a source of pride to users.
  • Glass Bubblers – Style in Colours


    There is something about glass bubblers that makes people get latched on to it, going all out to possess a few pieces that look more in the lines of being artistically significant.
  • Glass Bubblers – For the Connoisseurs


    If you are one who is inspired by art and moved by design, you wouldn’t want to miss out on the awe inspiring glass bubblers.
  • Commercial Carpet Cleaners for Removing Stains From Auto Upholstery


    Vehicle upholstery stains occur very easily and often, and one calls for the finest commercial carpet cleaners to eliminate stains and odors from carpets and upholstery. Automobile seats, floor rugs, cushions, and other upholstery inside the vehicle really should be cleaned on a normal basis to avoid fungal growth, odors, and pest infestation. The best choice is to acquire a commercial carpet cleaner with a high pressure level and suction power. These machines are made for commercial use, and they offer numerous benefits over low-end carpet cleaning machines:
  • Nutrition and Water to Stay Body Beautiful


    If your name is not Dorian Grey chances are you won't remain beautiful and young forever. In reality there is no elixir of youth, but following some of these tips and tricks will help you stay beautiful a lot longer than the average person. Best of all they don't come with an ugly portrait full of dark secrets.
  • Why Illusion Mage is Better


    This article investigates how the Illusion Mage software compares to the frontrunners of the 3D computer animation field. Read the following quick Illusion Mage Comparison page to find out if perhaps this computer software is right for you.
  • The Astonishing Apple Ipad 2 Programs Featuring


    The face-time software continues to be put into the iPad2 which enables video talking. Apple has added two cameras within the iPad2. The leading VGA camera getting an answer of 640 x 480 pixels is supposed for video chat.
  • Make Gourmet Coffee Latte With A Delonghi Mill and Brew Automatic Coffee Brewer


    Delonghi grind and brew coffee machines make the perfect tasting coffee or espresso because the coffee beans are milled only seconds before they are freshly brewed. For authentic tasting coffee whether it be drip filter coffee or cappuccino, freshly grind coffee beans is the key ingredient for full flavor coffee with that strong aroma of fleshly brewed coffee or espresso .

HTML Ready Article. Click on the "Copy" button to copy into your clipboard.




Firefox users please select/copy/paste as usual
Actions
Print This Article
Add To Favorites


Navigation
select
Home
select
Sign up
select
Login
select
Submit Articles
select
Submission Guidelines
select
learn more
select
Top Articles
select
About Us
select
Contact Us
select
Privacy Policy
select
RSS Feeds
   
Submit Your Articles To Our Other Article Directory
Morefreeinformation.com