T-shirt

Standard cotton T-shirt for summer clothing

A T-shirt or tee shirt is a kind of shirt which has short sleeves. These sleeves cover the shoulders and the top of the arm, but they do not cover the elbow or the forearm. T-shirts are usually made from cotton fabric or fabric which contains a mix of cotton and polyester. T-shirts are usually considered a casual type of clothing. Both men and women wear T-shirts in Western countries, such as the United States, Canada, England, and France. In some countries, such as Muslim countries, women do not wear T-shirts outside of the home.

T-shirts are cheap to make and sell a lot because of fast fashion.^[1] For instance, the U.S. sells two billion T-shirts each year. A person in Sweden typically buys nine T-shirts yearly. Making T-shirts can harm the environment, especially when using materials like cotton. Cotton uses a lot of water and pesticides.^[2]^[3]^[4]

Below are some different types of T-shirts:

Round neck: A round neck T-shirt is the most common style of neck. As the name says, the neck opening closely fitted to the contour of the neck.

V neck: The front neck drop of a v neck T-shirt is lower and converges to form a sharp v shape.

Crew neck: A crew neck T-shirt is almost the same as a classic T-shirt. The only difference being is that it doesn’t have a collar. This style of shirt was worn be rowers in the 1940s.

Graphic: Graphic T- shirts come in many shapes and sizes, including all of the aforementioned necklines. Any T-shirt with a graphic print on it is considered a graphic T-shirt. The style of shirt is extremely popular amongst brands and companies as they are used for marketing and promoting messages.

History

T-shaped clothes, called tunics, have been worn since ancient times. The modern T-shirt came from 1800s underwear. Workers wore them in hot places for comfort. In 1913, the U.S. Navy introduced T-shirts as underwear. They became popular with sailors, workers, and young boys because they were easy to wear and cheap. By the 1920s, the term "T-shirt" was in the American dictionary.^[5]^[6]

During the Great Depression, T-shirts were common work clothes. After World War II, Navy men wore them casually. Their popularity grew in the 1950s, especially after actor Marlon Brando wore one. Soon, they became everyday wear for many.^[7] By 1942, some T-shirts had prints on them, like one shown on a Life magazine cover. In the 1960s, people liked using printed T-shirts to express themselves, advertise, protest, or as keepsakes.^[8]^[9]^[10]