T-shirt

A T-shirt (sometimes written as tee shirt or just tee) gets its name from the T-like shape formed by its body and sleeves. The classic version has short sleeves and a round, collarless neckline called a crew neck. These shirts are usually made from lightweight, stretchy, inexpensive fabric that’s simple to wash. They began as 19th-century undergarments and, by the middle of the 1900s, had shifted into everyday casual wear.

Most T-shirts are made from cotton, knitted in a stockinette or jersey style that gives them a noticeably soft, pliable feel compared to woven fabrics. Some modern versions are produced as a continuous tube on a circular knitting machine, so the torso has no side seams. Manufacturing is now highly automated, sometimes using lasers or water jets to cut the fabric. Because they’re cheap to produce, T-shirts are a staple of fast fashion, with around two billion sold globally each year—the average person in Sweden buys nine annually. Production can be environmentally demanding, especially for cotton, which requires large amounts of water and pesticides.

Simple T-shaped tops have existed since ancient times, often called tunics. The modern T-shirt evolved from 19th-century undergarments: the one-piece union suit was split into separate top and bottom pieces, with the top long enough to tuck in. Miners and stevedores adopted these buttonless or buttoned tops for hot work environments. In 1913, the U.S. Navy issued them as white, crew-necked, short-sleeved cotton undershirts for wear under uniforms. Sailors and Marines in hot climates, on early submarines, or in work parties often removed their uniform jackets, leaving only the undershirt visible. The shirts soon became a common bottom layer for workers in agriculture and other industries. They were easy to fit, clean, and cheap, making them the go-to shirt for young boys, who wore them in various colors and patterns. The term “T-shirt” entered American English by the 1920s and appeared in the Merriam-Webster Dictionary.

During the Great Depression, T-shirts were the default for farm and ranch chores and any situation needing lightweight coverage. After World War II, Navy men wore them as undergarments, but veterans increasingly paired them with uniform trousers as casual wear. The 1950s pushed them into fashion after Marlon Brando wore one in *A Streetcar Named Desire*, cementing their status as standalone outerwear. Boys wore them for chores and outdoor play, which helped popularize them as general-purpose casual clothing. Printed T-shirts appeared by 1942, when an Air Corps Gunnery School shirt made the cover of *Life* magazine. In the 1960s, printed shirts became a medium for self-expression, advertising, protests, and souvenirs. Today, T-shirts come in countless designs and fabrics, including crew-neck and V-neck styles, and are among the most commonly worn garments. They’re especially popular for branding and merchandise because they’re cheap to make and buy.

Originally undershirts, T-shirts are now often worn as the only top-layer garment, sometimes with a brassiere or, rarely, a vest. They’ve become a canvas for self-expression and advertising, displaying any combination of words, art, and photographs. The standard length reaches the waist, but variants include V-necks, tall-T shirts (popular in hip hop fashion, extending to the knees), and T-shirt dresses that can be worn without pants. Long T-shirts are also used as nightgowns. In the 1990s, tight, cropped T-shirts called crop tops became a trend, revealing the midriff. Another style involves layering a short-sleeved T-shirt over a long-sleeved one in contrasting colors. Tight-fitting versions are known as fitted, tailored, or baby doll T-shirts. The rise of social media and video sharing sites led to DIY tutorials on modifying old T-shirts into new, fashionable forms.

Since the 1960s, T-shirts have flourished as personal expression. Screen-printed shirts became a standard marketing tool for major American brands like Coca-Cola and Mickey Mouse in the 1970s. They’re also used to commemorate events or make political or personal statements. From the 1990s onward, companies of all sizes have produced T-shirts with their logos as part of advertising campaigns. Since the late 1980s and especially the 1990s, T-shirts featuring prominent designer logos have been popular, particularly among teens and young adults, letting them show off brand taste inexpensively.