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100 Years of T-shirts

Follow the T-shirt through different eras and watch how things became untucked.

1913

Launching an Icon

US Navy issues crewneck T-shirts to be worn under uniforms. An American icon is born.

Pictured: Exercises in North Africa, 1945
1920

T-shirt Hits the Dictionary

The word “T-shirt” is officially added to the Merriam-Webster dictionary. The definition of T-shirt is a collarless short-sleeved or sleeveless usually cotton undershirt; also: an outer shirt of similar design.
1932

Making It Fashionable

Students steal T-shirts from their own football team when the University of Southern California prints “Property of USC” on the athletes’ workout clothes.
1934

Hollywood Drops the Tee

Men everywhere follow Clark Gable’s lead in It Happened One Night. After revealing his bare chest, T-shirt sales plummet 75%.
1938

Only 24 Cents

Sears introduces a T-shirt for less than a quarter. Known as the “gob” or sailor shirt, it is proclaimed to be either an outer garment or an undershirt.
1942

Landing the Cover of a Magazine

The Air Corps Gunnery School logo is featured on one of the earliest printed T-shirts for the July 13^th cover of LIFE magazine.
1948

The First Political T-Shirt

New York Governor Thomas E. Dewey’s campaign presses “Dew-it-with-Dewey” for the 1948 presidential election.
1948

ARMY

Army follows the Navy by introducing the “Quarter Sleeve” shirt, keeping the boys in the Pacific theater cool in the tropical heat.
1950

The Mouse

Following the popularity of Mickey Mouse, a Miami-based T-shirt company, Tropix Togs, purchases the exclusive rights to print the figure on a shirt.
1951

Hollywood Boosts the Tee

The T-shirt gains popularity as an outer garment after heartthrob Marlon Brando wears one in A Streetcar Named Desire.
1959

Invention of Plastisol Ink

The invention of a durable, stretchy, and comfortable new ink, Plastisol, opens the door for more designs and screen-printing on T-shirts.
1960

Simplifying the Screen

The invention of the multi-color rotary screen-printing machine makes graphics on apparel less difficult and costly. The US screen-printing movement doubles.
1962

Marilyn Makes Screen Printing Famous

Andy Warhol’s famous print of Marilyn Monroe popularizes screen-printing in bright colors.
1969

Shirts Get Tie-Dyed

1969’s Woodstock positions tie-dye T-shirts as the voice for one’s individuality and the emblem for the era.
1971

Rolling Stones

Alternative album cover for one of the best rock albums of all time, The Rolling Stones’ Sticky Fingers, the “lick” graphic quickly becomes one of rock and roll’s most recognizable symbols.
1977

“I ♥ NY” Revitalizes City

In an almost eureka moment, designer Milton Glaser sketches “I ♥ NY” on a napkin and the logo appears on T-shirts soon after.
1978

Customization Rises

Iron-ons allow graphic images to make custom T-shirts on the spot. Sports teams, corporations and bands realize the power of custom T-shirts. The sports jersey has never looked better.

Pictured: The Cardinal Bar in Madison, Wisconsin
1983

D.A.R.E.

International Drug Abuse Resistance Education program spreads across the United States, providing sleep shirts for an entire generation of schoolkids.
1984

T-shirts as Protest

To overrule censoring of the Frankie Goes to Hollywood song “Relax,” label owner Paul Morley prints “FRANKIE SAY RELAX” on T-shirts.
1984

T-shirts for Charity

Raising money to aid famine relief in Ethiopia, “Feed the World” T-shirts are sold in conjunction with Band Aid’s 1984 single “Do They Know It’s Christmas?”
1990

Rocking Out

Inspired by grunge rockers, men wear old, unbuttoned flannel shirts over faded, un-washed T-shirts. This quickly becomes the fashion trend of the ‘90s.
1990

Hard Rock

In business since 1971, Hard Rock Café launches their signature T-shirt line. A collection of t-shirts from Cafes around the world becomes a must-have for the well traveled.
1991

Heat Sensitive Tees

The Hypercolor T-shirt, created in the ‘80s, reaches its all-time peak selling more than $50 million worth of shirts in a four-month period.
2000

Designing T-shirts Online

Two college friends start CustomInk in their apartment on a garish green sofa. The site quickly becomes the preferred site for designing custom T-shirts online.
2005

The Deep V

Fashion forward and knowing no gender, the deep V takes America by storm. From the Jersey Shore to Malibu, men everywhere are showing a bit more skin.
2011

A Broken Record

Sanath Bandara breaks the Guinness World Record for the “Most T-shirts Worn at Once” wearing 257.
2011

A Second Broken Record

Gildan takes the title for the world’s largest Tee. The 281-foot by 181-foot T-shirt is displayed in Nashville on June 11^th.
100th Birthday Celebration of the T-shirt!

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Celebrating an
American Icon

Pyschology of
the T-shirt

Jennifer Baumgartner, PsyD.
Author: You Are What You Wear

"Customized apparel is a way of expressing ourselves in a world where so much is mass-marketed. We want to be unique."
"At the same time, wearing a shirt custom made for your group is an identifier that you are part of the same clan. Throughout history, humans have dressed alike to indicate a bond. Much like tribal costumes or coats of arms, custom t-shirts give people a sense of belonging."
"We’re more likely to bond with others when we share an emotional event with them. T-shirts from groups or occasions become a concrete representation of that emotion. We infuse a spirit of a memory or time in our lives to an inanimate object."

"In the Army Now" 1948

"Start It Up" 1971

"D.A.R.E. Gets Bold" 1983

"Free Speech on a Tee" 1984

"Changing for Charity" 1990

Long Live the T-shirt!

Join CustomInk in Celebrating the T-shirt's 100th Birthday.

100 Years of T-shirts

Follow the T-shirt through different eras and watch how things became untucked.

Launching an Icon

T-shirt Hits the Dictionary

Making It Fashionable

Hollywood Drops the Tee

Only 24 Cents

Landing the Cover of a Magazine

The First Political T-Shirt

ARMY

The Mouse

Hollywood Boosts the Tee

Invention of Plastisol Ink

Simplifying the Screen

Marilyn Makes Screen Printing Famous

Shirts Get Tie-Dyed

Rolling Stones

“I ♥ NY” Revitalizes City

Customization Rises

D.A.R.E.

T-shirts as Protest

T-shirts for Charity

Rocking Out

Hard Rock

Heat Sensitive Tees

Designing T-shirts Online

The Deep V

A Broken Record

A Second Broken Record

100th Birthday Celebration of the T-shirt!

Facts From The Clothesline

Support Our Service Members & Their Families

A Monumental T-shirt OccasionDeserves a Monumental T-shirt App!

A Monumental App for a Monumental Occasion!

Celebrating an American Icon

Pyschology of the T-shirt

Invite your friends with social media.

#TTURNS100 On Instagram

Fun On Facebook!

#TTURNS100 On Twitter

Facts From The Clothesline

Psychology of the T-shirt

Celebrating an American Icon

"In the Army Now"
1948

"Start It Up"
1971

"D.A.R.E. Gets Bold"
1983

"Free Speech on a Tee"
1984

"Changing for Charity"
1990

Support Our Service Members
& Their Families

A Monumental T-shirt Occasion
Deserves a Monumental T-shirt App!

Celebrating an
American Icon

Pyschology of
the T-shirt

Invite your friends
with social media.

#TTURNS100
On Instagram

#TTURNS100
On Twitter