Simple, versatile, sexy and tough (no man can refuse a white T-shirt)

When I wrote about the Henley collar before, many friends reported that it was difficult to control without muscles. Today, let’s have a brother’s version. What kind of clothes require no brain work, are versatile, easy to wear, and look good? The answer is men’s basic white T-shirt, a timeless classic. Girls always say they like boys who dress cleanly, and white T-shirts and jeans are probably what they feel like.

Don’t look at the white T-shirt with its simple design, but it will never go out of style. It can be said to be a T-shirt that spans age, gender, style and all year round. Even the famous fashion designer Giorgio

Armani once said: “The first thing I put on when I get up every day is a white T-shirt, and the last thing I take off every night is also a white T-shirt.” In 1975, the fashion magazine “ELLE” predicted that white T-shirts would be Items that will never go out of fashion. Let’s put it this way, the most stylish boys around me wear one underneath in the winter.

In fact, the prototype of the white T-shirt originated from underwear. At the earliest, there was an underwear company in the United States called Cooper
Underwear
Company, founded in 1876, they mainly use knitting machines to produce soft cotton one-piece underwear. In 1904, they began to disassemble the upper and lower halves, remove the buttons, and develop a two-piece underwear, in which the top part was closer to the modern white T. At that time, there was also a proper name for the top part called: Bachelor’s
Undershirt.

Bachelor means bachelor, and is designed for single men who have no partner and no family. Because they usually don’t know how to sew, if a bra button breaks they don’t know how to mend it. And the top without buttons is easy to put on and take off. By 1938, a product called Gob Shirt appeared, which was the prototype of modern white T-shirts.

Later, the commander of the U.S. Navy saw this unbuttoned underwear advertised and thought it was very practical! So all navy soldiers were informed: “We don’t want buttons on the underwear inside our work uniforms.” When working, they only wear a round-neck, short-sleeved white T-shirt, and on formal occasions, they put on a uniform outside.

During World War II, the simple and neat Gob
The shirt became one of the British military uniforms and also the standard underwear of the U.S. Navy. After the war, veterans returned to their hometowns and still wore this Gob
Shirt, it looks good enough to wear. Workers in their hometown also followed suit. Since then, white T-shirts have transformed from underwear to “outerwear.” These classic white T-shirts are sold in famous American retail stores Hanes and Fruit of
The sale of the Loom has changed the perception of its humble beginnings.

This is not a simple transformation. We know that wearing clothes is closely related to respectability. What clothes are worn on certain occasions, and even wearing clothes also represents class. If you go out wearing underwear, it is the same as not wearing any clothes. It is disrespectful and impolite. Therefore, it is still a big step for white T-shirts to be recognized as outerwear.

There are two theories about how the name T-shirt came about. One is that in 1920 the famous writer F.
Scott
In the novel “Heaven on Earth”, Fitzgerald used the word T-shirt for the first time when he wrote about what clothes the characters in the novel brought to boarding school because the clothes lay flat like a T. Since then, T-shirts have been used to this day and have begun to extend from workers to students, becoming a symbol of youthful vitality. In the 1930s, the University of Southern California football team was the first to use white T-shirts as their athletes’ uniforms, and other universities followed suit.

There is also a theory that in the mid-17th century, dock workers carrying tea in American ports would wear this kind of short-sleeved work clothes. Because Tea and Tee are homophonic, T-Shirt became a It has been passed down to this day. In short, white T-shirts have gone through the working class, military supplies, and student groups and begun to move towards a broader fashion circle.

White T-shirts really became popular in the 1950s. It is said that the production of T-shirts in the United States reached 200 million pieces. It was the golden age of Hollywood stars and the earliest fashion icons. Whatever they wore in movies would be imitated. In the movie “A Streetcar Named Desire”, Marlon
Brando Marlon BrandoShe is wearing a white T-shirt, and her every move reveals strong male hormones, which is so sexy that it makes people confused and fascinated.

After that, James Dean also wore a white T-Shirt in “Rebel Without a Cause”, paired with jeans and sunglasses, which looked very masculine.

All the male idols were wearing it, and they were wearing it so sexy and handsome that white T-shirt and jeans became the standard match for men at that time. Throw on a cool leather jacket and you’re a sexy knight for girls.

Later, the male idols in movies and TV series basically continued this dressing routine. A T-shirt is a must-have for tough guys. For example, in the classic movie “Cry-Baby” in the 1990s, the bad boy played by Johnny Depp gave a unique flavor to the white T-shirt.

Since the 1990s, white T-shirts have become the main force of fast fashion and have even been favored by major brand designers. From fast fashion brands, street fashion brands to luxury fashion brands, white T-shirts are designed and released almost every season. Because it is basically simple, but also because of its complex origins, it incorporates spontaneity and various cultures. A white T-shirt can represent the working class, rebellious young people, a bohemian tough guy, or a sexy male god.

Moreover, white T-shirts can be paired with endless possibilities. A pure white T-shirt can be worn outside or inside, paired with leather jackets, sweaters, jackets, shirts and other tops. It is the most photographed item in street photography, and everyone has at least one in their wardrobe.

But the white T-shirt is not that simple. Although they look “exactly the same” on the surface, different fabrics, weaves, weights and cuts can create different textures, and every small design can show people’s taste and charm.

For example, the texture of the fabric directly affects the temperament of the entire T-shirt! Of course, the basic function must be sweat-absorbent and breathable. Secondly, the weight determines the thickness of the T-shirt. If you like a strong retro feel, you can choose one with a weight of 210-280 grams. Craftsmanship is also important. The necklines of retro T-shirts mostly use ribbed collars to ensure that the necklines are elastic. The ribs and body are usually fixed with two or three needles to prevent deformation.

If you are more particular, you can choose barrel weaving, which is a traditional weaving method. When you go to a vintage store, most T-shirts from the 1980s and 1990s are like this. Weaving method. Because it is weaved in a wheel shape, the body of the garment is seamless. Generally, T-shirts have the front and back pieces sewn together.

Since there are no seams, the barrel-woven T-shirt is seamless and comfortable to wear, and the fabric is soft and feels good. Due to the extremely slow weaving speed, only one meter can be woven in an hour. The low tension makes the fabric less likely to deform, so the output is low and the price is expensive.

In addition, basic white T-shirts also include Crew Neck, V Neck, etc. You need to choose a suitable style based on personal preference, temperament, and face shape.

No matter how the trend is updated, white T-shirt will always be people’s favorite. It is no exaggeration to describe it as one that everyone has. And various brands have never stopped exploring white T-shirts. As for which brands to recommend, it’s actually a bit difficult. Because every brand is producing, every season. However, we can also chat and communicate.

For example, Lady White Co., a Los Angeles brand established in 2015, is famous for its white T-shirts that are 100% made in the United States. The founder, Phillip Proyc, is a super fan of white T-shirts, and the brand’s main sources of inspiration are the military and the base T-shirts of American athletes from the 1930s to the 1970s.

British retro brand Nigel
Cabourn has launched a product called 3 Pack
GYM’s solid-color short-sleeved suit comes in white and navy blue. The three different styles are made with textile technologies from different eras. Including round-neck Tee made with the oldest mechanical weaving method in 1830, V-neck Tee made with textile technology in 1950, and high-neck Tee made with weaving method in 1990. Each product is labeled with the thread count, fabric used and origin.

There is also a shop called #FFFFFFT in Tokyo, Japan, which only sells white T-shirts and is open for half a day every Saturday afternoon. The shop owner is also the “ultimate lover of white T-shirts” and collects all kinds of white T-shirts from lingerie stores, fast fashion stores to luxury brand stores. Here you can find a wide variety of white T-Shirts.

Okay, that’s it for this issue. In the next issue, I will introduce Henley shirts and T-shirt brands comprehensively and in detail. You don’t need to ask me where to buy them.