We took a break from writing blog posts for a while, but we have decided to start again. We hope to bring you interesting blog posts about T-shirts, gifts another interesting facts we find.
We have been doing a bit of printing recently and it got us thinking about when all started. When did people start personalising T-shirts. So we did a bit of research. As explained in an earlier blog post T-shirts were originally worn as under shirts. Now they may be worn as the only piece of clothing on the top half of the body. They are used to express fashion tastes, show support, express opinions and generally to look cool.
In the early 1950s some companies in Florida in America started to decorate T-shirts. They used them to advertise different resorts and some featured Walt Disney characters such as Mickey mouse. Seeing the success of this, other companies began expanding into the T shirt printing business. The 1960s saw the emergence of tie dye and screen printing. After that the T-shirt became a medium for showing art, advertising and protest messages.
T-shirts became hugely popular as a way to show what kind of band and music you are interested in. You could show your love for your favourite band or artist and by wearing a T shirt with their faces or logo. An Elvis T-shirts from 1956 is the earliest example available. The Monkees were the first band to have their own
successful merchandising company. They sold T-shirts on their first U.S. tour in 1967 however the Beatles are said to have had T-shirts for sale three years earlier during their first tour of the United States in 1964. They sold one million T-shirts in the first three days of business. Many of these band T-shirts are now collectors’ items. Nowadays bands both big and small produce T-shirts for their fans to purchase. Many high street stores are now beginning to reproduce vintage band T-shirts, which just shows that they are still a hugely popular.
Beach T-shirts are also hugely popular in the 1940s and 1950s in the USA. They were marketed mainly at the surfing population. Most were advertising surfing companies or places to visit to surf. The featured Hawaii beaches and surfers enjoying waves. Many surfboard labels were born in the years following the 1950s.
Surfing was not the only sport to have many clothing labels. BMX and skateboarding also boasted many tee shirt designers. Skate shirts became popular in the 1970s and 1980s. The T-shirts showed a real skate punk crossover with electric colour and hardcore skulls. BMX racing began in the early 1970s and it was after that the BMX T-shirts became popular.
So you see from as early as the 1950s T-shirts was used to express interests and hobbies, loves and to advertise. Want to be in on the action? Why not visit http://www.foutees.com and personalize your own T-shirts. Show people what you’re interested in what you love. Express yourself! Thanks for reading and until next time have a great week.
Fou Tees 