T-shirts have been an integral part of the American fashion industry ever since it acquired its new and innovative image in the 1950s’ and at that time were treated as vehicles meant for promoting sociological and industrial causes. Most of the fashion trends are subject to change with the changing american flag shirts as well as the transforming mind-set of people of people all over the world and since it is not possible for everyone to buy new clothes every now and then, people often look for universal fashion options which would remain in vogue all through the year. The t-shirt easily fits the requirement which explains its wide popularity and unquestioning acceptance.
While the t-shirts in the 1950s’ were the forte of the young and the rebellious, they underwent an image makeover in the 1960s’ when improvements in the field of printing and dyeing resulting in printed and tie-dye cotton t-shirts which were preferred by people. The arrival of the 1970s’ heralded the introduction of the disco and the large and loose-fitting t-shirts were replaced by form-fitting and tight t-shirts which were worn in combination with tight pants and were considered as being particularly suitable for concert dancing. This version of the t-shirt had a romantic aspect as well when they were worn by men along with bell bottomed pants and shoes for attracting girls and while men wore rock concert t-shirts and tie-dye t-shirts, women generally combined the same with mini skirts and hot pants.
The 1980s’ witnessed a further change in this trend when iron-on t-shirts with stone washed jeans was the popular trend and was considered as being cool. The t-shirts which were popular during the 1990s’ usually had ‘Button Your Fly’ written on them and were combined with baggy and flare jeans. The turn of the century saw t-shirts being used as billboards for slogans which reflected one’s personal feelings and were usually available in dull colors and V-necks.
There are a number of reasons as to why t-shirts have always featured in the American fashion industry and one of the main reasons is that this particular apparel has a young feel about it due to which the wearer tends to feel younger than his years and hence connect well the upcoming generation. It is due to this reason that t-shirts have percolated through every social, cultural and economic level as style statements which are accepted not only in formal settings but even in rural and remote areas.
T-shirts as a part of the American fashion industry were unisex in nature when they were introduced but over a period of time, this trend changed and nowadays there are separate t-shirts for men and women. Since women today participate in a number of activities like sports, yoga, business, fashion and corporate meetings, a comfortable and stylish t-shirt serves as indispensable multi-purpose apparel which is available in a variety of designs. It is thanks to the American fashion industry that it offers the contemporary woman a number of options today with regards to t-shirts in terms of a wide range of fabrics, designs, color combination and styles.