Recently, I purchased a 3 pack of Jockey t-shirts. Yes, they were both plain AND white. This trifecta was also V-neck – more on THAT later. After the initial wash, I put one on and … . Ahh (deep sigh of contentment). It was a nice. One of those simple pleasures you often need to get through the day. Oh, I only do 100% cotton. That whole polyester blend shit just doesn’t work for me. Later that day, I logged in to work on my soup recipe and drafted the above title. Plain white tees deserved a post. Originally, I projected a nice Spring into Summer entry. But the idea lingered. Since, I had an appropriate musical group AND video short prepared, I decided not to wait.
plain
I was never really a fan of the graphic tee. My kids, yes. Me, no. Though when I was young, I had a t-shirt with the famous Farrah Fawcett bathing suit pose decal printed on the front. It was my favorite. Honestly, I think it was every adolescent AND adult male’s favorite. Then AND now.
When I went to college, I would swap Iowa t-shirts with friends at schools across the country. Back then, you could also call various university 1-800 numbers to inquiry about admissions. The institution would actually send you a t-shirt FOR FREE. True story.
white
Simple. Neutral. Classic. Three words that best describe this article of clothing. To keep mine looking that way, I use bleach, baby. Oh, my whites are washed in hot water, too. As I age, gray and black are becoming more popular in my wardrobe. Be that as it may, the PWT will always be a staple.
T-shirt
The dubbed “T-shirt” surfaced in the United States when they were issued by the U.S. Navy sometime around the Spanish American War. They featured crew-necks and short sleeves and were meant to be worn as underwear beneath the uniform. Soon it was adopted by the Army as part of the standard issue ensemble given to recruits. It got its iconic name from its shape resembling the letter “T”. Dockworkers, farmers, miners, and construction type workers also adopted the T-shirt preferring the lightweight fabric in hotter weather conditions.
The inexpensive cotton and easy to clean garment became the shirt of choice by mothers for their sons as outerwear for chores and play. By the 1920’s “T-shirt” became an official American-English word in the Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary.
V-necks have only been around since about the 1960s. They’ve particularly gained in popularity in men’s fashion in the past decade or so, now becoming just as much of a staple of men’s fashion as the traditional T-shirt.
As an undergarment, the go to default cut is the crew neck, of course. For me, the opening is too tight. And, no, I don’t have a thick neck, okay. I’ve just never been a tight-fitted clothes type dude. Furthermore, I AM a product of the sixties. It’s only natural I favor the alternative style. The V-neck often lays better. Just ask Andy Samberg and Ben Stiller. (side note: Stiller’s hairstyle in this video is totally gross. I think it was intentional. Correction – … hope it was intentional. Yikes!)
