At present, T-shirts are a staple in everyone’s wardrobe and have an omnipotent presence, from your street vendor to Paris Fashion Week. But have you ever wondered how one clothing silhouette became so big and what its history is?
If you want to know, you’ve come to the right place. This is going to be a six-part series in which we will explore the history of the T-shirt, from an undergarment to a high-end fashion statement. So, let’s begin.
The Undergarment Era
Around 1800, men used to wear union suits, full-body undergarments that buttoned from top to bottom and were made of thick wool or flannel, which made them uncomfortable. When the heat was unbearable, workers began cutting them in half, creating a top half that was easier to move in. This became the first ancestor of the modern T-shirt
Early Paper ads of the Union Suite
In 1904, the Cooper Underwear Company released a buttonless pullover called the “bachelor undershirt.” Their pitch? You’ll “save time, no safety pins, no buttons, no needle, no thread.” Simple, comfortable, and practical, today this company is known as Jockey. This was a real breakthrough from traditional, restrictive underclothes and a glimpse into what the world would soon know as the T-shirts.
Cooper Underwear Company Newspaper ad.
The next phase in the evolution came in 1913 when the U.S. Navy made the undershirt official. They issued short-sleeve, crew-neck cotton shirts to sailors to wear under their uniforms. The reason was obvious: lightweight, sweat-absorbent, and perfect for the ocean’s heat. This was the first time the actual T-shirts we know came into existence. But sailors, being sailors, didn’t always follow the rules. On deck, in the sun, they’d ditch their outer jackets and work in just their undershirts. That small act—practicality over formality—made the T-shirts visible for the first time. From there, the silhouette spread to the Army.
US Navy is wearing a T-shirt on the dock of the ship.
From the Navy to the Army, the T-shirts took some time to enter civilian life. For a very long time, it was still considered underwear and not something you’d wear out in public. But blue-collar workers like farmers, mechanics, and dock workers had something else in mind. Like denim jeans, they were the first to adopt the T-shirts because of its practicality. In India, the adoption was especially fast because of the tropical weather and the pre-air-conditioning era.
Around this time, the word “T-shirt” first appeared in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s 1920 novel This Side of Paradise, marking the first time literature recognized it as a real thing. Soon after, Merriam-Webster added “T-shirt” to the dictionary, giving it legitimacy.
The early T-shirts were made from heavy cotton jersey, a fabric that could handle rough wear. The crew neck and short sleeves gave it the shape we still use today—a perfect balance of function and simplicity. During this time, manufacturers began adding ribbed collars, shoulder seams, and better stitching to keep the shape intact after multiple washes, an early version of what you might call “premium basics” today.
The foundations laid in the 1900s—crew neck, cotton jersey, and easy wearability—are still the DNA of every T-shirt you wear today, including the ones from SillyPunter.
This concludes the first part of the history of the T-shirts. In the next blog, we will discover how the economic recession brought the t-shirt into the mainstream.
FAQ
The first modern-style t-shirt appeared around 1904, when Cooper Underwear Company released its buttonless pullover undershirt. But the U.S. Navy made it famous by issuing it to sailors in 1913.
Because of its simple “T” shape when laid flat. a torso and two sleeves. The term first appeared in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s This Side of Paradise (1920).
It started with practicality — workers and sailors wore them alone to stay cool. By the 1930s, it had become common workwear in hot climates, slowly breaking the “underwear-only” taboo.
Heavy cotton jersey or flannel, breathable, strong, and washable. Modern tees are much softer but follow the same structural design.
That transformation began after World War II and exploded in the 1950s with Hollywood icons like Marlon Brando and James Dean, which we’ll cover in later chapters of this series.