The White T-shirt – Sartorial And Psychological Blank Canvas
This essay explores how a single piece of clothing – the white T-shirt – suddenly became a sign of rebellion and made its way through to everyone’s wardrobes. In particular as a case study, I focus on the history of the white T-shirt and its transitions form an undergarment to a tool for protests and an iconic staple in everyone’s wardrobe. Moreover, I discuss the meaning behind rebels without a cause (see ‘Rebel Without A Cause’ [Dir: Nicholas Ray 1955]) and why the white t-shirt was a perfect choice for them to express rebellion and disagreement with the status quo.
As somebody who was raised by middle class Lithuanian parents, who for 30 years experienced Soviet regime, which included deficit (shortage) of items (Miller, 2016), I noticed what an enormous impact these restrictions had on their spending habits later, when Lithuania declared independence. To be more exact, when former USSR citizens, in this particular example my parents, gained access to everything they could ever dream of, starting from yoghurt, finishing with jeans and high quality Western European furniture, they found it hard to resist not purchasing the items, they did not even need (Keller, 2005). However, I was born in an independent country and raised during the times of climate change activist’s movements, Greta Thunberg and zero-waste prosperity with minimalism becoming as popular as it has ever been. Based on the cultural environment that surrounded me during my teenage years and the gap of my parent’s understanding about the climate and its problems, I have developed an irresistible interest not in things but in their history in order to challenge and change the practice of buying habits of previous Lithuanian generation.
My innate interest in fashion and the problems it is causing at the moment, inspired me to concentrate on the clothing items me and my parents introduce to our wardrobes. The natural desire to research every item of clothing I have in more depth, gave me an incredible knowledge of the most worn piece in my minimal capsule wardrobe – white T-shirt – which surprisingly has a fascinating history; hence, I have dedicated my time to investigate its history during my time at university. This means that this essay is a continuation of my previous research combined with the new arguments and facts that have been revealed during ‘Fashion, Politics and Protest’ unit.
Furthermore, not only am I interested in the history of clothes but also in the way they make sense to others (usually celebrities) who wore them. In my subjective opinion, the way people wear and interpret clothes says a lot about their beliefs and mental health situation. Fortunately, back in the days, the white t-shirt was a tool for expressing one’s beliefs which I will talk about broadly in the following paragraphs of this case study.
To develop my research process I have focused on the stories of Marlon Brando and James Dean, who were first to wear the white T-shirt as an outerwear garment in public, and the reason behind their rebellion. Moreover, I touch on the brief history and usage of the primal product in 19th Century and military before it became known as the white T-Shirt and I explain how and who came up with the name for it. Furthermore, I refer to revolutionary movies for the perception of the white ‘tee’ – ‘A Streetcar Named Desire’ (1951) and ‘Rebel Without a Cause’ (1955). Lastly, I continue my case study with the T-shirt’s rebirth as a symbol for rebellion and protesting in 21st Century and I finish with the survey which demonstrates people’s attitude and opinion towards undoubtedly legendary white T-shirt in 2020.
Firstly, I intend to start with a brief history of the white T-shirt. Its origins date back to the late 19th century, when men and women, who worked in the fields, factories, mines and docklands, wore Union Suits (image 1), patented in 1868 in New York, as underwear for an extra layer of insulation (Browne, 2018). However, the Union Suit did not seem to be comfortable nor well designed, thus the flaws and potentially greater comfort in the Union Suit were recognised by the Cooper Underwear Company in 1904, who effectively separated the suit garment into two pieces: top and bottom, by introducing a line of bachelor suits (image 2). The bachelor suits were the new two-piece underwear that allowed the skin to breath and immediately became de rigueur (“required” borrowed from French) for working men and women throughout much of the early-20th century. The top part of the bachelor suit eventually became the Henley - a knit shirt with a banded collar and a placket of two or more buttons (Browne, 2018). Subsequently, the Henley became a favoured sporting essential, due to its flexibility and comfort. Based on the aforementioned facts, I assume that the working class of the late 19th century and the requirements for their job apparel were the reason of the creation of the primal product, i.e., the white T-shirt.
Even though, the product was created due to the working class’s needs, the name for it came from a middle-class gentleman, writer F. Scott Fitzgerald. The term ‘t-shirt’ is supposed to have come from its shape of the ‘T’ letter but officially the term was invented and inducted into the English dictionary only in 1920, when it appeared in the aforementioned writer F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel, This Side of Paradise:
‘Amory, provided with ‘six suit summer underwear … one sweater or T shirt..’ set out for New England, the land of schools.’
I find the contrast between the birth of the name for the T-shirt and the T-shirt itself extremely fascinating. To be more exact, the creation of the T-shirt for the middle class was ‘earthy’, basic and not at all romantic, whereas the name for it came from the mouth of an educated writer who took the T-shirt to another level, and in my opinion, opened the door allowing the rich and noble to wear it like the working class did before. Therefore, from my political point of view, the influence of the writer eliminated the white T-shirt’s belonging to only one class and this way the white T-shirt became another similarity that the rich and the poor shared.
Later on, the white ‘tee’ became a standard uniform feature across the US Navy and Army. It was worn by the soldiers during the First and Second World Was, after which the white t-shirt had its breakthrough into mainstream fashion, when the soldiers continued to wear it as a casual piece of clothing (although the respectable ones still wore it as an undergarment only).
Secondly, regardless the history explained in the previous paragraphs and soldiers’ dressing habits after the World War II, the white t-shirt had not been worn for the purpose of protesting until 1950. Between the period of 1950 and 1970, it was still inappropriate to wear T-shirts in public thus it made the perfect symbol of youth rebellion. During this time, alongside veterans, Cinema stars like Marlon Brando (image 4) and James Dean not only began to wear it as an outer garment but also put it on screen in films such as A Streetcar Named Desire (1951) and A Rebel Without a Cause (1955). The t-shirt put on screens was more than just a tee, it was a political statement of James and Marlon’s rebellion. The actors did not rebel against anything particular – they were rebels without a cause – those who did not fit in society and its norms nor felt comfortable following its rules. Dean and Brando saw the general injustice in the world and thus refused to live following the norms. Therefore, they used the white t-shirt, normally worn strictly as an undergarment, to showcase their choice of free will and disagreement with the status quo. Not only was the stand-alone, outerwear white t-shirt worn on screens but offscreen as well. Marlon Brando took the fashion statement even further by pairing his white t-shirt with motorcycle, boots and an anti-established sneer. This act of his started a t-shirt craze. From that point on, the t-shirt was set loose and became the next symbol of restless and rebellious American youth (Rogers, 2009).
This example of the white t-shirt used as a tool for protesting by Marlon Brando, James Dean and followed by the American youth, shows what a fascinating impact the change of the purpose of a basic t-shirt had on the society. In other words, a simple change in the wearing practice of a clothing piece can easily become a sign of rebellion and a symbol of protest. As it happened with the undergarment piece – white t-shirt – when the aforementioned actors began to wear it as a stand-alone outerwear (Rogers, 2009). I found that this practice fulfilled my interest in the way how clothes make sense to others. In this particular situation, an undershirt and its shift of purpose made sense to James and Marlon to use it as a sign of rebellion without a cause.
Thirdly, through its evolution, the t-shirt managed not to lose popularity. It became a staple piece in everyone’s wardrobe, worn as an outer and inner garment. However, due to its rising popularity, the plain white t-shirt lost its sense of rebellion and has never been perceived as a symbol of protest afterwards. The change of perception and purpose of the white t-shirt raises a question of what had happened to the rebels who sworn by the white t-shirt as their protesting tool. Luckily, the outerwear became a perfect blank canvas for those in the need of a protest or rebellion. The only additional thing that has been implemented in order for it to become a tool for protests was a slogan. Whether it be positive or negative, until this day it serves a billboard function, through which a person can express any belief he supports, should it be the movement of Feminism or just an act of rebellion. Unlike other symbols of protests – pink hats, red capes, yellow wests or Guy Fawkes (see: ‘V for Vendetta’ [Dir: James McTeigue 2006]) masks – the white t-shirt with a slogan can be worn anywhere from parties to school, providing people with endless and effortless means of protest.
Lastly, I would like to focus my research on the rebirth of the white t-shirt usage for protests and expression of beliefs in the 21st century. In the period from 1997 to 2015, a generation, known as Gen Z was born. This generation is often depicted in the press as a more prudent and serious generation than their predecessors, even garnering the media nickname ‘Generation Sensible’. According to Mintel (2019) this reflected in the characteristics that Gen Zers deem to be important, with the majority saying that doing well in their studies is important to them, while being a healthy eater and even being environmentally friendly become more important as age rises. Thus, Gen Z has been hailed as a pivotal generation in the battle against climate change. Much of this reputation stems from a series of classroom protests in late 2018 and early 2019, inspired by the 16-year-old Swede, Greta Thunberg. The protestors wore t-shirts with slogans ‘Save our planet’, ‘The oceans are rising so we are!’, ‘Youth climate strike’, ‘Love your mother’, etc. White plain t-shirts served them as a blank canvas for slogans that reflected what they fought for.
Furthermore, for today’s young, the concept of diversity has extended beyond traditionally core issues of race and ethnicity, and Gen Zers are demanding brands embrace a much broader definition including different body types, sexualities and gender identities. Due to the demand, brands/charity organisations such as ‘Chnge’ succeeded by introducing apparel with environment, sustainability and other social problem related slogans. In the aforementioned brand’s e-shop, one can find t-shirts with slogans ‘Make Earth Great Again’ ‘Only Respecting Women You’re Attracted To Isn’t Respecting Women’, ‘Women are not your property’, ‘When The Power Of Love Overcomes The Love Of Power The World Will Know Peace’, ‘One Race – Human’. Undoubtedly, main customers of ‘Chnge’ are Gen Zers who purchase the items not because the slogan sounds fun or looks beautiful, but because it shows their beliefs and puts their thoughts into words.
To prove the idea that Generation Z prioritizes meaningful slogans over random ones, I have conducted a survey on my Instagram, where I asked Gen Z people to participate. The survey started with basic questions about the white t-shirt and whether they assume it as an undergarment or an outerwear and which function of the t-shirt (undergarment or outerwear) they use more. The majority of participants opted for an outerwear option. Next, the survey focused on the slogan part. Over 60% of the participants said they prefer to buy t-shirts with slogans that refer to their attention to either social problems or appeal to their mindset or mental state. For that case, I asked participants to name the slogans they purchased the t-shirts with. Most of the answers were related to climate problems, equality, diversity and overall social responsibility: ‘Diversity is difference’, ‘Girl Power’, Go green’, ‘Black Lives Matter’, ‘Love not war’, ‘Kindness is the new cool’, some quote from Constitution. Others wrote: ‘Everyday I’m forced to add another name to the list of people that piss me off’ kind of slogans, which, in my opinion, is also a form of rebellion against society and its people.
The last survey question focused on whether participants considered themselves rebellious or not. Interestingly, those who said they purchased t-shirts not because the slogan sounds funny or looks beautiful but because it reflected their opinion, considered themselves more rebellious than those who voted different. Therefore, it can be presumed, that people, or at least Gen Z, who wear t-shirts with slogans related to current social, environmental or personal problems, are more likely to be rebellious. Moreover, the survey shows that the white t-shirt is still used by rebellious youth as a tool for protesting their beliefs.
Taking everything into account, this particular case study shows how clothes, in this case white t-shirt, manage to remain relevant for many generations. I assume that the reason of such a successful persistence and history of the white t-shirt is not only its functionality but also the ability to serve as a tool for expression. In other words, the white t-shirt, helped those who did not want to or were too anxious to speak their minds, as a blank canvas allowing people to express their thoughts and beliefs without requiring many explanations nor effort. To be more exact, a single piece of clothing without, or later with, a slogan, without any difficulties, allowed anyone interested, to participate in a movement of rebellion, feminism, diversity, equality, climate change. Moreover, the research that I conducted made me presume that before becoming the sign of rebellion, the t-shirt had been one of the similarities that the rich and the working class shared wearing it as an undergarment. This practise shows how big of an influence can a plain t-shirt have on society and how strongly it can challenge the norms and the differences between different social classes.
The research for this case study satisfied my interest for the history of clothes and answered my desired questions about the means of people who wore them. However, I feel that there is a gap in this research which could be filled if I had more knowledge in the psychology and behaviour of people. By that, I could examine whether mental health state has any impact on people’s action towards societal or environmental problems and if it does, why do some of them rebel and others remain silent. I could also deepen my research by answering the question of what external or internal factors make people choose to become a walking billboard during the time of their rebellion. This additional information coul make the case more informative and legitimate.
To conclude, this particular case study proves the enormous power and influence clothes have on people and their choices. It also shows that clothes serve more than one function and influence people’s behaviour justifying the white t-shirt as sartorial and psychological blank canvas (Antonelli and Millar Fisher, 2017).
References
A Streetcar Named Desire (1947) Directed by E. Kazan [Feature film]. Place of distribution: The French Quarter and Downtown New Orleans.
Antonelli, P. and Millar Fisher, M. (2017) Items: Is Fashion Modern? Exhibition held at MoMA, New York 2017-2018 [Exhibition catalogue].
Bekhard, J. (2018) BBC. Available at: https://www.bbc.com/culture/article/20180202-t-shirts-the-worlds-most-expressive-garment (Accessed: 20 December, 2020)
Browne, B. (2018) Grailed. Available at: https://www.grailed.com/drycleanonly/history-of-t-shirt (Accessed: 5 January, 2021).
Fitzgerald, F. S. (1920) This Side of Paradise. United States: Scribner.
Keller, M. (2005) 'Needs, desires and the experience of scarcity: representations of recreational shopping in post-Soviet Estonia', Journal of Consumer Culture.
Miller, C. (2016) The Struggle to Save the Soviet Economy: Mikhail Gorbachev and the Collapse of the USSR. United States: University of North Carolina Press.
Mintel (2019) Lifestyles of Generation Z - UK - September 2019. Available at: https://reports-mintel-com.arts.idm.oclc.org/display/920600/?highlight# (Accessed: 1 January 2021).
Rebel Without A Cause (1955) Directed by N. Ray [Feature film]. Place of distribution: United States, Warner Bross.
V for Vendetta (2005) Directed by James McTeigue [Feature film]. United States: Warner Bros. Pictures.
Waller Rogers, L. (2020) 'Brando Sets the T-shirt Loose', Lisa's History Room, 10 March. Available at: https://lisawallerrogers.com/2009/03/10/brando-sets-the-t-shirt-loose/ (Accessed: 15 January 2021).
Images:
Image 1. Lewis Union Suits [Postcard]. Available at: https://www.heddels.com/2018/03/the-history-of-the-plain-white-tee-not-the-band/ (Accessed: 18 January, 2021)
Image 2. Cooper Underwear Company (1904), The Bachelor Suit [Postcard]. Available at: https://unsplash.com(Accessed: 18 January, 2021)
Image 4. Marlon Brando in a white t-shirt. Available at: https://www.harpersbazaar.com/culture/features/g4612/hottest-men-of-all-time/ (Accessed: 18 January, 2021)