The classic white t-shirt has a special place in the history of men’s fashion. It has been worn by rebels as well as stars of the film and sports worlds.
Although it is now a garment found on most men’s wardrobes, it is actually historically a relatively new piece of clothing in the male wardrobe. Like so many other garments, the t-shirt also has a military background. It was first developed as an undershirt for the US Army and was inspired by the cotton sweaters worn by European soldiers during the First World War.
During World War II, the T-shirt was already part of the standard dress of the US military, with many photographs surviving of men wearing T-shirts with army trousers.
Films such as 1951’s A Streetcar Named Desire, starring Marlon Brando, helped to make the white T-shirt a symbol of the new rebellious generation. For those wishing to order the same model of t-shirt worn by Marlon Brando in the film, this option is available from the British company Bill Kelso – a company which also has some interesting vintage garments which it produces using the same methods and techniques as in the early 20th century.
Also, the 1953 film The Wild One with James Dean is one of the classics that made the garment a timeless classic.
In particular, it is a company that led the development of the white t-shirts as we know them today. Thomas A. Hill and Co. was founded in 1860 and later became known as the Sunspel brand. With the revolutionary idea of producing simple everyday clothing from finer fabrics, the English company enjoyed great success in the late 19th century. Among other things, it began making underwear in soft Egyptian cotton instead of wool, which was the norm at the time.
In the second half of the 20th century, Sunspel established itself as one of the premium manufacturers of exclusive underwear in the world. Sunspel garments are now represented in the world’s finest stores around the world, with their white Egyptian long-fibre cotton t-shirt being one of their most classic garments.
Classic white t-shirt from Sunspel. In recent years, Sunspel has also launched several collaborative collections with the James Bond films, including Daniel Craig wearing their iconic Riviera pique in Casino Royale. A couple of years ago, they also launched The Ian Fleming™ Collection in exclusive Sea Island cotton.
