The Phenomenon of the Printed T-Shirt
July 1st, 2011
  
The screen printed t-shirt…a staple of the American culture…wait
Western culture…wait every culture!
Today I am wondering why…
I did some research and found that the first t-shirts were
decorated back in the early 1950’s. Prior to that, t-shirts were undergarments until a few famous
movies…the most famous may be Marlon Brando in A Street Car Named Desire. He popularized
wearing a t-shirt as an acceptable outer garment.
The 1960’s brought the war and political protests…as a culture we
have not looked back expressing ourselves with the printed t-shirt.
I was at the airport recently and noticed that most people (my
guess 80%)…especially under 40…were wearing a shirt with some sort of message on it.
Again my question is why…why would anyone wear a shirt advertising
a company or idea? All I have to do is to look in the mirror today to see that I am wearing one
myself!
The shirt I am wearing I bought in Hawaii at a restaurant that we
enjoyed. I knew I wanted a Hawaii t-shirt but I didn’t want the standard things…I wanted something
unique. I bought a standard shirt…but I almost never wear it.
I believe this need for self expression flows out of our human
need for significance. We exist and want everyone to know it. We have beliefs…and deeper
that…worldviews that we need to reinforce and try to convince others to adopt. Wearing a t-shirt
with a political message or company logo, wearing a Rolex watch, driving a truck with gigantic
tires, or carrying a Gucci purse are all expressions of your deepest self.
My thought is that all this is a good thing. There is only one you
and you are valuable to the world based on that fact alone. Because you are human you are important
and significant! Make your contribution…let your voice be heard!
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