This versatile apparel has come a long way from its beginnings in 1920. The t-shirt has evolved from a simple short-sleeved crew neck design to the now in-demand t-shirts with V-necklines, long sleeves, and with or without caps or hoods.

The first step in creating t-shirts involves the selection of the appropriate clothing material for the specific type of shirt you have in mind. T-shirt design is basically the same for all manufacturers except for a few variations in the sleeves and pockets.

T-shirts are made of different materials including polyester, cotton or a combination of these two materials. Those made of cotton are however much-preferred by people living in the tropical areas as they are much cooler. Lately though, t-shirts made of knit fabrics, rib knits, jerseys and interlock rib knits have become popular. Jersey t-shirts are much cheaper and are thus more popular among the masses. Consumers who are conscious about the environmental effects of the products they wear however opt for t-shirts made of cotton that are grown organically.

They look so simple but have you thought about the hours of work and creativeness exerted in the process of creating the t-shirt you are wearing? Thanks to the industrial revolution t-shirts are fairly easy to make and the process is highly automated.

Even small establishments that manufacture t-shirts already rely on machines that have been specially designed to perform the different steps in creating t-shirts from the cutting stage, assembling and then sewing. T-shirts have very simple patterns and this consists of the separate sections for the front and back parts plus the sleeves and pockets when it applies.

T-shirts are like blank canvasses that are manufactured to give artists a chance to dabble with paint. Mass-produced t-shirts however have identical designs and patterns.

The final stage in making t-shirt is the attachment of the label at the neckline

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This apparel is perhaps one of the oldest clothing designs that are still widely used today. T-shirts were already being used by the ancient Egyptians. However, the t-shirt was made more popular during World War II when the American soldiers noticed how they were sweating underneath their uniforms made of wool while the European soldiers were very comfortable under their undershirts made of cotton.

The English were the first to develop and use cotton t-shirt as under-vest in the 1880s. The United States Navy, which require the servicemen to wear light undershirts called crew necks in 1913, is also credited with the development of the t-shirt.

While the t-shirt design is basic for all manufacturers except for innovations like pockets and long sleeves, the material out of which the t-shirt is made is crucial to the shape and comfort of the t-shirt. A lot of people have found themselves excited about their new t-shirts only to find out that it had shrunk or faded after being washed and dried.

T-shirts can be made of different materials but they are basically categorized into natural cloths and artificial clothes. Under the said categories are polyester fibers, cotton, combination of cotton and polyester fiber, cotton spandex and jersey.

Those who go for comfort opt for t-shirts made of 100% cotton while those who want a durable t-shirt that will not fade or shrink opt for t-shirts made of a combination of cotton and polyester. There are a lot of choices when it comes to the material from which t-shirts are made of. Even the cotton from which t-shirts are made can refer to artificial cotton or organically grown cotton. Those who are conscious about the environment opt for t-shirts made of cotton that are organically grown.

Organic cotton is the preferred t-shirt material by those who do not want the chemically-laden conventional cotton in the t-shirt they are wearing. Conventional cotton is grown using toxic substances so in some ways it can have an impact on the environment and even in how your t-shirt feels when worn. Cotton that is grown organically does not cause allergy because they do not have pesticides and chemical bleaches.

Athletes prefer to use t-shirts that are made of stretchable materials like jersey since they are not only inexpensive but are comfortable and versatile. Jersey t-shirts are easy to use especially for heat design transfers and silk screen printing. For a snugger fit, manufacturers use rib knit fabrics for high quality t-shirts.

T-shirts made of white clothing materials are often preferred by people because they do not fade. However, if you want colored t-shirts that will not disappoint your after washing, make sure you get quality colored t-shirts that would not fade and have minimal shrinkage.

All shirts shrink to a certain level after washing but you can look for t-shirts that have minimal shrinkage levels like t-shirts made of a combination of cotton and polyester. T-shirts made of 100% cotton will tend to shrink more than those made of polyester. You can also check the washing instructions at the tag or label of the t-shirt. But no matter what material your t-shirt is made of make sure you turn the t-shirt inside out when you wash and dry them to minimize fading.

The t-shirt industry is one of the businesses that are heavily reliant on the clothing industry for their raw material. However, most people do not really care what materials their t-shirts are made of provided they have eye-catching designs and colors.

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The t-shirt is a very political piece of apparel and none of the other clothing wears, except perhaps the bra, can lay claim to such a significant role in society. Before the industrial revolution, clothing was just considered one of the three basic needs of man apart from food and housing. And like the other basic needs, clothing was worn to keep man warm. Thus, clothing consisted of hand-stitched materials sans the artistic characteristics that today’s clothing boast of.

The growth of the t-shirt industry started side by side with the industrial revolution as the latter allowed the mass production of t-shirts. The United States and Europe share the history of t-shirt because while the cotton material from which t-shirts were originally made was sourced from the US, it was the Europeans who first manufactured t-shirts as underwear.

However, this does not discount the fact that the t-shirt may have originated from the Egyptian Tunic which was used by Egyptian farmers thousands of years ago. The tunic, which was worn under the Egyptian toga, is either plain or with stripes depending on the status of the wearer in the Roman society.

One significantly humorous timeline in the history of t-shirts was during World War II when the American soldiers, who were sweating it out under their woolen uniforms, noticed how comfortable the European soldiers were in their undershirts made of cotton. The War was ultimately won and lost depending on which side you are on but American won because the soldiers were able to bring back one important clothing item—the t-shirt.

While the working class in America sweated it out under their vests, the European workers worked manually wearing only their t-shirts. But this was changed in the 20th century when t-shirt became a popular clothing wear not only in Europe and American but all over the world.

T-shirts are an important part not only of history but of economics considering the multi-billion industry spawned by the t-shirt business. If you don’t believe this then take note that at least two billion t-shirts are sold all over the world every year. Millions of t-shirts are donated to the Salvation Army annually and these are auctioned off to third world countries.

Through the years, the t-shirt has become an important propaganda and marketing tool not only for politicians but for corporate entities as well. The movie ‘The Wizard of Oz’ which was shown in 1939 got a lot of help from the promotional t-shirts featuring the movie’s characters. Marlon Brando’s fans would never forget the body-fitting t-shirt he wore in the play ‘A Streetcar Named Desire’ in the 1950s. More than $8 million worth of t-shirts helped launch the career of Farrah Fawcett in 1977.

The t-shirt may have been in existence since the ancient Egyptian era but it is ironic that Webster’s Dictionary only listed it as part of the book’s official word in 1920.

T-shirts are part of the American life as much as French fries and burgers. It may be nearing a hundred years old but its popularity is growing and does not show any sign of going down. This is evident with the result of a survey which shows that over 62% of people in the US of all age bracket own at least, not one, but ten t-shirts. Those within the ages of 18 to 24 however claimed they own more than 10 t-shirts.

Today, you can find t-shirts in all colors screaming the headlines of the society. It is popularly used as a tool to promote political statements, corporate promotions and even sports events. Rock bands have made millions from t-shirts printed with their names and images.

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Most cloth dyes make use of chemicals that can be poisonous when large amounts are accidentally swallowed. However, most of the cloth dyes commonly use din the households are made of substances that are non poisonous including salts, pigments and mild soaps. However, these cloth dyes can still be dangerous so care should be observed when handling them.

There was a time when textiles and clothing wear were colored using natural dyes which were sourced from plants and animals. However, new advances in science in the 1800s allowed the production of synthetic substitutes for natural dyes. The use of natural dyes is preferred considering that it is not toxic and does not hurt the environment.

Natural Dyes

Natural dyes can be classified depending on their sources. Those that are sourced from plants are called indigo, those from minerals are called ocher while those sourced from animals are called cochineal. Among the fabrics which can be easily colored by simply dipping them into the dye are wool and silk. Cotton however requires a mordant to hasten the chemical reaction so that the dye is easily absorbed by the fabric. Natural dyes for cotton rely on mordants like copper, chromium, iron and metallic aluminum salts to ensure the fastness of its colors when washed and dried in the sun.

Substantive dyes do not require mordants before they can easily be absorbed by fabrics. On the other hand, adjective dyes need mordants to be absorbed by the fabrics. If you are making natural dyes then make sure to use non reactive containers like stainless steel and enamel as oppose to iron or copper pots which can easily react with the dye.

The problem with natural dyes is the lack of consistency in their colors. Each natural dye has a unique color which may be exciting to the paint manufacturers but is frustrating to the pharmacology technicians. To standardize the colors of natural dyes, pharmacology technicians came up with a color index for natural dyes which requires that each dye is named using the pattern natural plus base color plus number.

There are various plants from which natural dyes are sourced including berries, field madder and dandelion root for the colors pink and red, walnut husks, and onion skins and lichens for the color brown and its various shades, St. John’s Wort and Goldenrod are the sources for the color yellow, cornflour and wild pansy are the sources for the color blue while sorrel and foxglove are the sources for the color green.

To make natural cloth dye you just have to boil the plants until the color comes out. Then soak the fabric in the boiling water to get the desired color. Using a mordant will permanently set the dye into the fabric.

Cochineal dye is sourced from the cochineal bug which thrived in the cactus plants. The Indians discovered the coloring property of the bugs. The bugs, which are dried out under the sun, produce a rich red powder when grounded. This produced the red coloring when mixed with water.

Synthetic Dyes

Today, most textile manufactures use synthetic dyes to color their products not only because of the ease with which it can be produced but also the accuracy of its colors. Synthetic dyes also have good color fastness which is not usually found in natural dyes.

Synthetic dyes were discovered in the latter part of the 19th century. Aniline dyes or synthetic dyes, which were produced from coal tar derivatives, produced more vibrant colors that did not wash off from the fabrics compared to the natural dyes.

The first aniline dye named ‘mauve’ was discovered by William Perkin in 1856 when he was an 18-year old student studying chemistry. This revolutionized the dyeing industry which relied on inconsistent and unreliable natural dyes.

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