You like showing off your attitude, right?
It feels different and good. Well, t-shirts like to show off some attitude too.
You might have spotted tees, specifically graphic tees, with witty quotes and
creative designs that ooze an oomph factor which makes the tees really stand
out from the crowd. Today, we take a look at the history of graphic tees to
understand where it got that entire attitude from!
Humble Beginnings!
In 1913, the U.S. Navy was the first
military branch to issue the T-shirt to be worn under uniforms. Yes, the
t-shirt that we so casually adorn today has military connections. Back in the
day, it was used as an inner wear. But eventually became acceptable for
soldiers to remove their dress shirt while working in hot climates, wearing
nothing but their uniform pants and a T-shirt. Then came the period where the
military stared sporting custom printed tees in as early as the 1940s which
featured in the LIFE magazine as well. Although the public wasn’t ready to accept
this open display of “underclothing”, they soon began accepting it when new
designs and colors emerged in 1950.
It was the year 1950 which brought about a
major revolution in custom printed tees and designers could now come up with
vibrant and attractive t-shirts that were more than just apparels. It was
slowly growing into a major fashion trend, thanks to the commercial
implementation of custom printing technologies that surfaced around this time.
The initial designs were basically straight-forward character licenses (Disney
etc) and holiday resort names. But still, it managed to pack in quite a punch.
Growing in the 80s and 90s
After the much needed foundation of a custom t-shirt printing system during the 1950s, there was a significant rise in graphic tees during the 70s and the 80s which saw large Fashion houses vomiting their logos all over shirts and, well, pretty much everything. More emphasis was given on parodies and one-lines that were very witty. People loved these kinds of designs because they were definitely fresh and a completely new take on the conventional approach. It was also an important time for big shot corporate firms who took a major risk by messing around with their corporate image and tried their hands at these unconventional designs. If this hadn’t been done, then who knows what would have been the status of graphic tees today.
Entering Hip Hop’s Golden Age
If we had to summarize
the entire graphic tee trend during the 90s, then it would be perfectly summed
up as “putting graffiti on tees”. Yes, that was the deal back then.
One of the factors that boosted custom printing for t-shirts was that anybody
with enough money in their hands could get a few tees printed just the way they
wanted to. In keeping with the popular hip hop culture, people began coming up
with witty lines and attitude phrases that were eventually printed on a t-shirt
that they would love to sport in public. Gone were the days when you had to
actually speak your mind to show off your attitude. This was an era where you
could say a lot without even speaking a word. Now that was attitude at a whole
new level.
Apart from personal printing, this
technology was also used by small, independent labels for printing their logos
and themes on t-shirts for enhanced marketing. The printing technology was more
expensive that what exists today, but even then the benefits were good enough
to justify the investment. So, more companies began to follow the graphic tee
trend to boost their business.
Recession Strikes
The economic downturn deadened the T-Shirt
fever. People just stopped buying t-shirts simply because they had other
primary expenses which had to be taken care of. Business was not where it
should have been. 2006 and 2007 were probably the worst years for start-ups as
a lot of them ended up getting shut down. Startups, especially, had to put up a
huge struggle just to remain alive. The recession, indeed, wiped out a good
share of t-shirt sales. The blow was rather lethal.
The lack of sales opportunities forced
manufacturers to concentrate on products that could sell, and that was
something happening across the board. This led to a rise in monotone tees,
especially black tees, because they were the only ones that were generating
sales for the businesses. Ultimately, all that stuff has ended up in solid
black, solid white, solid navy T-shirts. This wasn’t really a good time for
graphic tees to usher.
Coming Out Strong!
Graphic tees managed to
survive the onslaught of the recession and came out stronger than before. It
wasn’t an easy task. But the determination of designers, companies and custom
printing services helped the graphic tee business to stand up on its feet
again. If you're passionate about something, and you really believe in
something and you really want to go for it, you got to take the ups with the
downs.
Now that the t-shirts survived probably the
worst phase in economic history, they have all the right to show off their
attitude and they are doing it in style. Just take a look around you. There are
numerous t-shirt designs with funny, wacky, and serious quotes that stand apart
from the crowd. Apart from the efforts of the manufacturers, it was the
uniqueness of these t-shirts which really helped them to get back on track.
Plus, the custom printing services became cheaper along with advancements in
printing technology which really pushed the business to a whole new level.
The Road Ahead!
Graphic tees are making their presence felt
in the world today. Companies like Witty Vogue have come up with fresh new
designs and witty quotes that make the t-shirts all the more appealing. It is
safe to say that they are driving a major segment of the fashion trends these
days. In the days to come, we can expect increased sales and stiffer
competition as more brands come up to enjoy a slice of success in this highly
lucrative market. You, the customer, have no reasons to be worried about
because in the end, you are the ones who will benefit from high quality printed
tees with amazing graphics and witty quotes that are as unique as the designs
on the tees.
