The Rise Of The Tee-Shirt

Sure, the t-shirt has been a staple of life for everyone from teenagers to senior citizens since the dawn of time. But, never before has the t-shirt been the versatile canvas it is today. It has suddenly become reasonably acceptable to spend $30-$60 for some fabric with a unique design or message somehow affixed to it’s front.

Of course, not all unique t-shirts carry an entry fee upwards of $60 (Just Ed Hardy ones). Threadless, a user-driven custom t-shirt company, carries a variety of user-inspired designs that you won’t find anywhere else. Of course, many of them are printed on American Apparel, but shirts almost always manage to come in between $15 and $30.

With so many possibilities, the t-shirt has begun to both define and reflect an individual’s personality and attitude toward the world through a vague summary of lines and colors. In fact, today’s t-shirt boom is similar to but much evolved from the tie-dye boom of the 60’s. People all over the world are personalizing their own t-shirts with paint, patches, dyes and more in an effort to set themselves apart.