Sunspel’s place in the history of the T-shirt
Those that own a quality T-shirt that bears the Sunspel label, or that are looking to purchase one from the Sunspel website at http://www.sunspel.com or from one of the company’s many renowned stockists, may wish to learn about the considerable journey that this ubiquitous garment has undertaken since its post-war emergence.
Today, the T-shirt may be a fixture of seemingly any wardrobe, also taking pride of place amongst the other luxury clothing that Sunspel has to offer, but as recently as the late 19th century, this form of clothing had yet to develop beyond the one-piece union suits or long johns that were its ancestors. Fittingly enough, given the modern day Sunspel brand’s pre-eminent position as a provider of mens underwear, these items were utilitarian pieces of underwear, rather than the fashionable outerwear that the T-shirt was to become.
This earlier knitted one-piece extended from the neck to the wrists and ankles, in effect covering the entire body. With its defining rear drop flap, it was nothing if not cumbersome by later 20th century standards, and so it was that with the increasing availability of cotton, both international and British clothing manufacturers got to work on the creation of more appropriate mass-made alternatives. At a time when Henry Ford was introducing the world’s first production line and previously modest Victorian fashions were giving way to something just slightly racier, the short-sleeved shirt emerged.
As the new, lighter cotton undershirts proved their worth among European soldiers during World War I, so it wasn’t long until the word ‘T-shirt’ was coined. Come World War II, these more practical shirts were finally beginning to be worn uncovered by many solders, especially in warmer climes. From here, the T-shirt spread as a fashion item to the world’s civilian populations, with subsequent advances in textiles, printing and dying cementing the garment’s popularity.
The T-shirt has played a key role in world events in subsequent decades, bearing powerful political slogans and taking on new forms in response to advances in production technologies and lifestyle changes. Sunspel’s T-shirts have certainly not been isolated from these ongoing developments in the world of quality clothing, as they have featured in iconic films such as Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, in addition to being worn by the likes of the actors Daniel Craig and Stephen Dorff. Both men were recently featured wearing Sunspel black crew neck T-shirts, in GQ Magazine and the Telegraph respectively.
Sunspel (http://www.sunspel.com) has been producing quality T-shirts for more than 100 years, making use of the latest production technologies to create shirts with either short or long sleeves and that are smooth, soft and strong. Its T-shirts are also available in various colours, and can be worn with the same style as the rest of the firm’s luxury clothing, whether on their own or under a jacket.
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