The rise of the T

The graphic t-shirt – around for just over 100 years and still one of the most popular items of clothing in any wardrobe. It’s evolution from underwear to outerwear has been marked by some iconic people, moments and designs and encompasses the spirit of popular culture throughout generations.

This ‘foundation’ of the decorated apparel industry has an interesting history. But you can’t have the graphic t without the t-shirt itself, and this piece of clothing evolved basically out of the need for a garment that worn without buttons or fixings. Created from the long johns that men wore in the 19th century, the ‘cotton pullover’ was able to stretch over the head and then snap back into shape, making it simple to put on and to wear. Although initially invented for the armed forces and easy workwear, they were seen as underwear for a long time, and it was not until the 1920s that the crew neck became more common and the phrase ‘t-shirt’ caught on.

Jump forward a few decades and that is where the world first saw the printed or ‘graphic’ t-shirt. For example the famous ‘OZ’ shirt in the 1939 MGM film The Wizard of Oz or the Air Corps Gunnery School t-shirt featured on the 1942 cover of LIFE magazine. These and others like them set the path for what was to follow, and soon Walt Disney, Coco-cola and many other famous brands started printing shirts with their images, characters and logos on. 

The OZ tee which went on to inspire a highly sought-after collectible shirt

1942 cover of LIFE magazine

Skip forward a few decades more and the t-shirt became a medium of self-expression. Commercial advertising, souvenir messages, protests and political declarations were the norm and functional turned to frivolous as garments became pieces of wearable art and were more elaborately decorated – t-shirts had inevitably become statement pieces.

Wham's George Michael wearing Katharine Hamnett's famous Choose Life t-shirt

Nowadays, the t-shirt is more than just a piece of clothing. It is a way to support a team or band; to say what you think; raise money for charity; express your funny or nerdy side; or show your individuality by having something unique to yourself through customisation. Because of this it’s no wonder that the t-shirt is market is doing so well and market revenue is expected to grow by over 5% annually.

The Rolling Stones 'Tongue' – voted most iconic shirt in a recent poll http://bit.ly/2UHu0RP

We can’t deny that graphic t-shirts are certainly getting more creative as the years go on and as well as being due to popular culture, this also has a lot to do with printing techniques and advancements in application and materials. Historically shirts were screen printed but now with the development of heat presses, vinyl and sublimation techniques the world is literally your oyster with what designs and images can be applied to a shirt.

Take our heat transfer collection for example. We stock a range of solid colours as well as glitter, metallic, sparkle, foil, mirror, shine, flock, glow in the dark and reflective vinyl so designs can be as imaginative as you like, and the choice of material can actually be pivotal to the creative. For example, who wouldn’t want a glittery glitterball for a disco themed tee, or a soft finish on that children’s Easter Bunny shirt, or a set of spooky Halloween eyes that glow in the dark?

The materials and techniques now on offer enable designers to be even more imaginative and creative than they could when the first printed tees came out all those years ago. And this is part of the reason why the graphic tee is the fashion icon it is today and is incredibly important to both the UK high street and the smaller on and off-line retailers and designers. Who would have thought that attire originally designed as an undergarment for the US Navy would go on to become a global fashion phenomenon?

So, if Marathon can help you to create a t-shirt that makes it into the history books, then please don’t hesitate to get in touch. We are quickly becoming one of the fastest growing vinyl sellers in Europe and as the UK’s exclusive distributor of Plotterfilms, Italy, you won’t get quality like this anywhere else which means your design will always look its best.