History

The t-shirt evolved from undergarments of the 19th century, with the earliest t-shirt dating back to as early as 1898. During the 1910’s the U.S. Navy began issuing them as undergarments. These undergarments were meant to be worn underneath the uniform and were designed as a crew-necked, short-sleeved, white cotton undershirts. It gradually became a common practice for sailors and Marines to remove their uniform jacket and wear only their undershirt for certain tasks and during work parties. As the undershirts were commonly worn by soldiers, many had taken the fashion home with them after the war, and the word “T-shirt” soon became a part of American English, appearing in the Merriam-Webster Dictionary in 1920.

By the time World War II started, the “modern” t-shirt had become commonplace in high schools and universities across the states. However, this trend did not yet catch on everywhere, and the t-shirt was still more commonly worn by adults as an undershirt. The trend continued into World War II, where Navy men wore them as undergarments, and veterans wearing their uniform trousers with their t-shirts as casual clothing gradually became a common sight. By the end of the war, due to many of the soldiers once again incorporating the t-shirt into their casual wardrobe after returning home, the era of viewing the t-shirt as an outer garment finally began.

The t-shirt became even more popular in the 1950s after Marlon Brando wore one in his film “A Streetcar Named Desire”. This final push solidified the t-shirt’s status as a fashionable, stand-alone, outerwear garment suitable for daily chores and activities, which opened up the idea of wearing the t-shirt as a general purpose casual clothing item.

As the t-shirt gained popularity in the 1960’s, it quickly became known as a medium for self-expression, as well as for advertisements, and souvenirs.

Characteristics of Quality Cotton

The quality of cotton is determined by a variety of different characteristics, including the length of the individual fibres or staples. In general, the longer the staple, the better the cotton, as it allows the cotton to be spun into a finer-textured thread with more tensile strength, as well as create a softer, smoother, and more supple fabric. Durability is also an important factor, and this is usually affected by the length of the fibres. Longer fibres can be spun into finer yarn, which can be more tightly bound, resulting in a fabric that is stronger and more durable.

A big distinguishing factor in determining whether the product produced is of low quality or high quality is the extra steps that the manufacturer takes to ensure that the garment not only looks to be of high quality but will continue to do so after multiple wears and washes, in addition to feeling comfortable for the wearer and being well-fitted. All these extra steps take time, effort, and money. Thus, it is very easy to find pretty garments at budget stores that end up falling apart after a few washes, as the manufacturer had chosen to cut costs by focusing on making the garment look good on the hanger instead of focusing on quality. This decision is ultimately made due to the observation that many shoppers will make their purchasing decisions based on the look of the garment, with few people taking the time to assess the quality of the garment.

Combed Cotton

Combed cotton is generally softer than regular cotton due to its lack of impurities or short protruding threads that can stick out and cause prickling. It is also known to be stronger than regular cotton due to the combing process used to remove short fibres, which are prone to breakage. During the combing process, the harvested cotton is put to fine brushes (the ‘combs’) of a combing machine to tease away impurities and any short fibres (about 1 cm or less). Roughly 15% of the volume is removed this way, leaving only long, straight fibres that are able to join together more tightly, leading to less fraying and unraveling. The resulting fabric also has better texture, washability, and durability. These benefits, combined with the additional work required during the manufacturing process, makes combed cotton more expensive and durable than regular cotton.

Our Story

The t-shirt is a staple item that we interact with everyday, whether as an undergarment or as a key component to an outfit. We have been a long-time fan of the simple and utilitarian design of the t-shirt which has inspired us to create a silhouette that we feel is well designed for wearing as an undergarment or standalone piece while offering great durability and comfort. A key difference that can be found in our design is the length of the t-shirt, which is cut slightly shorter than many generic t-shirts giving it a casual, yet tailored look. Moreover, the t-shirt is constructed with heavyweight combed cotton making the garment smoother, softer, stronger, and less translucent. For the final touch we have included a screen print of our signature mascot logo on the front of the garment. Hope you enjoy wearing it as much as we do!

Designed in Canada

Imported