The T-Shirt Story

Probably everyone who rides a motorcycle also has a T-shirt or two. But do you know how they became popular? A century or so ago, sewing was women’s work and guys just didn’t do it. And, all men’s shirts, including undershirts, had buttons. Buttons got lost then, just as they do now. But, since men couldn’t sew, they had to depend on wives, mothers, sisters to sew their buttons back on.

In 1904, the Copper Underwear Company advertised its latest innovation: a shirt that stretched enough so the wearer could pull it over his head: “No Safety Pin – No Buttons – No Needle – No Thread.” The ad struck a chord with bachelors, as it was meant to.

The stretchy shirts took off, especially after the U.S. Navy ordered one for every sailor.