One-piece “union suits” are cut into separate top and bottom pieces. The top part of the union suit is long enough to be tucked into the waistband of bottoms. Miners and stevedores use the T-Shirt to combat the hot environment. The United States Navy makes the T-Shirt standard issue at around 1918 and are used as undergarments worn under uniforms. The T-Shirt appears in Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary for the first time in 1922. During the Great Depression the T-Shirt becomes the default garment for many workers. The Wizard of Oz releases the first promotional T-Shirt in 1939. Presidential candidate Thomas E. Dewey was the first to put a political slogan on a T-Shirt and it said “Dew-It With Dewey.” Charlie Brown first appears in a T-Shirt in 1950. Following World War II it is common to see veterans wearing T-Shirts with their trousers as casual clothing. Marlon Brando turns the T-Shirt into a fashion statement after wearing one in A Streetcar Named Desire in 1951. In 1955, James Dean appears in Rebel Without A Cause in a white T-Shirt making it the symbol of rebellious youth.
Tank tops, A-Shirts (wife beaters), muscle shirts, scoop shirts and v-necks are developed as variants to the T-Shirt. Plastisol ink is developed in 1959 allowing variety in T-Shirt designs. Screen printing becomes the most popular form of T-Shirt printing. Marxist revolutionary Che Guevara graces the T-Shirt of many activitsts in the 1960’s. John Sebastian and Janis Joplin popularize tie-dyed shirts. Jacqueline Bisset appears in the movie The Deep in 1977 and is seen surfacing wearing a white T-Shirt and a bikini underneath – the Wet T-Shirt is born. Thermochromatic dyes are introduced in the 80’s and change color when subjected to heat. In the 90’s, Hip Hop afficianados wear T-Shirts that extend to their knees. Threadless revolutionizes the way T-Shirts are designed and sold online in the 2000’s with their crowd sourcing model of business.
If I were still doing Coty Loves Threadless I would bet that When Geek-ness Goess Retro by Riccardo Bucchioni would be a Threadless Pick of the Week. It’s such a cool shirt and it reminds me of those mail order ads that I’d find scattered in old school comic books back in the day. I remember always seeing ads for X-Ray glasses and I remember never getting them (what’s an 8-year-old kid to do with no checkbook). As an adult (with a checkbook on hand), maybe I should invest in a pair of vintage X-Ray glasses and see once and for all if they really work. Hmmmm…..
In 1985 Dr. Emmett Brown invented a time machine out of a stock DeLorean DMC-12. Since then, interest in the DeLorean has remained as people try to recreate Doc Brown’s game changing time traveling device. This T-Shirt from 80’s tees provides a glimpse into the inner workings of a Doc Brown tweaked DeLorean. Interested in making your own time machine out of a used DeLorean? This shirt is a great place to start. You can pick up the DeLorean Schematic tee from 80’s tees for an astoundingly cheap $20 (you’ll easily make up that money once you go back to 1998 and invest in a new and little known company known as Google).
And for you non-believers, here are a few more examples of this resurgence of interest in the DeLorean. The Los Angeles based streetwear brand, The Hundreds recently released these DeLorean tees to the small but loyal group of followers. In retrospect, The Hundreds popularity is astounding, might their unparalled popularity be due to them actually already owning a DeLorean time machine and having had gone back in time therefore gaining knowledge that their style of clothing would be in high demand in this day and age? We might never know.
Back in the day I used to be all about the mixed tape. I’d have so much fun making my own mixes by recording music off the radio. And then the CD burner was invented and I never looked back. The mp3 has pretty much caused the extinction of the mixed tape (for me at least), although I still consider the iTunes playlist the modern day equivalent of the mixed tape, albeit with less soul. How many of you made your own mixed tapes?
Cassettes comes to us courtesy of Upper Playground and was designed by artist Denis Kennedy. The shirt is available now for $24 in a variety of sizes.
Growing up “MacGyver” (contrary to the name of the shirt, this is the actual spelling of his name) was on constant rotation in my household. My mom was a huge MacGyver fan, which later turned into a general obsession with Richard Dean Anderson (but that’s a different story). So as I was perusing the collection over a TeeZeria, I couldn’t help but notice this black MacGyver themed T-Shirt. First off, everything within the bubble is brilliant – love it! The only problem I have (and maybe the biggest) is that other than the mullet – that doesn’t look like MacGyver! That might just be me though. What do you guys think?
Pick up Mgyver from TeeZeria for $20 and since the store is themed after a Pizzaria (TeeZeria – get it?) all orders are shipped in a custom pizza box.
Ever wished you could be K.I.T.T. from Knight Rider? Well now you can with this shirt from Etsy designer, rubyred. Rubyred, an artist we’ve featured on the blog before, had this to say about the design: ”I’ve been playing around with a new halftone technique and created this as a test, it looks a little like that strange talking car from the 80s!” I have to say that paired with a blazer, this shirt looks slick!
Our friends at 410BC just unveiled their Winter ‘09 and it’s as impressive as ever. Along with the expected T-Shirt fare, they’ve also got button down shirts, sweaters and hoodies. I have to say that over the past year and a half that I have blogging about T-Shirts, 410BC is the brand that I have seen grow the most. They have definitely created a distinct look all their own.
The tees are priced between $24 – $28 but remember that you can save 20% off your entire order if you use the coupon code “coty” at checkout. But if you’d like an even better deal then you’ll need to check back on Halloween because 410BC will be holding a 24hour Halloween Day 50% off sale. That’s right, 50% off. Crazy? I know.
In this episode I wear Mega Byte Me by Ware Clothing, a brand new tee brand based out of San Francisco, California. If you’re into vintage technology, grew up in the 80’s, or actually know what a floppy disc looks like then I am sure that you’ll be able to appreciate the products from Ware Clothing.
You can also watch this episode on Vimeo, Viddler, YouTube, blip.tv and download and sync all episodes to your iPod or iPhone by subscribing for free to Co-Tee TV in the iTunes Store.
Coty’s Thoughts:
Mega Byte Me by Ware Clothing.Pros: Fun T-Shirt for those of you who enjoy vintage technology or cute characters. Each Ware character comes with a background story. Shirts come packaged with Ware Clothing buttons and stickers. The design features a three color print on a black American Apparel tee. Great price at $12. Cons: Plain packaging, the retro graphics and bit-like type might not appeal to everyone. Price: $12.
Back To The Future is easily one of my favorite movies from my childhood. Everything about that movie was iconic. So when I saw this shirt from Cuttin’ Up Hookers I was instantly drawn to it – it’s the 80’s kid in me. And need I say that image on this shirt of Marty McFly is epic! It truly is. I all of a sudden feel like watching this flick on DVD.
McFly Till I Die is available now from Cuttin’ Up Hookers for $19.99 but unfortunately it is available only in very limited sizes – small, extra large and girls large. Too bad I can’t go back in time to get myself a large.
If you grew up during the late 80’s and early 90’s then you had to have been a fan of Saved By The Bell. It was the teen soap opera of our generation! How could you not have been a fan? In this episode of Co-Tee TV I review Zack Morris is a Man Whore and I giveaway Am I Missing A Tooth, both of which are from my favorite Jewish humor tee site, Kosher Ham!
Do You Want To Win Am I Missing A Tooth from Kosher Ham?
If so then just leave a comment in this blog post and finish this sentence: “I Love Kosher Ham because __________” Post your completed sentence by Friday, October 9 at 11:59 PM Hawaii time in the blog post below or on my Facebook fanpage (or do both and double your chances) and you could win a Am I Missing A Tooth (retail $19.99) from Kosher Ham . The shirt to be given away is a size Large.
You can also watch this episode on Vimeo, Viddler, YouTube, blip.tv and download and sync all episodes to your iPod or iPhone by subscribing for free to Co-Tee TV in the iTunes Store.
Coty’s Thoughts:
Zack Morris Is A Man Whore by Kosher Ham.Pros: Printed on an American Apparel blank and comes packed with Kosher Ham branded stickers and pins. By three shirts from Kosher Ham and score a free Kosher Ham logo tee! Select from a wide variety of available colorways. Cons: Anti Saved By The Bell proponents would probably hate this shirt. Then again, are there any Anti Saved By The Bell proponents in existence? I thought not. Price: $17.99.
If you want to send me a product to review, please feel free to do so. You can find my information in the contact menu above. Thanks!
