How Plain T-Shirts Became Icons

Simple, versatile, and timeless, plain t-shirts have been a wardrobe staple for as long as we can remember. They’re a chic basic that’s perfect for layering or styling alone.

A plain t-shirt represents a minimalist luxury style and a disruptive symbol of individuality and rebellion. Its roots evolved from hot and restrictive undergarments to cooler and more functional wear thanks to actors and regular people who rebelled against uncomfortable garments and brands that first sold T-shirts as an easy option for men who couldn’t sew. Over time, t-shirts became fashionable as stand-alone streetwear.

Discover how this piece of clothing transformed into a basic minimalist style icon.

How Plain T-Shirts Became Icons of Minimalist Style

A chic, branded t-shirt isn’t just cool, sleek, and comfortable. A high-quality t-shirt is also a status symbol. 

Much of the plain t-shirt's style status comes from the U.S. military actors, designers, beatniks, and hippies during the 1950s and 1960s who popularized the freedom, sustainability, and individuality of the t-shirt.

A Historical Evolution

In the 1800s, men wore woolen or cotton union suits. Single undergarments, often made of wool or cotton, union suits fit tightly and buttoned with a flap. Laborers, sailors, and soldiers found them hot, itchy, and uncomfortable. 

In 1904, the Cooper Underwear Company (now Jockey) developed a solution known as the “bachelor shirt.” It needed no sewing or alterations to fit and could easily be pulled over the head. By 1913, the U.S. Army adopted short-sleeve white cotton shirts. In 1920, F. Scott Fitzgerald coined the term “t-shirt” in his novel This Side of Paradise because the shirt’s outstretched arms made a T-shape.

The trend took off among teenagers during the 1940s as a way for young people to express their personal style. During World War II, soldiers wore this practical shirt at the front, which made it a popular patriotic look back home.

A Cultural Shift

The cultural shift toward wearing t-shirts as minimalist wear also comes from Marlon Brandon, who wore one in the 1951 film A Streetcar Named Desire. Actor James Dean also popularized the look.

Even so, most people considered t-shirts as underwear through the 1960s. The generation of hippies, protestors, students, and creatives challenged images of conformity and embraced plain t-shirts as a symbol of authentic individuality.  

Soon, everyone was wearing them. Brands such as Jockey, Tropix Togs, a Walt Disney character licensee, and even Coca-Cola began promoting t-shirts.

Why T-Shirts Are Here to Stay

Today, people are more socially and environmentally conscious, embracing more minimalist and sustainable clothing choices. As an aesthetic, the t-shirt is a basic piece that pairs with everything and symbolizes that less is more.

From the Boomer generation to Gen-Z, the plain t-shirt is essential to a timeless minimalist style.