What’s The Difference Between Shirts And T-Shirts?

What's The Difference Between Shirts And T-Shirts?

Knowing the difference between different articles of clothing can make a huge difference, especially when it comes to tops. If your dress code says that you can wear shirts, but not t-shirts it can be a little confusing. Where is the line drawn, and what exactly does that mean? Many places such as jobs, night clubs, restaurants, and even high-end establishments like country clubs or yacht clubs might have these kinds of dress codes, and it’s important to make sure that you’re dressed correctly so you don’t have any issues.

What Is A Shirt?

This can seem like a silly question, especially considering most people have been wearing clothing for a very long time. Shirts are considered formalwear. They typically are button up and have collars. Shirts can vary in material and design, from a standard black or white cotton/polyester blend shirt all the way to shirts with colorful designs made out of fancy fabrics like velvet or silk.

Shirts are typically what you’ll see people wearing in professional settings or even black tie settings. Shirts are meant to portray class, elegance, an air of professionalism, and much more. People will wear shirts really anytime they need to appear credible; that’s why you will usually see a newscaster, sales professional, banker, or even job applicant drawn this kind of attire. It’s been a staple of formal dress since the 19th century.

An Explanation And Brief History Of T-Shirts

T-Shirts are far less formal than shirts. They don’t have collars or buttons and are pulled on over the head. These are typically made of a harder fabric than shirts, such as linen. You can see the vast majority of people wearing this kind of shirt in most situations, and many companies have their employees wear t-shirts. They’re usually cheaper and easier to wash than shirts, and they’re allowed in most places that don’t have dress codes like music venues and most bars.

T-shirts were also created in the 19th century but weren’t popularized for a while after. The original t-shirts were worn by laborers, who cut their jumpsuits to keep cool in the warm summer months. The first manufactured t-shirts were made during the Mexican-American war in 1898, and again in 1913 when the US Navy started issuing them as standard undershirts.

What's The Difference Between Shirts And T-Shirts?

In the 1950’s it started to become more common to see people wear t-shirts like shirts, instead of just as undershirts. At this point not only was it seen as more acceptable to wear them as outerwear, but it was adopted as an act of rebellion. During the same decade, there were a few companies experimenting with graphic t-shirts, but it didn’t gain popularity until the 1970s. This is when band t-shirts became a lot more popular, and also the birth of the punk scene. T-shirts with slogans and imagery became increasingly popular among rebellious youth, and over time it just became a staple of casual wear.

Choosing The Right Type Of Shirt For Your Setting.

Most articles of clothing aren’t good for all purposes. You likely wouldn’t wear your Sunday best to do gardening or clean out your garage, just like you wouldn’t wear a t-shirt and jeans to an interview for your dream job. Choosing the right kind of shirt for the right situation is the key to success and the key to not wearing out your nice clothes doing dirty work. Whether you’re going out on the town, going to work, or finally getting around to cleaning your attic knowing the right shirt to fit the situation will give you the best possible results.