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THE BIRTH OF COOL : THE T SHIRT AS A MEDIA MEDIUM

T Shirts were originally worn in the early 19th century , the US Navy issued them as undergarments between 1898 and 1913. The word T Shirt was in the Merriam Webster dictionary by 1920.


CINEMA AS A ICONIC FASHION MEDIUM

The early years of modern movies.

Marlon Brando began the birth of cool when he appeared in a T Shirt in A Street Car Named Desire a play in 1947 then a film in 1951.



Actor James Dean 1931 - 1955 made the fashion look cooler

The king of acting T Shirt cool was probably Steve Mc Queen 1930 - 1980


The first image to appear on a T Shirt was a promotion for the film The Wizard of Oz 1939


The first text on a T Shirt 1942 Life Magazine

After screen printing was invented in 1959 this fashion icon was well establised as a cheap wearable global message medium.


Some popular T Shirt designs










Environmental Messages




Almost any message can be transfered to a T Shirt to make it personally endorsed by the wearer.


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