![]() The designs matched the often extreme images of the wearer, with Malcolm McLaren’s Seditionaries t-shirt featuring shocking images such as the Cambridge Rapist, a pair of cowboys naked from the waist down, penises almost touching or slogans such as “ One day your gonna wake-up and know which side of the bed you’ve been lying on!” A heavy metal t-shirt likewise identified its owner as belonging to a subculture and it was not uncommon, once so identified, for the different groups to stay in their own camps and even react violently with others.įrankie Goes to Hollywood were an 80s phenomenon. Nazi black metal, Phil Anselmo and the fight against racism in rock A punk t-shirt shouted its wearer’s allegiance to the world and was often enough reason to strike up conversations and friendships, or even attract trouble. When tribalism was perhaps at its height in British culture in the late 70s and throughout the 80s, a t-shirt was perhaps one of the most effective ways to display your colours. If you would like to print t-shirts for your band, silk screened t-shirts wholesale is a great choice for this purpose. In fact, merchandise has an important source of income for bands as record sales fall away in the Internet age. Many shirts from this era have become eminently collectable and command prices well into four figures.īands soon latched on to the market for official t-shirts and the merchandise stall became a common sight at gigs. The t-shirt was reborn as a counter culture icon. Along with band logos and company adverts came anti-war slogans and tie-dye. A new type of ink was invented that meant that printed t-shirts could withstand day to day wear and washing, so designs flourished. The 60s saw t-shirts become a form of expressions, as logos, slogans and cartoons were added. The history of Western culture from the 60s onwards can be mapped out in t-shirts – think of such classic designs as the Rolling Stones lips shirts, the Ramones’ logo shirts and Frankie’s Relax line, the zeitgeist has been captured and displayed over the hearts of generations.Īsking people what their favourite underwear is, or which socks they remember most would undoubtedly elicit more than a few strange looks, but change the question to t-shirts and not only will there be answers, but also tales of when/where it was bought, what the wearer was doing at the time and very probably a misty eyed, nostalgic story caught up in the shirt’s very fabric. ![]() Soon the t-shirt had been adopted the world over and images, slogans and messages had been added to the basic design. Within a year, t-shirt sales had reached $180m in America alone and a fashion phenomenon was born. Originally designed to be worn under military uniforms, the t-shirt stepped out and entered the mainstream as outerwear following Marlon Brando’s performance in A Streetcar Named Desire, smouldering in a white tee. The t-shirt has become our personal billboard, a means of expression we can slip on and an essential part of our wardrobes. You can get better Levi t-shirts for men EJ Menswear.With a new shop dedicated to band t-shirts opening in Liverpool, Getintothis’ Paul Evangelista takes a look at the history of the t-shirt and interviews the new owner.įor something so unassuming, the humble t-shirt, more than any other item of clothing, has become a cultural signifier, a chance to announce to the world which tribe you belong to, what you are into and even something of your life history and personal views. The were numerous copies and fakes made and the image is still popular today as a nostalgia piece. He copied the designs of Katherine Hamnett and her large slogan t-shirts. The creator was Paul Morley of the band’s record label. Whether the band made any money out of the t-shirt sales is moot. At first the BBC were fine with it, they even performed the song on Top of the Pops, only the ban ensured that it got to number one and stayed there. The song’s lyrics and the video they produced for it were blatantly reflective of this. The band were open about their bedroom habits and their partner choices. They had just scored a huge hit with their first single Relax. They were a new band that had grown out of the post punk scene. The roots of the t-shirt are based on a song by the band Frankie goes to Hollywood. What kind of relaxation were they suggesting exactly? Who was Frankie and why was he asking us to relax? Was Frankie short for Francesca? Or lengthened from Frank. ![]() It was a simple white t-shirt with a three word phrase “Frankie says Relax”. No one really knows what it meant but everyone had to have one. In the early to mid 1908’s there was but one t-shirt.
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