Shirt Project

I. Research

History

Shirt was originally a men’s underwear garment in Middle Ages. It was usually worn underneath other cloth and as the second layer next to skin. It was usually made with cotton, linen and silk.
Back then, a shirt did not have collar nor cuffs (just hem which could be tightened and buttoned), one could put it on by pulling it over his head.
What appears in medieval artworks shows that only humble characters such as shepherds, prisoners, and penitents reveals their shirt to others.
“Eighteenth-century costume historian Joseph Strutt believed that men who did not wear shirts to bed were indecent. Even as late as 1879, a visible shirt with nothing over it was considered improper.”
In the 18th century, shirt was no longer worn as underwear, its collar started to grow large and be decorated with embroidery and lace. However later it got back to the normal size.
In the middle of the 19th century, shirt was tailored to fit the body better. More colorful elements were added into designs especially on sports shirts and labour shirts. Until the end of the 19th century, white shirt had been considered to be an important attribute of prosperity.
At the end of the World War I, modern shirt with buttons all along the front became popular, ever since, the typical modern shirt with fixed collar and front buttons has been one of our favorite items in the closet.
In the late 1950s and 1960s, synthetic fabric was introduced in shirt design. At the same time, short sleeve shirt became high fashion.
As a result and solution of the retiring of vest under suit jacket around 1960s, chest pocket was introduced as a common part of a shirt.

: Shirt in Victorian Era

: Modern Shirt

Three Types of Shirt

Parts of shirt

Sleeves
Cuffs
Lower hem
Body
Neck
Pockets (Optional)

Interesting Facts about Shirts

1.Why Do Men’s and Women’s Shirts Button on Different Sides?

-The reason could be traced back to Victorian Era, men tend to dress themselves and since most men are right-handed, therefore the buttons are placed on the right side to serve their convenience. On the other hand, women who can afford a shirt with a lot of buttons back then relied on their maids’ help to get dressed. And because the most maids are right-handed, the buttons of women’s shirt are placed on the left side.

2. What is the loop on the back of a shirt?

-It is called the locker loop. The loop originally functioned as a way for East Coast sailors to hang their shirts on boats. This detail was adopted by some American fashion labels and then became a common decoration on shirts. In Ivy league, students use the loop to hang their shirts in locker rooms. What is more, young ladies would rip the loops on the shirt of boys they are interested in. Therefore the loop is also called “fruit loop”.