The Little White T

Who wore it better? James Dean ...

... or Marlon Brando? Tie? Yah, thought so!

Who doesn't own a T-shirt or two or three ... or twenty? Despite their popularity and ubiquity, it seems that no one really knows exactly where they came from or how long they've been around. According to one historian, the first mention of them in print was in This Side of Paradise, by F. Scott Fitzgerald. It was one of a list of clothing items required by some Eastern boarding schools: "So early in September Amory, provided with 'six suits summer underwear, six suits winter underwear, one sweater or T shirt, one jersey, one overcoat, winter, etc.,' set out for New England, the land of schools." That book was published in 1920, but apparently our natty Navy was dressing their sailors in them as far back as 1913 (story, slideshow): http://www.latimes.com/features/image/alltherage/la-fe-atr-t-shirt-100-years-old-20130528,0,6158971.story
   BTW, you can download This Side of Paradise for free from http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/805