My friend Cheryl is glamorous in whatever she wears.
She can pull her hair up and back, throw on jeans and a white t-shirt and look like a million dollars. In fact, my friend Robin can do much the same, as can Debbie. Phooey. I love 'em but when I'm with them, I often feel frumpy and, well, like a missionary or something.
So, I think it's funny that some new fashion strategy is based on the funky white T!? They were in in 2003 and again in 2007.
They're in again. Good thinking, but not new, not revolutionary. Some of the best things are not new or revolutionary, but we often allow other people to make those calls for us; advertisers, big brands or gurus.
If in doubt about the sex appeal of this humble garment, just consider that many heart throbs are associated with the ultimate in casual—the white cotton T-shirt. Think brooding Marlon Brando, cool James Dean, 
seductive Elvis Presley, sultry Antonio Sabáto, Jr.
The T-shirt sizzle is particularly hot right now thanks to the publication of "the white T", a coffee table book by Alice Harris that celebrates the simple cotton item that fluidly and effortlessly defies boundaries of class, occasion, and gender. The generously illustrated book, with an introduction by self-described "T-shirt addict" Giorgio Armani, is focused the publicity spotlight on the T-shirt, including a two-page spread in People (May 26, 1997.)
Although the T began its life as a man’s undergarment in the 19th century, women are buying more and more cotton T-shirts and T-shirt inspired looks every year. Since 1990, women’s T-shirt unit sales have increased 23 percent with more than 232,014,000 sold in 1996, according to NPD.
seductive Elvis Presley, sultry Antonio Sabáto, Jr.The T-shirt sizzle is particularly hot right now thanks to the publication of "the white T", a coffee table book by Alice Harris that celebrates the simple cotton item that fluidly and effortlessly defies boundaries of class, occasion, and gender. The generously illustrated book, with an introduction by self-described "T-shirt addict" Giorgio Armani, is focused the publicity spotlight on the T-shirt, including a two-page spread in People (May 26, 1997.)
Although the T began its life as a man’s undergarment in the 19th century, women are buying more and more cotton T-shirts and T-shirt inspired looks every year. Since 1990, women’s T-shirt unit sales have increased 23 percent with more than 232,014,000 sold in 1996, according to NPD.
The reason for the popularity of this unassuming yet universally coveted garment? Just ask anybody in the office. The rise in corporate casual and casual Friday has fueled demand for T-shirt inspired tops. The acceptability of wearing T-shirt looks under jackets and with khakis at the office has spawned numerous variations on the theme—just think of all the T-shirt spin-offs that have become popular in the past few years: boat-necked, v-necked, scoop-necked, satin-trimmed, all in directional colors and prints.
And for retailers and manufacturers, T-shirt mania has translated into sales, lots and lots of sales. T-shirts are a key item, reliable bread and butter, for retailers who use visually compelling displays of brightly colored T’s to pull shoppers into a department or the store itself. Ironically, the popularity of this women’s corporate casual wardrobe essential can be traced back to an innovation in men’s fashion, courtesy of Giorgio Armani. The Italian designer revolutionized men’s formal dressing by popularizing the T-shirt-under-a-jacket look in the 1980s. This more relaxed approach to dressing was echoed by designers like Calvin Klein, Ralph Lauren and Donna Karan.
Sharon Graubard, founder and creative director of TobéNEXT, a forecasting division of The Tobé Report, credits these designers with "creating a sense of American casual chic. Blue jeans
have always been a badge of American style, and they [Karan, Klein, and Lauren] added the T-shirt to the aesthetic." She also gives kudos to J. Crew and The Gap who, during the mid-1980s, helped to make the T-shirt an indispensable part of the quintessentially relaxed American look. In fact, T-shirts might be even more all-American than jeans after all because sales of Ts actually outpace denim jean sales among women by 27 percent; on average, a woman owns seven pairs of jeans and at least ten T-shirts.
In fact, it is safe to say that the T is the quintessential American garment because it embodies the egalitarian ability to embrace something of humble, unpretentious origins and to make it perfectly acceptable across all classes, within a wide range of activities, and for both sexes. Perfect example: Sharon Stone proudly wearing a black T-shirt to the Oscars. That was certainly the T-shirt’s most glorified, glamorous moment because it looked sleek and entirely appropriate amidst the more flamboyant creations in the Oscars fashion parade.
And for retailers and manufacturers, T-shirt mania has translated into sales, lots and lots of sales. T-shirts are a key item, reliable bread and butter, for retailers who use visually compelling displays of brightly colored T’s to pull shoppers into a department or the store itself. Ironically, the popularity of this women’s corporate casual wardrobe essential can be traced back to an innovation in men’s fashion, courtesy of Giorgio Armani. The Italian designer revolutionized men’s formal dressing by popularizing the T-shirt-under-a-jacket look in the 1980s. This more relaxed approach to dressing was echoed by designers like Calvin Klein, Ralph Lauren and Donna Karan.
Sharon Graubard, founder and creative director of TobéNEXT, a forecasting division of The Tobé Report, credits these designers with "creating a sense of American casual chic. Blue jeans
have always been a badge of American style, and they [Karan, Klein, and Lauren] added the T-shirt to the aesthetic." She also gives kudos to J. Crew and The Gap who, during the mid-1980s, helped to make the T-shirt an indispensable part of the quintessentially relaxed American look. In fact, T-shirts might be even more all-American than jeans after all because sales of Ts actually outpace denim jean sales among women by 27 percent; on average, a woman owns seven pairs of jeans and at least ten T-shirts.In fact, it is safe to say that the T is the quintessential American garment because it embodies the egalitarian ability to embrace something of humble, unpretentious origins and to make it perfectly acceptable across all classes, within a wide range of activities, and for both sexes. Perfect example: Sharon Stone proudly wearing a black T-shirt to the Oscars. That was certainly the T-shirt’s most glorified, glamorous moment because it looked sleek and entirely appropriate amidst the more flamboyant creations in the Oscars fashion parade.
_ What's your #1 favourite fashion item?_
Cheryl recently wrote about white t-shirts on her blog too.
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