T-shirts

A T-shirt (also spelled tee shirt), or tee, is a style of fabric

shirt A shirt is a cloth garment for the upper body (from the neck to the waist). Originally an undergarment worn exclusively by men, it has become, in American English, a catch-all term for a broad variety of upper-body garments and undergarments. ...

named after the T shape of its body and sleeves. Traditionally, it has short sleeves and a round neckline, known as a ''

crew neck A crew neck (crewneck or crew-neck) is a type of shirt or sweater that has a round neckline and no collar, often worn with other layers. The name dates back to 1939 and was named after a type of sweater worn by rowers. The T-shirt crew neck was ...

'', which lacks a collar. T-shirts are generally made of a stretchy, light, and inexpensive fabric and are easy to clean. The T-shirt evolved from

undergarment Undergarments, underclothing, or underwear are items of clothing worn beneath outer clothes, usually in direct contact with the skin, although they may comprise more than a single layer. They serve to keep outer garments from being soiled o ...

s used in the 19th century and, in the mid-20th century, transitioned from undergarment to general-use casual clothing. They are typically made of

cotton Cotton is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective case, around the seeds of the cotton plants of the genus '' Gossypium'' in the mallow family Malvaceae. The fiber is almost pure cellulose, and can contain minor pe ...

textile in a stockinette or jersey knit, which has a distinctively

pliable {{Short pages monitor * * {{Authority control 20th-century fashion 21st-century fashion American fashion Canadian fashion Casual wear History of clothing (Western fashion) Tops (clothing) Western wear