Bowling Shirt
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A bowling shirt, often referred to as a "bowler" or "bowling" shirt, is a distinctive and iconic piece of clothing closely associated with the sport of
bowling Bowling is a Throwing sports#Target sports, target sport and recreational activity in which a player rolls a bowling ball, ball toward Bowling pin, pins (in pin bowling) or another target (in target bowling). Most references to ''bowling'' are ...
. These shirts have a style of
camp shirt A camp shirt, variously known as a cabin shirt, Cuban collar shirt, cabana shirt, and lounge shirt, is a loose, straight-cut, woven, short-sleeved button-front shirt or blouse with a simple placket front opening and a "camp collar"–a one-piece ...
in which the fabric, color and design vary greatly, but frequently incorporate contrasting earth tones and simple geometric designs, with more expensive ones often made of
silk Silk is a natural fiber, natural protein fiber, some forms of which can be weaving, woven into textiles. The protein fiber of silk is composed mainly of fibroin and is most commonly produced by certain insect larvae to form cocoon (silk), c ...
. They may have a single pocket on the left—small logos or
monogram A monogram is a motif (visual arts), motif made by overlapping or combining two or more letters or other graphemes to form one symbol. Monograms are often made by combining the initials of an individual or a company, used as recognizable symbo ...
initials are also common options on the left breast.


Origins

Bowling shirts have their roots in the 1950s when bowling became a popular recreational activity in the
United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
. During this time, bowling alleys were not just places for competition but also social gatherings. To match the leisurely atmosphere of bowling, bowlers began wearing shirts designed explicitly for the sport. These shirts were a departure from traditional attire and quickly gained popularity for their comfort and style.


Culture

The shirt is associated most directly with
ten-pin bowling Tenpin bowling is a type of bowling in which a bowler bowling form, rolls a bowling ball down a wood or synthetic lane toward ten pins positioned Tetractys, evenly in four rows in an equilateral triangle. The goal is to knock down all ten Bowlin ...
but they are also associated with bar culture, billiards culture and
rockabilly Rockabilly is one of the earliest styles of rock and roll music. It dates back to the early 1950s in the United States, especially the Southern United States, South. As a genre, it blends the sound of Western music (North America), Western musi ...
,
ska Ska (; , ) is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1950s and was the precursor to rocksteady and reggae. It combined elements of Caribbean mento and calypso with American jazz and rhythm and blues. Ska is characterized by a w ...
, and
jump blues Jump blues is an uptempo style of blues, jazz, and boogie woogie usually played by small groups and featuring horn instruments. It was popular in the 1940s and was a precursor of rhythm and blues and rock and roll. Appreciation of jump blues wa ...
music. The ''
Two and a Half Men Two and a Half Men is an American television sitcom created by Chuck Lorre and Lee Aronsohn that aired on CBS for 12 seasons from September 22, 2003, to February 19, 2015. The series originally starred Charlie Sheen as Charlie Harper, a hedonis ...
'' character Charlie Harper, portrayed by
Charlie Sheen Carlos Irwin Estévez (born September 3, 1965), known professionally as Charlie Sheen, is an American actor. He is known as a leading man in film and television. Sheen has received numerous accolades including a Golden Globe Award as well as ...
, often wears two-tone bowling shirts.


References

{{reflist Shirts Ten-pin bowling Tops (clothing)