Ever since T-shirt-wearing James Dean gave us his moody slouch, this
little piece of clothing has become the most ubiquitous cotton
item--worn by the whole world, from celebrities to kids in the poorest
villages in Africa.
Whether you're talking Gap plain, Nike branded, Che Guevara iconic, or
anti-capitalist slogan-bearing, there's no escaping the T-shirt. This is
a whistle-stop tour covering the T-shirt's first outing under the
uniforms of American soldiers in World War I, slavery and cotton mills,
fair trade, and "smart" Ts of the future.