The other day I made a comment about hats. I remarked how what the world needs is more hats and less ball caps. I was trying to say I think we need to grow up a little bit. Ball caps are a bit too informal for most occasions. It turned into a little bit of a discussion. Well from that discussion I got to thinking about tee shirts. I wondered when we started wearing our tee shirts as regular shirts. I checked with my ever present friend, Google. Google says the popularity of tee shirts began with the second world war. Our boys overseas saw our allies wearing them and they were much cooler than the wool shirts they were wearing. Soon the Army and the Navy adopted them. The returning soldiers and sailors continued to wear them. Marlon Brando and John Wayne started wearing them as part of their bad boy images. Tee shirts became somewhat like the saggy pants are today, frowned upon in polite society and the mark of a rebel. Throughout most of the fifties plain white tee shirts were the symbol.
In the sixties, during my time, ringer tee shirts were introduced. I hadn't remembered them being called that but that is the name of the company that produced them first. A ringer tee shirt has contrasting colors on the neck and end of the sleeves. It was also in the sixties when we started tie dying our shirts. Groovy man. In the late sixties and early seventies logos, advertising and personal statements began to appear on them. We have gone casual my friends.
I have witnessed the change from men wearing a good hat to wearing mostly ball caps, and half of them on backwards, and we went from regular shirts to just tee shirts. I haven't Googled this but it appears to me cargo shorts are becoming the norm for everyday wear. Men in short pants ! Isn't the way I was raised though. Short pants were for children and those on vacation. Real men don't wear shorts. Some guys are even wearing sandals ! Well I agree with Merle, boots are still in style for man made footwear.
All of this is just a matter of fashion. And fashion should be what you are comfortable with. I have always gone pretty much in that direction. I'm not saying I haven't tried other fashions to attract the opposite sex but the fashions I stay with are the ones I am comfortable with. Tee shirts are alright and I wear a ball cap most of the time but shorts ? That's where I'm drawing another line in the sand. No sandals either !
I can't help but wonder if all this changed ; if we reverted to the ways of the past ; if things wouldn't improve in the world. A return to those old world manners and code of conduct. Gentleman tipping their hats to the ladies and the ladies being demure. Maybe all it takes is dressing for the part. The story of Clothes make the Man does have truth in it. We can be whatever we believe we should be. How much of what we do nowadays is just for the sake of convenience ? Just throw on a tee shirt and a pair of shorts, good enough. It does take effort to maintain ones image. I'm thinking we are all just getting a little too relaxed in our behavior. Maybe it is time to return to a more formal way of living, one with structure and order. I think I would like it better that way. The practice of living should be conducted as a formal affair not a summer camp ! We should dress the part.
In the sixties, during my time, ringer tee shirts were introduced. I hadn't remembered them being called that but that is the name of the company that produced them first. A ringer tee shirt has contrasting colors on the neck and end of the sleeves. It was also in the sixties when we started tie dying our shirts. Groovy man. In the late sixties and early seventies logos, advertising and personal statements began to appear on them. We have gone casual my friends.
I have witnessed the change from men wearing a good hat to wearing mostly ball caps, and half of them on backwards, and we went from regular shirts to just tee shirts. I haven't Googled this but it appears to me cargo shorts are becoming the norm for everyday wear. Men in short pants ! Isn't the way I was raised though. Short pants were for children and those on vacation. Real men don't wear shorts. Some guys are even wearing sandals ! Well I agree with Merle, boots are still in style for man made footwear.
All of this is just a matter of fashion. And fashion should be what you are comfortable with. I have always gone pretty much in that direction. I'm not saying I haven't tried other fashions to attract the opposite sex but the fashions I stay with are the ones I am comfortable with. Tee shirts are alright and I wear a ball cap most of the time but shorts ? That's where I'm drawing another line in the sand. No sandals either !
I can't help but wonder if all this changed ; if we reverted to the ways of the past ; if things wouldn't improve in the world. A return to those old world manners and code of conduct. Gentleman tipping their hats to the ladies and the ladies being demure. Maybe all it takes is dressing for the part. The story of Clothes make the Man does have truth in it. We can be whatever we believe we should be. How much of what we do nowadays is just for the sake of convenience ? Just throw on a tee shirt and a pair of shorts, good enough. It does take effort to maintain ones image. I'm thinking we are all just getting a little too relaxed in our behavior. Maybe it is time to return to a more formal way of living, one with structure and order. I think I would like it better that way. The practice of living should be conducted as a formal affair not a summer camp ! We should dress the part.
No comments:
Post a Comment