Today, band t-shirts have become synonymous with fashion, but that wasn’t always the case. When you wear a vintage band t-shirt, you’re carrying around years and years of history with you.
To learn more about the story of how the greatest fashion trend came to be, continue reading on.
History of the T-Shirt
The t-shirt was first manufactured in 1898 during the Spanish-American War, but the first seedling of the idea was laid sometime in the late 19th century when laborers would cut off half of their jumpsuits to stay cool during the summer. Early advertisements for the t-shirt were geared towards young bachelors to entice them to adopt the casual, buttonless shirt into their wardrobe.
Then, in 1913, the United States Navy began issuing white tees as an undershirt, and soon after, the white t-shirt was co-opted as the unofficial undershirt of most labor uniforms.
The t-shirt didn't become a cultural phenomenon until the 1950s, however, when Marlon Brando famously wore one on-screen in the film A Streetcar Named Desire. Brando’s embrace of the casual undergarment demonstrated to people just how fashionable a white t-shirt could be. Women loved him, men wanted to be him, and thus, the t-shirt craze was born overnight.
The Graphic Was Born
Just like white t-shirts, graphic t-shirts had a slow rise to public prominence. The earliest graphic tees were created around the 1940s and were typically worn by the adolescents of the time, known as rockabillies and bobby soxers.
They loved to express their love for artists like Frank Sinatra, and because there weren’t any retailers or merchandise companies who were selling these shirts, they usually had to screen print their shirts for themselves.
This all changed during the 1960s, thanks to music promoters and producers such as Bill Graham. Graham was a successful rock promoter known for helping kickstart the careers of Janis Joplin and The Grateful Dead.
Graham noticed the demand from audiences for musician merchandise and monetized on the opportunity immediately. He and his company Winterland went on to become the first rock t-shirt merchandiser in the world and created a cultural movement in the process.
After the band tee became mainstream, it quickly evolved into something even bigger. Musicians and audiences (who identified as punks, hippies, or political activists) alike took to the idea of the graphic t-shirt fairly quickly. They recognized its potential in spreading their messages of social injustice wherever they went.
This is how graphic tees became the promotional tool we know them to be today. In fact, their popularity can be directly attributed to the successes of such culturally widespread phrases as “Make Love Not War” and the imagery of Che Guevara during this time period.
The Band Plays On
The band tee boom really made its mark in the mid-1970s, when bands like AC/DC began breaking records by selling more band tee shirts than tickets to their tour. Bands who were associated with a certain image or symbol (i.e., The Rolling Stones’ tongue and lips logo, The Grateful Dead’s dancing bears) saw especially high consumer sales rates.
At this point, the band tee had become the official marker of individuality, interests, and personality. It’s not hard to understand why the trend grew as big as it did; fans today are just as passionate about their favorite musicians, if not more.
Our favorite bands mean so much to us that it only makes sense to support their music as outwardly and fervidly as possible. For that reason, it’s probably safe to say that even after all these years, we still haven’t reached the peak of the band tee obsession just yet.
But as long as our music is still around, so will our love for a good old-fashioned band tee.
How To Find the Perfect Vintage Band Tee
There is no one right way to find the ultimate vintage band tee. Band t-shirts are everywhere these days, mostly because people want to monopolize on the trend while they still can.
The best rule of thumb is to stick to buying from official vintage retailers rather than individuals on auction or resale websites that don’t require product authentication before completing a transaction.
Still need some guidance on what to look for when shopping for a vintage band tee?
Don’t fret; we’ve got you covered.
Stains Are Permanent
It’s a sentiment we all know to be true, but it bears repeating anyway: stains are permanent, especially stains that have gone untreated for 30+ years. Don’t buy a shirt with the hopes of getting the stain out. It’s best to just assume the spot isn’t going anywhere and make your decision from there.
There’s no need to be so quick in turning down a stained vintage band tee, though. A stained shirt may be listed at a discounted price. On the flip side of that, if you foresee yourself reselling the shirt at a later date, just know that a stain won’t get you top dollar for your shirt, either. With that in mind, always treat your beloved band tee with care and make sure to double-check the washing instructions.
Placement Matters
Trying to determine whether or not the vintage band tee you just found is actually vintage, but don’t know where to start? Don’t worry, because there are a couple of different methods you can try to distinguish the fake from the genuine.
First, make sure the graphics are placed correctly on the shirt. The general consensus from vintage t-shirt experts is that a graphic that is tilted or not centered is most likely to be a factory dupe. It might be too hard to tell just by looking at the shirt, so don’t be afraid to try it on and examine the margins for yourself.
Also, band tees sold on a tour will almost always have the city stops and dates listed on the back. Retailers don’t normally recreate both the front and the back of a band tee, so if you find a tour-specific tee with the correct dates, you’ve probably got an original on your hands.
And Don’t Forget About Condition
To put it simply: if a shirt is in pristine condition, it is most likely a replica. A 30-year-old band tee is sure to have some fading or other badges of honor. These are just things that happen with aging. Fading is natural, it’s expected, and most importantly, it means your shirt is real.
When Is the Price Too Much?
Vintage pieces often come with an expensive price tag because they are no longer in circulation and, therefore, their rareness increases their value. For that reason, expect to spend more money on a vintage band tee than you would a regular t-shirt.
It may seem overpriced at first, but actually, vintage band tees are usually very competitively and appropriately priced. Sellers are great about staying up to date on the increases and decreases of a shirt’s value, which means that if a price is too good to be true, it probably is.
With all this considered, it’s hard to put a universal price cap on a vintage t-shirt because everyone values a dollar differently. Just remember to go in with a prefixed budget in mind and only make a financial decision that you’re comfortable with and believe to be worth it.
Name One of Their Songs
By now, you’ve probably heard the phrase, “Oh, you like so-and-so’s music? Name five of their songs.” It’s a pretty divisive saying; some people think you shouldn’t own merch for a band you’re not familiar with, while others believe people should be able to wear whatever they want.
We’re here to put an end to the discussion once and for all and say: you definitely don’t need to be a listener to own a vintage band tee, much less a total expert. We all know that fashion is subjective, and vintage band t-shirts happen to fall under the category of fashion.
Whatever may have attracted you to the shirt--the colors, designs, size, quality of the fabric, etc.--is your prerogative. You don’t owe anyone any explanations as to why you bought the shirt, and no one deserves to be judged for their fashion or musical preferences, either.
So the next time you come across another perfect vintage band tee in the wild, don’t let other people’s criticisms stop you from making a bold and unforgettable fashion statement. Doing what you want without caring what others think? Yeah, that’s pretty much the epitome of rock and roll.
There is so much history behind every piece of clothing we wear, and we don’t even realize it. Vintage band tees have even more history because they have lived an entire life in someone else’s closet.
Embrace that history, and let your inner fan shine with the vintage band tee you’ve always wanted.
Sources:
The T‐Shirt Has Become the Medium for a Message | NY Times
A Brief History of the T-Shirt | Medium
The Beatles and the history of merchandising in music | The Music Network