Since the mid 19th century, the availability of T-shirts or shirts amongst men’s wear has been imponderable. However, to date, these garments are two of the most worn clothing in the menswear section. From formal suits to casual denim, from informal trousers to traditional kurtas, menswear has become a favourite for women too.
Shirt vs T-Shirt
The main difference between a shirt and a T-shirt is that a shirt is a formal garment of men’s clothing that does not have buttons, and sometimes collars are present, whereas a T-shirt is an informal shirt with buttons and collars.
A shirt is a clothing garment for the upper body exclusively worn by men for any formal occasion. In Britain, a shirt is a garment with a collar, sleeves with cuffs, and a full vertical opening with buttons. It is mostly worn by men along with a necktie under the shirt collar for formal meetings.
On the other hand, a T-shirt is also known as a tee-shirt, a type of shirt, but casual wear rather than formal. T-shirts don’t have either collars or buttons. However, they are categorized for their stretchable, finely knitted fabric, cotton, short-sleeved, and probably men’s everyday wear in most countries.
Comparison Table Between Shirt and T-Shirt
| Parameters of Comparison | Shirt | T-Shirt |
| Meaning | A shirt is a formal menswear, which has a collar or necktie that can be worn in any important meeting. | A T-shirt is an informal shirt unisex wear that comes with a T shape of its body and sleeves. The T-shirt can be worn at home or during any causal event. |
| Etymology | The term shirt was evolved back in 3000 BC, which is discovered as the oldest shirt in the first dynasty Egyptian tomb. | In the 19th century, a T-shirt was invented as undergarment wear. Later in the 20th century, the T-shirt was recognised as causal menswear. |
| Material used | A shirt is made up of fabric. Shirts are either made of natural fibre – Cotton, hemp, wool, silk and ramie. While for man-made fibre- polyester, viscose and Tencel. | T-shirts are of ring-spun cotton whereby thinning, twisting and spinning the fabrics to yarn for a worthwhile T-shirt material. |
| Types | There are a plethora of types of shirts such as shirtwaist, a poet shirt, T-shirt, polo shirt, casual shirt, amp shirt, dress shirt, sweatshirt and nightshirt. | There are three types of T-shirts such as V-neck, U-neck T-shirts and tie-dye T-shirts. |
| Designed | A shirt is normally designed with a formal collar, sleeves with cuffs, a full-length opening at the front from the collar to the hem, and some with pockets. | The T-shirt is designed with dyes, spray, paints, markers, followed by techniques to make it even more creative like sponging, spanking crayons, screen printing, daubing and bleaching. |
What is Shirt?
A shirt is formal menswear often worn during meetings or any important events with a necktie or suit. Shirts are originally invented as a wide variety of upper-body gannets or undergarments for men.
According to the reports, Flinders Petrie is the one who has discovered the oldest shirt, which is from a first dynasty Egyptian tomb, dated to 3000 BC. Until the 20th century, shirts were used as undergarments for men, which are full-sleeved, cuffed, buttoned, and collared. Over time, the popularity of shirts around the globe intensified, with so many types introduced beneath it, such as camp shirt, dress shirt, a poet shirt, T-shirt, polo shirt, sweatshirt, shirtwaist, nightshirt, and many more.
Most shirts are nothing more masterpieces than woven collared men’s garments. They are designed for formal purposes, such as collars, a full-length opening at the front from the collar to the hem, and sleeves with cuffs and rarely come with pockets. Speaking of their fabric, shirts are either made of natural fibre (hemp, cotton, ramie, wool, silk) or man-made fibre ( polyester, Tencel, viscose).
What is T-Shirt?
A T-shirt is an informal or casual menswear, with the T shape of its body and sleeves. They don’t have either collars or buttons but are categorized for their stretchable, finely affordable knitted fabric, easy-clean, cotton material, short-sleeved garment.
T-shirt’s were originally invented for undergarments wear in the 19th century, and in the mid 20th century, turned out to be famous casual wear among men’s clothing.
T-shirts are short-sleeved, collarless, and undershirt, plus, regarded for their reasonable prices, comfortability, hygienic, and have become an essential basic wardrobe item worn by people of all classes and ages.
Moreover, there are a few types of T-shirts worn by men around the market, starting from V-neck T-shirts to tie-dye T-shirts. People have fallen in love with shirts, especially T-shirts.
T-shirts are known for their designs, including paints, markers, dyes, spray, fabric transfer crayons, followed by techniques like stencilling, sponging, screen printing, daubing, bleaching, and many more. Most T-shirts are of ring-spun cotton, which is manufactured by twisting, thinning, and spinning the fabrics into yarn, for a long-lasting T-shirt.
Main Differences Between Shirt and T-Shirt
- A shirt is formal wear that is wearable to important meetings, whereas a T-shirt is informal wear and wearable for casual outings or at home.
- The shirt was discovered as the oldest shirt in the first dynasty Egyptian tomb in 3000 BC. Meanwhile, T-shirts were introduced as undergarments wore in the 19th century.
- The shirt is made by two methods, either by nature made where materials used- Cotton, hemp, wool, silk and ramie and for man-made fibre- polyester, viscose and Tencel. On the other hand, the T-shirt is manufactured by ring-spun cotton whereby thinning, twisting and spinning the fabrics to yarn for a worthwhile T-shirt material.
- There are plenty of shirts like- a T-shirt, polo shirt, casual shirt, amp shirt, dress shirt, a poet shirt, sweatshirt and nightshirt etc. Notwithstanding, T-shirts come in three types- V-neck T-shirts and tie-dye T-shirts.
- When it comes to design, then a shirt is designed with a formal collar, sleeves with cuffs, a full-length opening at the front from the collar to the hem, and some with pockets. Albeit, T-shirts are casual wear that is designed with dyes, spray, paints, markers, followed by techniques like sponging, spanking crayons, screen printing, daubing and bleaching.
Conclusion
A shirt and T-shirt is menswear, where a shirt is a formal clothing style, and a T-shirt is an informal wear. The shirt is designed with a collar, a full-length button is embroidered in the front line of the shirt, and comes with pockets. Besides, Shirt is created by the materials used- Either nature made Cotton, hemp, wool, silk and ramie or man-made fibre- polyester, viscose and Tencel. The shirt was invented in the first dynasty Egyptian tomb as the oldest shirt in 3000 BC. The shirt is generally wearable to any important events like Board meetings, budget meetings etc.
A T-shirt is informal unisex wear, which has been invented in the 19th century but was renowned in the 20th as casual wear for any regular outing. Moreover, T-shirts come in three types such as U-Shirt, V-neck T-shirts and tie-dye T-shirts. The T-shirt is made up of ring-spun cotton, and also the T-shirt is designed with dyes, paints, and spray, followed by creative techniques to look fine and unique like sponging, crayons, screen printing, daubing and bleaching, dyeing etc.
References
- https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/026870300401405
- https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0921344915300434
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