T-Shirts - An Individual Fashion Statement

For many children, the t-shirt emblazoned with a current favourite TV icon normally ranks amongst their most prized possessions, and for t-shirt manufacturers, producing such garments can be an extremely lucrative market. In fact, think of any cartoon character - from the Mr. Men to Walt Disney's Donald Duck - and you'll likely find a t-shirt to match.Although the origins of the t-shirt can be traced back to the First World War, it wasn't until the 1950s that the garment moved away from its plain exterior, as companies in the United States began experimenting with adding letter and character decorations to the material. The 1960s saw the introduction of the 'Ringer'-style t-shirt, a t-shirt where the jersey is one colour, while the ribbing around the collar and sleeves is a different, contrasting colour quickly became popular with youths and rock-n-roll fans. The style enjoyed another brief renaissance in the early 2000s.The same period also saw the emergence of tie-dyeing and screen-printing which led to a massive boom in customised t-shirts, especially throughout the heavy metal era of the 1970s, once bands of that era realised the commercial opportunities available to them. Bands and musical groups began to mass produce t-shirts to promote themselves, many of which would feature album covers and logos on the front, while on the back fans would find tour details and concert dates. These proved to be hugely popular with concert-goers and this trend has continued on with unwavering popularity into today's subcultures.During the early 1980s, some musical bands chose instead to emblazon promotional t-shirts with slogans instead of graphics. For instance, the Frankie Goes To Hollywood 'Frankie Says