T-SHIRTS - FROM INNIE TO OUTIE by Pam North It's probably the most popular shirt in the world, and it has been around for a long time, but how the T-shirt got its name and where it came from is a bit of a mystery. One theory is that they were first worn by longshoreman unloading tea from merchant ships in Annapolis, Maryland during the 17th century. They became known as "tea shirts," then "T-shirts." Another theory credits the British royal family as the force behind the invention of the T-shirt; the monarchy supposedly ordered sleeves to be sewn on sailor's undershirts to neatly cover the armpits of seamen during the royal family's inspections, and the result was a shirt shaped like the letter T. In 1913, crew-necked undershirts were added to the United States Navy uniforms. American men regarded them as a military article of clothing, and remained loyal to the true undershirt, sleeveless and deep-necked, traditionally worn by civilian males. When the movie "It Happened One Night" was released in 1934, Clark Gable removed his shirt in one scene and was wearing nothing underneath. Immediately a new fad emerged; the undershirtless Gable was emulated by young men all over the country, and the undershirt industry nearly toppled, putting many people out of work. Comfort in clothing was becoming a major focus, a trend that would soon cause the undershirt to shift from an underwear to an outerwear item. In the 1930s, sport shops put out undershirts with university insignias on them; then in 1938, Sears Roebuck and Co. featured a sailor-style, short-sleeved undershirt (selling for 24 cents apiece) in their catalog. It still didn't catch on, however; Clark Gable was still too strong an influence. It took World War II to really launch the T-shirt into mainstream America. During the war, each military branch issued millions of "skivvies" in its own particular color. In the hot tropical climate of the Pacific islands, the T-shirt was the most practical item of clothing, and the servicemen developed a fondness for them that went home with them when they were discharged. The T-shirt was a symbol of crew-cut neatness until 1951, when a film again impacted the institution of the T-shirt. "A Streetcar Named Desire" hit the screens, starring a young Marlon Brando wearing a skin-tight T-shirt over his muscular frame. The clothing item acquired a sexy image, furthered when other celebrities such as Elvis Presley and James Dean wore them with leather jackets. The 1950s turned the T-shirt into a clothing must-have and a billion- dollar-a-year industry. The average American owns at least 25 of them. Whether a plain wardrobe staple, an embellished fashion statement, or a wearable slogan-printed billboard, the T-shirt is as American as apple pie.