“There are three things that will
never go out of style; a pair of blue jeans, a white t-shirt and a Chanel
jacket” Fashion Mogul Karl Lagerfeld. How true is this statement especially for
the basic white t-shirt aka the basic white tee? It’s the one item that pairs
well with literally any garment or accessory easily. Ever wondered who started wearing the basic
white t-shirt and made it so popular? In the 1960s an actor by the name Brandon
wore a basic white t-shirt in a playwright that ended up winning a Pulitzer
Prize. The fact that he was also a hunky male made the basic white tee look so cool
to wear.
Quality and Cut
The first step in finding
happiness with a basic white tee is having a seamless bra to go with it and finding
a t-shirt that is of good quality and cut to suit your body type. When it comes
to quality, the fabric used has a big hand in it. The fabrics normally used
include cotton, polyester or eco-friendly ones such as hemp, bamboo and organic
cotton. The cuts on the other hand include the loose hanging tees or the form
fitting tees which also vary in the cut on the neck. Some have a V neck,
scooped neck, crew neck or raglan. The V neck tees shaped as the letter V can
flatter any body shape giving a sexier look. The scooped neck tee on the other
hand, has a more rounded neckline and when paired with a blazer is perfectly
suitable when going for a formal look. The crew neck has a more modest rounded
neckline and can also look stylish particularly if it is fitted and accentuated
with a scarf. The Raglan t-shirt that
was adopted from baseball players’ uniform, has a rounded neck and sleeves that
attach to the neck diagonally. The sleeves are normally ¾ in length and this
type of cut is more suited for a casual look.
What makes us Happy
Lasting happiness however, comes
when our tee shirts serve a bigger purpose than covering our nakedness or
boosting our confidence. According to Economist and Ted Speaker Paul Zak, while
doing research on what makes people happy, he found that a molecule called
oxytocin associated with the feelings of love and pain, was released into the
blood when someone was happy. He noticed an increase of oxytocin among a group
of people who were looking at pictures of their loved ones on social media and in
a man who was watching a video about a father who refused to leave the side of
his son when he was dying of cancer. His conclusion was that people are happier
when they feel connected with other people and are able to empathize with
others’ situation.
Tees that bring the Happy in You
When it comes to basic white t-shirts,
there are those sold by companies that allow
us to feel connected to other people. Normally they ascribe to a certain cause
or movement where wearing a particular tee expresses an individual’s support
for or belief in the movement. There are also t-shirts that allow people to
give to various charities like education for girls who would otherwise become
victims of early marriage, feed starving people or those that help clothe the
homeless. These are the kind of t-shirts that give a whole new meaning to
feeling good about what you wear. Different researchers have observed that the
happiest people are givers. It’s interesting that people who give end up
receiving happiness themselves. Being able to support Janet’s education, a 14
yr old girl in Kenya whose parents can barely provide more than one meal a day
brings things into perspective. What you wear can have a positive impact in
someone’s life. You realize that you actually don’t have it as bad as you think
and there are people in the world who are having challenges that you couldn’t possibly
imagine. To be able to buy a basic white t-shirt and see the difference it made
to someone’s life, can bring true fulfillment and happiness to the wearer.
