The shirt, today an indispensable element in the wardrobe of men and women, has an ancient origin and a surprisingly fascinating history. From a simple undergarment to a statement of style and status, the shirt has gone through centuries of cultural, social and stylistic transformations.
The origins of the shirt: the Underwear of Antiquity
The shirt has origins dating back to ancient Egypt and Rome. The earliest examples were white linen tunics, worn under other clothing, often in direct contact with the skin to absorb sweat. In Latin it was called camisiafrom which the Italian term is derived.
In the Middle Ages, the shirt was still an undergarment, worn under the dress and never shown in public. It was often made of coarse linen, without buttons, simple seams and long sleeves. Nobles used embroidered shirts, while the people made do with more spartan versions.
The Renaissance: the transition to aesthetics
During the Renaissance, the shirt began to be decorated, embellished with lace and lace, visible at the edges of jackets and bodices. Collars became more and more conspicuous: famous are the ruffslarge starched wheel collars, a symbol of 16th century European aristocracy.
Leonardo da Vinci and other artists of the time often depicted characters dressed in puffy shirts, demonstrating how this garment was taking on an aesthetic and not just functional relevance.
The 18th and 19th centuries: symbol of class and decorum
In the 18th century, the shirt became an essential part of the formal male wardrobe. The whiteness of the shirt was synonymous with morality and cleanliness: only those who could afford to wash their clothes often showed impeccable white shirts. It was common to change it every day, while the outer garment was worn for weeks.
In the 19th century, the archetype of the dress shirtstiff, white, high-collared, often buttoned to the top. Day and evening shirts begin to differentiate, as do collars (mandarin, stiff, rounded).
The 20th Century: democratisation and creativity
With the Industrial Revolution and mass production, the shirt also became accessible to the middle class. From the 1920s onwards, with the advent of prêt-à-porter, the shirt finally stepped out of the shadow of the suit and became the protagonist.
In the 1950s, the white shirt represented the businessman, conformism, but also youthful rebellion in films with James Dean. In the 1970s, colours, psychedelic patterns, wide pointed collars (typical of disco music) exploded, while in the 1980s the oxford shirt became a symbol of the power dressing.
Iconic styles: a body language
- Oxford shirtInvented in the mid-19th century, it takes its name from a fabric produced in Scotland. Typical of the preppy style and American universities.
- Hawaiian shirtBorn in the 1930s in Hawaii, it has become a leisure icon.
- Western shirtwith press studs and embroidered details, symbol of the American frontier.
- Cuban shirt or Guayaberaoften white, with vertical pockets, typical of tropical climates and Latin American culture.
- Korean Shirtcollarless, elegant in its essentiality, today very popular in minimalist fashion.
Curiosities and legends about the shirt
- The saying 'being in shirt sleeves' indicated an informal or working attitude, as the jacket was considered indispensable for decorum.
- The black shirt is a controversial symbol, linked to Italian fascism. In contrast, the red shirt is the emblem of the Garibaldians.
- In the Middle AgesThere was a belief that sleeping with a dirty shirt brought nightmares and disease.
- The shirt as a pledge of loveIn Victorian times, women embroidered their beloved's initials on the inside collar of their shirt, a sign of hidden intimacy.
The shirt in contemporary fashion
Today the shirt is transversal: from work garment to haute couture element. Great designers such as Coco Chanel, Yves Saint Laurent and Karl Lagerfeld have reinterpreted it: Chanel with the masculine white shirt for emancipated women, Saint Laurent with the transparent shirt, Lagerfeld with the iconic stiff collar.
Even in genderless and casual wear, the shirt maintains a central role, often deconstructed, oversized or reinterpreted in a streetwear key. The shirt is not just an item of clothing, but a historical and social symbol, a body language that speaks of elegance, rebellion, culture and style. In every fold of fabric, a part of history is hidden.
