Jane and I found this a fascinating exhibition. It traces the history of this simple garment and how it has been used to communicate personal affiliations as well as reflecting on it’s creative potential.

T-shirts were mostly light coloured until opaque inks were developed that would show up on black fabric. We saw the first T-shirt that was embellished with rhinestones.

Music T-shirts have been produced in vast numbers as souvenirs of a particular event or in limited numbers available to those “in the know” and so become collector’s items.

Vivienne Westwood designed T-shirts over several decades and there were many on display. 

Conveying political messages is a well-known use of the T-shirt but they are also used in a more informal way by using humour to grab attention.

The exhibition ends with a display of photos by Susan Barnett of people’s back-views wearing T-shirts “with only the back of the head, the sitter is freed from the pressure of being photographed. The humble T-shirt becomes the conduit through which the subject communicates“. 

The exhibition finishes 6th May so there’s still time to catch it.

There is also an interesting display of the development of scissors and their various uses and users. Well worth browsing.

T-shirt exhibition at the Fashion and Textile Museum, Bermondsey Street, just behind London Bridge Station.