A Historical View of T Shirts, Polo Shirts and Golf Shirts in Tampa FL

Everyone everywhere shares the love for t shirts. In fact, there is hardly any person who does not have t-shirts in his or her wardrobe. Even babies and senior citizens wear t-shirts. They are also known as polo shirts, golf shirts, tee shirts and tees. Schools, organizations, institutions and companies use logo embroidered t shirts as uniforms. Logo embroidered t shirts are also in demand as promotional items. They are effective, too, because people invariably wear those promotional t shirts as casual wear. Because of its mass appeal, wholesale custom t shirts with embroidery are widely sold in Tampa FL.

According to unofficial reports, the t-shirt first emerged in the 1900s in Europe. It was first seen as a light cotton undergarment that soldiers wore in World War I. Its popularity spread from there, so much so that in the 1920s the word was included in the English dictionary. American soldiers were also influenced by their European counterparts. When World War II took place, the t-shirt was also already an official undergarment of the US Army and the US Navy.

It was not long before the t-shirt became popular as outer wear as well. New York governor Thomas E. Dewey used it in his political campaign in 1948, with the slogan “Dew it with Dewey!” The t-shirt gained an even larger following when Hollywood superstars like John Wayne, Marlon Brando and James Dean wore it in their films. By the time the 1960s came along, t-shirts were worn by teenagers day and night everywhere they went.

Through all those years, the basic shape of t-shirts did not change. As the name itself implies, t-shirts are shaped like the letter “T.” In the original form, t-shirts have collarless round necklines, no plackets, no buttons, short sleeves, no cuffs and no pockets. While the original shape was retained, the years have brought many variations of t-shirts. Various styles of t-shirts can be found today. They may have short sleeves, long sleeves or three-fourths length sleeves, with or without cuffs. They may also come sleeveless as muscle shirts or tank tops. Necklines can be round, scooped, boat necked, cowl necked, vee necked or with a hoodie. They can have collars and plackets that may or may not have buttons. They can also have pockets. Even the length and fit of t-shirts can now vary. They can be body hugging or very loose. They can be worn hip length, thigh length, knee length or cropped to the waist or midriff. There are even t-shirt dresses for women. T-shirts may acquire even more variations in the future. The only sure thing is that they will always be worn everywhere, including Tampa FL.

T-shirts, polo t shirts and golf t shirts are indeed now considered as basic wear by all manner of people, young and old, rich and poor, conservative and adventurous. T-shirts can be found worn in even the most remote corners of the world as well as the most cosmopolitan of cities. It is not surprising that t-shirts are the most popular items of clothing even in Tampa FL.

Florida Shirt Company
Robert Mims
3103 W Parkland Blvd
Tampa, FL 33609-4635
Phone: (813) 837-4478
Fax: (813) 875-4407
Email: floridashirt@gmail.com
Website: www.floridashirt.com

How the Embroidered Polo Shirts and Golf Shirts in Tampa FL Came to Be

Embroidered polo shirts, also sometimes called golf shirts or tee shirts, are popular promotional items not only in Tampa FL but in almost all cities around the world. Wholesale custom t shirts are sold and bought and embroidery is added depending on the company or institution they will be used for. T-shirts are common as uniforms and even as casual attire of men, women and children of all ages in Tampa FL and elsewhere.

The game called polo is very old and can be traced back to Persia in the 7th century. It spread to other countries and soon came to Britain from India. The name polo comes from the Tibetan word “pulu” which refers to the wooden ball used in the game. The earliest known “polo shirt” was originally a white long sleeved button down shirt with a collar, worn with white trousers. This was embroidered with the image of a polo player by Lewis Lacey in 1920. He was a Irish haberdasher in Buenos Aires who was also a polo player at the Hurlingham Polo Club.

Like polo players, tennis players used to wear white long sleeved button down shirts, too. These were worn with ties and white trousers, as well. The sleeves of the shirts were rolled up during a match.

In 1926, the French tennis player Rene Lacoste, who was a 7-time Grand Slam champion, adopted the long back tail of the polo shirt when he designed his own tennis shirt. It prevented the shirt from being easily pulled out from the trousers or shorts by the wearer’s movements. Lacoste’s tennis shirt was made of breathable knitted pique cotton, had more comfortable short cuffed sleeves, and had a soft flat collar with a buttoned placket. The collar provided additional protection from the sun when worn turned up against the nape. Unbuttoning the placket could also loosen the collar for more comfort. In 1927, Lacoste had the image of the crocodile embroidered on the left breast of his shirts It was a reference to his nickname in tennis, as “The Crocodile.”

Lacoste retired from tennis in 1933 and shifted his concentration to mass manufacturing and marketing his shirts with the help of Andre Giller. The Lacoste shirts were eventually sold widely around the world but they ironically came to be known more as “polo shirts” than “tennis shirts.” They have also been adapted for use in golf, giving rise to the term “golf shirts.”

Another factor that added to the polarity of the term “polo shirt” over the “tennis shirt” or the “golf shirt” though, was the entry of world renowned American designer Ralph Lauren in the fray. Ralph Lauren named his entire clothing line “Polo” and among his items of clothing in that line was the “polo shirt.” The polo shirt from Ralph Lauren is very similar to the Lacoste shirt, except that the polo shirt sports the image of a polo player instead of a crocodile on the breast.

Today, what is known as the “polo shirt,” “tennis shirt” or “golf shirt” is a short sleeved t-shirt with a soft collar and two to three buttons down the front, with or without a placket. There are times when a zipper is used instead of buttons.  The golf shirt usually does not have cuffed sleeves. A pocket is optional. The most common material used is still knitted cotton pique but synthetic blends may also be used, as well as merino wool or even silk.

This is how those embroidered polo shirts and golf shirts in Tampa FL and everywhere else came to be. These custom t shirts will surely be seen for generations to come.

Florida Shirt Company
Robert Mims
3103 W Parkland Blvd
Tampa, FL 33609-4635
Phone: (813) 837-4478
Fax: (813) 875-4407
Email: floridashirt@gmail.com
Website: www.floridashirt.com

Buying Wholesale Custom Embroidered and Printed T Shirts, Golf Shirts and Polo Shirts in Tampa FL

Custom embroidered and printed t shirts, golf tee shirts and polo shirts are favored as uniforms for schools, health institutions, fitness institutions and other businesses, especially in the balmy weather of Tampa FL. When the weather gets occasionally too hot, these items of clothing remain comfortable for the wearers, as well. T-shirts, golf shirts and polo shirts with embroidery or prints are, therefore, also often used as promotional items. Donors are sure that recipients will continue to don them for a long time even as casual wear, thereby providing ongoing advertising benefits. Because of their popularity, buying wholesale t shirts, golf shirts and polo shirts with embroidery or prints is easy in Tampa FL.

Large and small institutions and companies alike often display their embroidered logos on their t shirts, golf shirts and polo shirts, whether these are used as uniforms or as promotional items. Sometimes, the color of the embroidery is differentiated among staff categories or work assignments, making it functional and not only decorative. Embroidery on the shirts can be done in both large and small quantities.

Cost of embroidery depends on the number of stitches necessary for each logo, making smaller and simpler logos more cost effective. Designs that have up to 10,000 stitches are priced at an average of .50 per item. If the number of stitches exceeds 10,000, you will have to pay .50 more per item. You will have to provide the embroidery supplier with your logo design so they can determine the number of stitches it requires.

The logo design you will provide your embroidery supplier has to be in the form of either a high resolution print or a digital file. The supplier can use the same print or file for all succeeding batches of t shirts, golf shirts and polo shirts for as long as you have the same logo.

Make sure that you ask for an embroidery sample of your logo before your supplier goes into mass production, though. This way, you can correct any errors or do the necessary refinements first.

Aside from embroidery, screen printing is another popular option for t shirts, golf shirts and polo shirts. Screen printing is the better choice for more complicated images which require more colors. In such cases, not only is printing more cost effective than embroidery but can also capture the image you need with more precision.

There are various types of printing processes used on t shirts, golf shirts and polo shirts. The four color process uses the four basic colors of red, yellow, blue and black in combinations to produce all possible colors. Spot color processing uses only ten different colors.

Having a light or dark background for the print makes a big difference in the type of print processing that is appropriate. It is, therefore, recommended not to mix light and dark colored t shirts, golf shirts and polo shirts for the same print. If you insist, you will incur additional costs.

If you require children’s sizes for your t shirts, golf shirts and polo shirts, you have to check if your logo or design fits both the children’s sizes and adult sizes. Otherwise, you will have to pay extra for a separate logo or image of a different size.

Finally, buying wholesale means volume. The cost per piece decreases. This is also where you can get additional discounts. It is best, therefore, to plan well for larger orders. The minimum order required by most suppliers is usually 24 items but if you order more, they can print as much as 2400 items for every eight hour shift.

Whether you need them for uniforms or as promotional items, wholesale custom embroidered or printed t shirts, golf tee shirts and polo shirts are easy to source in Tampa FL.

Florida Shirt Company
Robert Mims
3103 W Parkland Blvd
Tampa, FL 33609-4635
Phone: (813) 837-4478
Fax: (813) 875-4407
Email: floridashirt@gmail.com
Website: www.floridashirt.com

History of Polo Shirts and Golf Shirts That Are Favorite Uniforms and Promotional Items in Tampa FL

Polo shirts and golf shirts, like custom t shirts and embroidered shirts, are favorite uniforms and promotional items in Tampa FL. But do you know how they came to be?

Acually, polo shirts and golf shirts are almost identical. They are also sometimes called tennis shirts. Obviously, this is because they were, and still are, used by players of these sports around the world and here in Tampa FL. The same articles of clothing are also often referred to simply as t-shirts, or even tee shirts. The former may be because they are often made of the same material as collarless t-shirts, and the latter may be slang or a reference to golf shirts. In any case, all of them are very popular as casual wear in Tampa FL. They are so popular, in fact, that there are many wholesale t shirt suppliers in Tampa FL.

What we call polo shirts or golf shirts today are short sleeved pullovers with a soft collar and buttons at the neck opening. They often come in cotton knit material but also in several blends of soft materials.

The first such shirt was designed by the French tennis champion Rene Lacoste in 1926 for the US Open championship. Previously, tennis players wore white long sleeved button-up shirts with ties and flannel trousers on the court, merely rolling up their sleeves to play. Lacoste’s shirt was much more comfortable and quickly became popular. By 1927, he added the crocodile emblem on the left breast of the shirt to acknowledge the nickname “Crocodile” which the US press gave him. After Lacoste retired from professional tennis in 1933, he began to mass produce and market his shirts under the Lacoste brand.

When Lacoste’s tennis shirt became popular, polo players started to wear it for their sport, too. Before then, polo players traditionally wore long-sleeved shirts made of thick Oxford cotton with a button-down collar. Ironically, the tennis shirt soon came to be better known as the polo shirt. This name was further popularized when American designer Ralph Lauren launched his Polo brand which also featured shirts of the same design but this time sporting an emblem of a polo player on the left breast.

Golf wear followed the path taken by tennis wear and polo garb. Golf players also took to wearing what was already being called the polo shirt. What became known as the golf shirt, however, had a slight variation in design. Whereas the polo shirt usually had a soft collar made of one-ply ribbed knit cotton, the golf shirt had a stitched collar made of a double-layer of the same fabric as the shirt’s body, often mercerized cotton, polyester, or a cotton and polyester blend. The golf shirt also had a longer neckline plaque with three to four buttons whereas the polo shirt usually had only two to three.

Since then, the polo shirt and golf shirt have evolved into many minor variations but have retained their basic features. They are now commonly worn as casual wear by men and women alike, and are even deemed acceptable as “business casual” wear for more informal industries. In fact, they are even being used as uniforms in many technical firms, retail firms, hotels and resorts, health centers, as well as schools.

When polo shirts or golf shirts are used as uniforms or promotional items, they often include embroidery of the company, school or organization’s logo or emblem. Companies that supply wholesale t shirts often supply polo shirts and golf shirts, as well as embroidered shirts and custom t shirts, in Tampa FL. It looks like these articles of clothing are here to stay.

Florida Shirt Company
Robert Mims
3103 W Parkland Blvd
Tampa, FL 33609-4635
Phone: (813) 837-4478
Fax: (813) 875-4407
Email: floridashirt@gmail.com
Website: www.floridashirt.com

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