Category: Shirts

The History and Timeline of Tennessee River T-Shirt Tag: 1983-2010

1983-1995 Tennessee River Inc. was founded in the early 1980s in Florence, Alabama. Florence at the time was considered the ‘T-shirt Capital of the World” (5,000 textile workers in a two-block radius). Just a quick geography lesson for anyone outside the US or (like me) terrible at geography: The Tennessee River forms in Knoxville, TN before traveling through Alabama, Mississippi and finally ending at the Ohio River in Kentucky. In 1983 we see the 1st Tennessee River tag, these are rare and are found mostly on athletic wear. Vintage Brands Insider Sign-up Email*: Subscribe 1989 is when the brand introduces ... Read more

Single-Stitch: Let’s Tie Up Some Loose Ends

The first time I heard the term “single-stitch” was in the early aughts when vintage Levi’s Jeans were having their vintage money moment. Everyone wanted to get their hands on (and legs in) a pair of Big E jeans or and selvedge, redline, hidden rivets, and single-stitch were among the vintage jean-related keywords at the time. At some point in the LEVI’s timeline, double-stitch construction was introduced and single-stitch became a sought-after feature. Dealers would often turn the rear pocket inside out to examine the hem because it was one method used to evaluate a pair. Meanwhile, in 2005, in ... Read more

Does Bidstitch Live Up to the Hype? A Veteran Seller’s Review

There was a ton of hype leading up to the launch of Bidstitch and we’ve been keeping tabs on all of their announcements and even published a pre-launch opinion piece. Of course, there was a small percentage of Debbie downers whose most common concern was who was actually behind the platform and whether evil corporate money was involved. Fair enough. But for the most part, the community rallied around the potential for a better marketplace. People are particularly perturbed at pissing their money away on other platforms. And for every naysayer, there were two fanboys who would have consumed Bidstitch ... Read more

The GOAT of Garment Care Demonstrates How He Stretches a Vintage T-Shirt

Perhaps you’ve packed on a few pandemic pounds? Or maybe you want to restore your beloved tee to its pre-dryer heydays? If you need a few more inches of breathing room inside your favorite t-shirt, our pal Josh from @invtgwetrust has you covered. The last time we caught up with Josh he dished the deets on removing stains (and pit stains!) from white t-shirts. This time the GOAT of garment care drops some knowledge on his trusted t-shirt stretching technique. The Ingredients 100% Cotton T-Shirt Measuring Tape Bucket Towel Hair Conditioner Table Salt The Process Measure the t-shirt. Fill your ... Read more

A 1972 Nike Olympic Trials T-Shirt Is the First Piece of Nike Apparel

The Men’s 1972 U.S Olympic Trials for track and field were held from June 29 to July 9 at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon. Could this be the perfect opportunity for a sportswear company headquartered in Beaverton, Oregon to showcase their new wares? Nike was originally founded in 1964 as “Blue Ribbon Sports” by Bill Bowerman, a track-and-field coach at the University of Oregon, and his former student Phil Knight. The two showcased the newly launched Nike brand shoe at the trials in 1972, and this relic is the first-ever piece of Nike apparel described as such by Geoff Hollister, ... Read more