Meaning of Shirt
The etymological origin of shirt is found in the late Latin word camisia, which in turn comes from the Celtic language. The concept allows naming a garment that has buttons and a collar and is used to cover the torso.
For example: “I don’t know what shirt I’m going to wear to dinner tonight”, “I’m going to give my brother-in-law a shirt for his birthday”, “This afternoon I stained my new shirt with oil”.
According to DigoPaul, shirt buttons are usually found on the front of the garment. Shirts generally have long sleeves, although there are sleeveless or short-sleeved shirts. When the shirts are feminine, they are called blouses.
There are many types of shirts. A distinction that can be made is the one already mentioned about the existence, or not, of sleeves. On the other hand, it is possible to differentiate between formal shirts (which are usually used with a tie and jacket) and informal shirts (suitable for use with jeans (or jean), to name one possibility).
With regard to men’s shirts, it is possible to recognize various parts that compose them, although only the most knowledgeable distinguish them:
* neck: it is one of the most obvious, although this does not diminish its importance or complexity. In fact, there are several types of collars, which differ in their length, their height, the shape of their ends and the way they are buttoned, among other characteristics. Since this part is almost always visible, it is one of the most important when choosing a shirt;
* yoke: it is a portion of fabric that is used to join the sleeves, the chest, the back and the neck. The yoke did not appear in the first designs of men’s shirts, but was created to give the user greater elasticity and prevent the garment from causing discomfort when performing certain movements. On the other hand, it also facilitates custom tailoring;
* armhole: it is the seam that joins the body of the garment to the sleeves, surrounding the armpit and the shoulder. A well-made armhole allows the person to stretch their arms in any direction without feeling tight or uncomfortable;
* fold: this part is optional. It is a seam that is carried out on the upper part of the back to stylize the fabric and make it conform to the shape of the shoulder blades;
* Clip: it is a seam that is found in the lower part of the back, on both sides of the garment, and is made with the purpose of adjusting it to the shape of the torso. Two names for shirts with darts are Tailored Fit or Slim Fit, which come from English and refer to the fact that they mold to the body, as if they had been made to measure. This stitching is more common in dress shirts than in informal ones;
* placket: it is a piece of cloth that is in the chest. The buttonholes are located on the placket. It can be a fold of the shirt itself or a piece that is added, and be single or double
In a political context, the shirt often becomes a uniform that makes it possible to identify the adherents of a movement or party. In this context, the members of the fascist militias in Italy were known as “black shirts”. Between the 1920’s and 1940’s, members of the “black shirts” were led by the dictator Benito Mussolini to carry out all kinds of violent acts.
Also in Italy, the followers of Giuseppe Garibaldi were called “red shirts”. This politician and military man promoted several revolutionary campaigns.
