From undergarment to

The lowly T-shirt has become the first line of support for causes. There was a time when a T-shirt was worn as an under garment. On wash days, the lowly white T-shirt under went a transformation in harsh bleach to become white again.
I remember back in high school that I started in school in the fall with a bright white t-shirt for gym. Between gym classes it was stored in my locker, and perhaps if I remembered, was brought home at Christmas for its one wash. By then that t-shirt was anything but glamourous. I suspect that my mother held it at arm’s length before tossing it in the washer. From January on, it collected all those terrible body smells. At the end of the school year, the t-shirt was tossed out, with the feeling being that it was unfit to wear or even to wash. The t-shirt was the garment we all covered up.
Times have changed!
Today the T-shirt is the fashion statement that says “I care”. “Proud to wear Pink for my mother” is but one of many t-shirts sold to women. Another says “I am a survivor”. I must salute the “Breast Cancer Awareness campaign that has made the pink T-Shirt the statement of hope and action.
It is not the only campaign using the T-shirt to bring awareness. Literacy week has an infant body suit that says “Read”. The idea is to promote the need to read to children. Through many different colours and sizes all the way to adults XXXL the message is carried.
There is a Hilary Clinton T-shirt with her face on the front and the political message “One day a woman will be president”. A similar message for Obama carries the message that one day a black American will be president.
Both shirts are popular and can be found on candidate’s supporters.
Fashion is creating awareness about issues. Fashion uses the latest fashionable colours to attract consumers to buy the shirts with the messages.
University students focusing to raise the awareness to the plight of the world’s poor created the T-shirt “Raise Awareness – Raise Your Voice”. Another T-shirt brings awareness for organ donations. It simply says “I’d give you one....Live Life, then give life.” The meaning strikes home.
The T-shirts with their message can run from $15. Every cause has its T-shirt. Every cause is equally valuable. In a quick scan on the web, I found t-shirts for almost 60 different health causes. And there are probably another 50 topics beside health. It is a competitive world out there getting your message on the breasts and chests.
But I wonder, are we more ready to pay $15 to $25 for a t-shirt and we are to pay that same money to the cause.

–Jim Cumming,
Publisher