A Brief Eyewitness History of Christian Apparel
I already regret that by writing this history I have decided to admit that I am this old. Ah, well. Let me begin by saying that when I was a child, I knew of no such thing as a popular Christian T-shirt. No doubt some enterprising, artistic Vacation Bible School teacher decided to let her students make their own, but I didn’t know her.
In the late 1940’s and early 1950’s, popular Christian T’s as we now know them, were unheard of in the small town where I lived and thereabouts. In summers, we had church camp, but no special shirts, which is a shame for we would have enjoyed them. In those days, church clothing meant one thing – your very best clothes - and there was no arguing with it.
Within my Memory Closet of “Sunday clothes” reside the usual suits and dresses and a few puzzlingly strange things. Shoulder Furs, for instance. If you ever see Shoulder Furs, you will never forget them. Shoulder Furs rested upon the padded shoulders of ladies’ suits. Made from the skins of dead foxes, heads and paws included, they just lay there, inert, beady-eyed (artificial beads) and sleek. As for specially manufactured Christian apparel – I can remember only a few ushers’ ribbons that were used by the men in our church during revivals.
In the 1960’s, I purchased my first Christian T-shirt, a summer camp shirt that I wore almost the whole time I was at camp and also wore on the way home. Aside from being the dirtiest shirt on earth, it made me feel adventurous and important as if I was a part of something really neat. It also made me feel grown up. I can’t remember what happened to it, but I wish I could.
And then this history must rest for a while, about twenty years, in fact, until two things occurred. A Bible bookstore opened in our town and among the items they carried, on a rack at the front of the store, was a small selection of Christian T-shirts. I looked at them bemused and thought, what a unique idea! I realize now that they were far from exceptional in message or design, but even at that time, I recognized their potential. I was looking at a new way to celebrate Christianity and spread the Good News and I knew it.
More time passed, I worked as a teacher, and eventually Christian T’s began to show up in my classroom, to walk right in on two legs, worn by young people who in the midst of chaotic modern life had found the most important treasure of all. Filled with joy about their discovery and their decision to give their lives to God, they wore their Christian T-shirts proudly and asked me if I had read certain inspirational books.
Last year, in the halls of the high school where I continue to teach, the most popular Christian T’s advertised a local teenage Christian rock group – customization. Other Christian T’s identified members of the Prayer Club or participants in any of a number of local church youth groups. Some Christian T’s let me know that their wearer had played on Christian ball teams; some told me that my students were developing an awareness of Christian literature.
The little Bible bookstore is still open, although not at the same location. Its selection of Christian T’s is much larger now than in the beginning. People often buy the shirts to give as gifts. Usually those who receive them wear them whether they suit their personalities or not. As I said, it’s a small town, and people expect you to make good use of the gifts they give you.
Occasionally, I go to the bookstore to see what’s new. I laugh at the shirts with the clever sayings, but they aren’t for me. I do better with the Scripture shirts, even better with the acronyms. I do, however, wonder why, with all of the beautiful verses in the Bible to choose from, shirt manufacturers repeat the same scriptures over and over. So far, I have seen only one Christian T-shirt that I felt was perfect for me, and wouldn’t you know it, the lady who wore it told me that she bought it out-of-town and didn’t remember exactly where. Perhaps, someday I will find a shirt like it on the Internet. When I do, I will snap it up and put it on.
Including Title – approx. 740 words