What is a T-shirt?

A T-shirt (or tee shirt) is a shirt which is pulled on over the head to cover most of
a person's torso. A T-shirt is usually buttonless, collarless, and pocketless, with a
round neck and short sleeves. The sleeves of the T-shirt extend at least slightly
over the shoulder but not completely over the elbow (in short-sleeve version). A
shirt that is either longer or shorter than this ceases to be a T-shirt. T-shirts are
typically made of cotton or polyester fibers (or a mix of the two), knitted together
in a jersey stitch that gives a T-shirt its distinctive soft texture.

T-shirts were originally worn as undershirts. Now T-shirts are worn frequently as
the only piece of clothing on the top half of the body (other than possibly a bra or
an undershirt (vest). T-shirts have also become a medium for self-expression and
advertising, with any imaginable combination of words, art and even photographs
on display.

A T-shirt typically extends to the waist. Variants of the T-shirt, like the tank top,
A-shirt (with the nickname "wife beater"), muscle shirt, scoop neck, and the
V-neck have been developed. Hip hop fashion calls for "oversized" T-shirts which
may extend down to the knees. A more recent trend in women's clothing involves
tight-fitting "cropped" T-shirts that are short enough to reveal the midriff. Another
popular trend is wearing a "long-sleeved T-shirt", then putting a short sleeved
T-shirt of a different color over the long sleeved shirt. This is known as "layering".