Have you ever worn an old, paper-thin, buttery soft, nearly see-through vintage t-shirt? There’s nothing quite like it. Well, it’s probably threadbare.
The term threadbare refers to the thin, tattered appearance of a well worn blended fabric garment. The condition may be from long term wear, multiple washes or deliberate manufacturing techniques. Threadbare garments often include holes and pilling.
You know when a t-shirt appears to be almost see-through? That’s threadbare. Until recently (the last 15 years) it was the sign of a heavily worn and washed garment (meaning well-loved!) But modern manufacturers have learned how to replicate that feel and look. It’s very common to see threadbare shirts that are actually brand new.
How does a t-shirt become threadbare?
Let’s quickly look at the most popular fabrics that make up 99.9% of the world’s t-shirts. 100% cotton, 50/50 cotton polyester blend, 100% polyester or tri-blend, which usually consists of 50% polyester 35% cotton 15% rayon (or some similar variation). Very occasionally you’ll see a quad blend shirt. But they’re extremely rare. I’ve only come across a handful in 20 years.
A shirt becomes threadbare when the cotton element of a 50/50 or tri-blend garment begins to deteriorate and disappear….leaving only the synthetic component (the polyester), That’s why a well-worn vintage tee will almost feel (and look) like a women’s nylon stocking. This happens over time naturally with repeated washings and wear. The process is hastened when the garment is over-dyed or poorly manufactured.
100% polyester shirts don’t tend to become threadbare. Because they are tightly knit single fabric. They aren’t interwoven with cotton that needs to fall away for the threadbare look. They usually just wear out in general and become pilled and old looking. Not in an appealing way either. Although the polyester shirts nowadays are far superior to those in the 70s and 80s. They’re breathable and light. Most sports jerseys and exercise apparel are polyesters.
Modern t-shirt manufacturers employ creative techniques to prematurely age their garments. Often putting rocks in a tumble drier with the tees. Trying to hasten the disintegration of the cotton content of the shirt. It actually works really well. I’ve seen some pretty authentic looking threadbare modern tees. I still prefer the real deal though.
Can 100% cotton t-shirt become threadbare?
The short answer is no. You’ll notice when a 100% cotton shirt is worn and washed repeatedly it generally fades and loses its shape (shrinks too). Eventually, exhibiting pinholes. Cotton is a natural fabric harvested from the cotton plant. The reason it can’t become threadbare is because there is no synthetic element remaining when the cotton disappears.
When a 100% cotton t-shirt is over-dyed it compromises the integrity of the fabric. Sometimes known as dry rot. I’ve only seen it with black t-shirts. You’ll know these garments by the smell. They usually have a burned odor and if you tug on them with any force they’ll tear like paper. Often leaving a black dusty mess when you shake them too. People claim dry rot is from age or improper storage but I beg to differ. I’ve seen brand new properly stored tees that have dry rot right out the wrapper! I’ve also seen VERY VERY old deadstock tees that are perfectly supple and preserved.
Can we see another example of a threadbare t-shirt?
The shirt above is an example of a tee that became threadbare because of excessive wear…not poor manufacturing or being over-dyed. This is an actual Marines t-shirt from the 80s. You’ll notice the wear is consistent with how a garment would rub on the body during exercise. To say this shirt is soft would be the understatement of the 21st century.
When this beauty arrived I wasn’t even sure what it was. It’s an original 1979 Eagles The Long Run concert t-shirt. The last tour before their extended breakup. I rarely wear my own shirts (don’t get high on your own supply). But I had to try this bad boy on. When I did I was overcome by joy and goosebumps. It felt like I’d put on a giant nylon stocking. It was so sheer the breeze blew right through it and it felt like I wasn’t wearing anything at all. LOL. Too thin for me though. I prefer a shirt with more meat on the bone!
Harley Davidson shirts commonly became threadbare. Especially 80s Harley tees. And even MORE specifically 3D Emblem Harley tees (we’ll get more in-depth in the future, they deserve their own blog post). This is typical wear on an 1980s HD shirt frankly. Harley tended to print on thin, cheap fabric during that era. Many of which were over-dyed. If you put one in a load of laundry it would turn the water black until about the tenth wash. At which time most of the cotton had disappeared. The armpits were notorious for having holes too. Even with all the seeming drawbacks. This is a valuable and incredibly desirable tee. Buying and selling Harley shirts overseas is a huge business. Asians love Americana. I could sell this shirt to Thailand quicker than you can say Peanut Thai Curry.
This one takes the cake. In all my years of selling vintage clothing, I’ve never seen a shirt like this. It’s the holy grail of threadbare. First of all, it’s a super rare 1981 Rolling Stones San Diego concert tee. For that tour, the Stones had different shirts printed for every venue. Second, the shirt had absolutely no holes even though it was thin enough to read a book through. I literally laid it on top of a book and could easily read the words. Plus it was grey and green which is a rare color combo. Most of those tees had black sleeves and white torso.
You’ll notice the print is still pristine. The reason being when the plastisol ink was cured it bound to the polyester content of the shirt and didn’t wash away as the cotton disintegrated. Plastisol ink is a type of liquid plastic used by screen printers that remains pliable even when cured.
On the lower front and back, you can still see remnants of what the fabric looked like before it disappeared. This shirt truly is a gem of gems and frankly worth of its own blog post. But at least it got the feature pic!
Are threadbare vintage t-shirts more valuable?
Not necessarily. There are too many variables. Three of the four examples I gave are rare and desirable items. Generally, threadbare tees are just common well worn and loved garments that have more sentimental value than monetary. You can always research the value of a tee by checking the sold listings on eBay. Most of the time the only value of a threadbare tee is what you give it.
Can I make my own threadbare t-shirt?
Yes, actually you can. I recall watching a youtube video a few years ago where a guy washed and dried his clothes with several tennis balls. The balls pummeled the shirts during the wash cycle which hastened the wear process. There are lots of other diy videos on youtube about how to distress your clothing. It’s pretty poser in my opinion. Like when buy brand new jeans that already have big holes and rips in them. Wear out your clothes the old fashioned way. By dragging yourself home through the gutter! My clothes wear themselves out every time. They don’t need help.
Should I throw away my threadbare t-shirt?
NO! Well, it depends. If it’s a plain old blank shirt with holes and yellow armpit stains. Then yes you probably should. BUT if its a concert or sports team or college shirt, or another item that someone may value then please donate it regardless of condition. If people tossed away their tattered garments instead of recycling them I wouldn’t have been able to make this post. Or earn a living for the last two decades. I’ve sold countless items people would consider “wasted” or “garbage” or “worthless”. Recycling clothing perpetuates the industry. One man’s junk is another man’s treasure.
