The singlets have a long way from where it starts its journey in Australia till where it stands now at the moment. In this article, we explore the singlets storyline alongside the timelines of what was happening in Australia. The routes this singlet takes from the undershirt to working-class men’s top, to the music scene, films and creating all types of good and bad identities on its way. Source: https://tshirtplus.com.au/blog/singlet-in-australia/

2. A singlet is a sleeveless shirt made of a soft,
warm and washable piece of clothing initially
worn by men as an undershirt. However, at
that time, the shirts were also considered
underclothing apparel serving the same
purpose.
By the mid 19th century, sportsmen, athletes,
wrestlers, woodcutters, and rowers started
wearing the singlet openly as a top layer.
This open ownership of wearing a singlet
intrigued the observers to see the athletic,
muscular body of the sportsmen and
understand the comfort it provides by freeing
the shoulders and facilitating the body
movement.

3. Shortly after, the singlet was adopted by the varied working class of Australia. In
world war one, the soldiers were issued two singlets as a part of their cloth kit. In
the 1920 and 30’s the athletes of the labour class donned form-fitted singlets
mostly to work outdoors.
Singlet, by this time, became the symbol of working-class Australian men and was
used as a part of the masculinity image.

4. In Australia’s pub rock music scene, the
musicians drew their roots to the working
class singlet-wearing population in the
1970s and ’80s. The promotional image
of Rose tattoo image used on the singlet
for their kick-off campaign. Then, a film
was made in 1985 with the title of
“Working Class Man”, where the famous
actor Jimmy Barnes wore a singlet. In the
music scene, the lead singer Mark
Seymour gained fame from his high
energy, crowded and hot performances
wearing a singlet.
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5. After all the hype and ownership singlet tops
get through the films, music and bands, it was
embraced and recast by the gay clubs and
dance parties in the 1990s. The singlet
became a power point for hard and smooth
sculpted bodies and made its way to create
the Australian Muscular, rugged and strong
man’s identity.
But simultaneously, the associations were
drawn towards macho, hard-drinking and
abusive men. That led the singlet-wearing
men to create the image of troublesome,
animalistic natured beings defaming this piece
of clothing as “the wife beater”.
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Wife Beater?

6.  Australian newspapers advertised the
women wearing a singlet in the 1880s
when women used camisoles and
chemises as regular undergarments.
However, it took longer to mainstream
the singlet wearing women in the media.
Later, singlet-wearing men and women
were registered at the most popular
music festivals like Sunbury in 1970.
 The singlet then became high fashion
when, in 2005, the contemporary
Fashion designer Akira
Isogawa presented it with embroidered
and ornamented vivid colours.

7.  The singlet is a very popular top
apparel and an alternative of the t-
shirt for both genders in Australia. It is
in great demand, especially in the
summer and spring seasons, and is
available in various colours and sizes.
The garment industry affiliated
with sportswear keeps singlets as the
regularly featured item and
experiments with design and printing
ideas on it. The fashion industry also
keeps singlet as a staple casual
fashion piece of clothing in their
trends.

8.  The singlets have a long way from where it starts its
journey in Australia till where it stands now at the moment.
In this article, we explore the singlets storyline alongside
the timelines of what was happening in Australia. The
routes this singlet takes from the undershirt to working-
class men’s top, to the music scene, films and creating all
types of good and bad identities on its way.
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