Wife Beater Shirt
 

Who has heard of a "Wife Beater Shirt"? Never ever heard of this until recently. Those I was with couldn't believe I had not heard of this.

3 college age boys and 1, 16yr old grandson....yup, I've heard of it.

Not sure how it got it's name but the shirt is known by many other names.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sleeveless_shirt

That's what my kids call it.
 

It's one of those terms I think comes from shows like cops. The guy who just assaulted his wife is always either shirtless or in a "wife beater". Just a guess.:loco:

I hadn't heard that term either but my grandson filled me in. I don't really like it but what do I know-I'm "old"

I the term for the first about 20 years ago....

On a side note...We have two black and white cats. One is the classic "tuxedo" cat with a white chest and paws. He looks very elegant.

His brother is an enormous (but not fat) cat. He looks like he is wearing a wife-beater. So we laugh that we have both ends of the spectrum in our kitties...

Actually, Hawk's link from Wiki is what I remember them called.... the "guinea wife beater" tee ... Look at the link, I'm not kidding. I can say that though, remember, I'm ITALIAN!!!! Here's the info from the link... I remember this term from the 50's, oh yes, I forgot. My mom told me,,,, I'm not that old!! :cryin2:

Short for "athletic shirt"[citation needed] because it is often worn in sports, such as basketball and track-and-field events. Also known as a wife beater, beater, Guinea tee or Dago tee (from guinea and dago, ethnic slurs against Italians), or (in British English usage) a vest,

I've always known it as a man's undershirt circa 40s & 50s. I think James Dean wore a few in his movies. About as undressed and macho as a man was allowed to get in films of that era.

I wear one every Sunday , usually with a tie ..........

Fumar

A Little Bit of Undershirt History
 

When I saw this thread, I got sidetracked looking for a picture of Brando in "Streetcar" because I could have sworn he wore one of these shirts under discussion here. But when I looked, I could only find him in a tee-shirt. And then I found this.......

http://www.icicom.up.pt/blog/take2/marlon_brando.jpg

But it says, "wardrobe test." So I guess it did not test as well as the tee-shirt that he wears in the movie poster picture here......

[ame]http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002ISGWL8[/ame]


Well, enough research for me, this morning.

Boomer Blanche

I read thethread title the 1st time as wife BLEATER. :1rotfl:

ejp152,

Now what might that be????? Is that a word? Dont have my webster's handy.:1rotfl::

Avista,

If you lived in Chicago, they called them guinea shirts remember????

Boomer ---
Wherever did you find that ''test" photo? Not only is that the classic wife beater shirt it's the classic Brando shot from Streetcar that everyone will remember, even if it never happened!

Baaaah. :jester:

I have the perfect combination -- Tramp Stamp Barbie and Ken in a wife beater shirt. Throw in a couple of sheep for Eddie ...

ok, enuf. Boomer, save me!

Hi dfn8tly,

It surprised me, too. This morning I typed Brando and Streetcar into a Google search, along with pictures or posters or photos and that picture popped up all by itself.

But just now, when I saw your question, I did the same thing and I got this one. It says "wardrobe test" too, but with the tee-shirt and below you see the one that didn't make it.

It looks like lots of brains were somehow imprinted with the one that did not make it. Interesting. I am starting to wonder if the movie and the poster were different maybe. It was 1951, after all, and maybe the wife beater was too risqué to be on the sign in front of the movie theater. Or maybe it was just too risqué for any of it.

http://www.imdb.com/media/rm3695941632/tt0044081


And Linda,

Would that I could save you. I cannot even save myself. Once you start that stream of consciousness thing, it is really hard to stop. Oh, Linda, be careful. It is a slippery, slippery slope, indeed.

Boomer

Slippery but funny.

In this one it looks like he got run over by that streetcar :loco:.....either that or he tried to beat the wife and she got the best of him. :boxing2:

http://imagecache5.art.com/p/LRG/37/...rando-1951.jpg

Bettiboop
You are a riot!!:clap2:

Nonie, NEver heard of them in Chicago. First heard of them about a year ago in Alabama. Everyone laughed that I had not heard expression"WifeBeater" or Guina for that matter. Oh Well.

I think the first time I heard this term was in the 50s! DA haircuts, rolled up jeans, ciggies in the rolled up sleeve... vs those guys who wore "wife beaters."

My German-American Grandfather wore those all the time (on the Chicago South side) - never heard them called wife beaters until this thread.

.