Christian T Shirts History

Message-related

Outside of Church, there is very little distinction between Christian and secular fashion for most believers. However, during the late 1980s, apparel producers began selling parody t-shirts that featured familiar brand logos changed to project Christian messages. Some examples include a design meant to look like the Hershey's chocolate logo with the word "Hershey" replaced with the words "He Saves" and Abercrombie and Fitch inspired designs branded "A Breadcrumb and Fish" in reference to Jesus' feeding of the multitude using just five loaves of bread and two fish. This served as a sort of Christian backlash against perceived sensuality or debauchary joked at in various mainstream wear.

In the late 1990s many brands designed clothes which appealed to mainstream consumers and were rooted in faith values. Many of these brands sought to distance themselves from the "Christian clothing" moniker and instead prefer the term "faith-inspired" or positive lifestyle brands.

Some companies on the West Coast of the United States take their fashion cues from skate and surf culture. Other companies focus on cheerful designs inspired by Biblical messages or blend modern fashion with Biblical messages, or clothing for babies & infants with lighthearted, humorous, or inspirational messages.

To support the growing number of faith-inspired clothing brands, retail outlets have been springing up around the country to carry clothing for Christian teens and adults alike. Online retailers seek to gather the best designs from the top faith-inspired brands so consumers can find the newest styles available, while Christian designers provide unique clothing targeted at delivering a Christian message. Although many communities also have Christian bookstores, Christian clothing stores are unusual. Sales at Christian retail stores totaled $4.34 billion in 2004 while apparel sales accounted for just $84 million (less than 2%) of the total.