# 9 in every 10 Americans (87%) own at least one t-shirt they refuse to �trash� because of sentimental attachment.



## Sherman Shart (May 23, 2013)

*9 in every 10 Americans (87%) own at least one t-shirt they refuse to “trash” because of sentimental attachment.*

T-shirts are indeed part of the fabric of American society. 

CustomInk recently commissioned a survey of 1,000 representative Americans over the age of 18 that revealed:

95% of Americans wear t-shirts

89% of t-shirt wearing Americans put on a tee at least once a week

9 in every 10 Americans (87%) own at least one t-shirt they refuse to “trash” because of sentimental attachment.

In fact, on average, people have 13 t-shirts they hold onto for that reason. Most commonly, these shirts are from a group of which they were a member, or shirts commemorating a major event. And 76% of Americans report they would have a stronger emotional connection with a shirt that they or someone they knew custom-designed, versus a shirt that was mass-produced.

These statistics are not surprising to Dr. Jennifer Baumgartner, clinical psychologist and author of You Are What You Wear.

“Customized apparel is a way of expressing ourselves in a world where so much is mass-marketed. We want to be unique,” Baumgartner commented. “At the same time, wearing a shirt custom made for your group is an identifier that you are part of the same clan. Throughout history, humans have dressed alike to indicate a bond. Much like tribal costumes or coats of arms, custom t-shirts give people a sense of belonging.”

Baumgartner also notes that it is human nature to infuse a t-shirt with emotional significance. “We’re more likely to bond with others when we share an emotional event with them. T-shirts from groups or occasions become a concrete representation of that emotion. We infuse a spirit of a memory or time in our lives to an inanimate object.”

What can you do with that sentimental T-shirt?
Consider making a quilt or framing it and display it as art on your walls


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