“只有想不出,沒有做不到?!盩恤
衫上的圖案與文字,只要想得出就能印上去。鐘愛的卡通人物,樂隊(duì)的宣傳口號(hào),“驚世駭俗”的人生理想,都可能成為T恤的主題,展現(xiàn)其主人的時(shí)尚個(gè)性宣言:“我的T恤我做主!”
For many children, the T-shirt emblazoned1) with a current favorite TV icon2) normally ranks amongst their most prized possessions, and for T-shirt manufacturers, producing such garments3) can be an extremely lucrative4) market. In fact, think of any cartoon character—from the Mr. Men5) to Walt Disney's Donald Duck—and you'll likely find a T-shirt to match.
Although the origins of the T-shirt can be traced back to the First World War, it wasn't until the 1950s that the garment moved away from its plain exterior6), as companies in the United States began experimenting with adding letter and character decorationsto the material. The 1960s saw the
introduction of the \"Ringer\"-style
T-shirt, a T-shirt where the jersey7) is one color, while the ribbing around the collar and sleeves is a different. Contrasting color quickly became popular with youths and rock-n-roll fans. The style enjoyed another brief renaissance8) in the early 2000s.
The same period also saw the emergence of tie-dyeing9) and screen-printing which led to a massive boom in customized T-shirts, especially throughout the heavy metal era of the 1970s, once bands of that era realized the commercial opportunities available to them. Bands and musical groups began to mass produce T-shirts to promote themselves, many of which would feature album covers and logos on the front, while on the back fans would find tour details and concert dates. These proved to be hugely popular with concert-goers and this trend has continued on with unwavering popularity into today's subcultures10).
During the early 1980s, some musical bands chose to emblazon promotional T-shirts with slogans11) instead of graphics. For instance, the Frankie Goes To Hollywood \"Frankie Says...\" and Wham!'s \"Choose Life\" T-shirts became synonymous12) with 80's pop culture and could be seen in every town and street in Britain. From the late 1980s and throughout the 1990s, T-shirts with prominent designer-name logos were also extremely popular and allowed consumers to exhibit their taste in designer brands in a less expensive manner, while retaining their sense of fashion. Among the many major brands to produce T-shirts for a massed public were Calvin Klein, FUBU and Ralph Lauren.
There have been many fashion trends involving T-shirts. Although they were originally worn as undershirts, often in place of vests13), T-shirts are now more frequently worn as the only upper body garment. T-shirts have also become a standard for expressiveness and advertising, with an unimaginable combination of words, graphics and photographs being utilized to decorate garments for wear. Other T-shirt fashions include wearing over-size T-shirts, as seen in modern hip-hop fashion, tight-fitting T-shirts which are short enough to reveal the midriff14), and wearing a short-sleeved T-shirt over a long-sleeved T-shirt of a different color.
For adults, perhaps one of the most notable fashion trends in recent years involves wearing T-shirts which feature cartoon and TV characters which hearken15) back to the wearer's childhood. With the much-touted16) 80s revival and the current resurgence17) of yesteryear's TV being remade into Hollywood blockbusters18) or enjoying a TV renaissance, men's T-shirts have seen increased demand for T-shirts proclaiming the wearer to be a fan of Transformers, Spiderman, Dukes of Hazzard19), The A-Team20) and Knight Rider21), among many other 80s favorites.
However, T-shirts featuring cartoon characters from the 80s and even earlier have proven to be equally popular with young adults, both men and women alike, eager to revisit their younger days with ranges including Thundercats22), Mr. Men, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, He-Man23) and M.A.S.K24) also readily available and waiting to be seen on the High Street25)!
對(duì)許多孩子而言,印有當(dāng)下流行電視節(jié)目中自己喜愛的人物形象的T恤通常是他們最珍愛的寶貝之一,而對(duì)T恤生產(chǎn)商而言,生產(chǎn)此類服裝則可能是一個(gè)利潤(rùn)極為豐厚的市場(chǎng)。實(shí)際上,想想任何一個(gè)卡通人物——從“奇先生”到沃爾特·迪士尼公司的“唐老鴨”——你很可能都能找到對(duì)應(yīng)的T恤。
盡管T恤的起源可以追溯到第一次世界大戰(zhàn)時(shí)期,但很長(zhǎng)時(shí)間以來,T恤都沒能擺脫其單調(diào)的外表,直到20世紀(jì)50年代,美國(guó)的公司才開始嘗試著在面料上增加字母和單詞進(jìn)行裝飾。20世紀(jì)60年代,“Ringer”風(fēng)格的T恤開始出現(xiàn),這種T恤的衣身是一種顏色,領(lǐng)口和袖口則是另外一種不同的、與之形成鮮明對(duì)比的顏色。這種T恤迅速在年輕人和搖滾愛好者中流行起來。21世紀(jì)早期,這種風(fēng)格的T恤又重獲流行,不過時(shí)間很短。
在同一時(shí)期還出現(xiàn)了扎染和絲網(wǎng)印制,也因此導(dǎo)致了個(gè)性化T恤的大量出現(xiàn),尤其是在20世紀(jì)70年代的重金屬音樂年代,因?yàn)槟莻€(gè)時(shí)期的樂隊(duì)開始意識(shí)到T恤帶給他們的商業(yè)機(jī)會(huì)。樂隊(duì)和音樂團(tuán)體開始大量制造用于宣傳的T恤,很多T恤正面印有唱片封面和標(biāo)識(shí),背面則為歌迷們印上了巡演詳情和音樂會(huì)日期。此類T恤在經(jīng)常聽音樂會(huì)的人群中頗受歡迎,時(shí)至今日,這種潮流在亞文化群中還保持著其不可動(dòng)搖的流行度。
20世紀(jì)80年代早期,一些樂隊(duì)選擇在宣傳T恤上印上文字口號(hào),而非圖像。比如,印有“弗蘭基奔向好萊塢”樂隊(duì)的口號(hào)“弗蘭基說……”和“威猛”樂隊(duì)的口號(hào)“選擇生活”的T恤變成了80年代流行文化的代名詞,英國(guó)的每個(gè)大街小巷都能見到。從20世紀(jì)80年代后期到整個(gè)90年代,印有著名設(shè)計(jì)師名字標(biāo)識(shí)的T恤也極為流行,這使得消費(fèi)者在緊跟時(shí)尚潮流的同時(shí),也可以通過一種不那么昂貴的方式展示其對(duì)設(shè)計(jì)師品牌的喜好。為大眾制作T恤的有許多主要品牌,包括卡爾文·克萊、FUBU和拉夫·勞倫。
與T恤相關(guān)的時(shí)尚潮流有很多。盡管最初T恤被人們當(dāng)成汗衫來穿,經(jīng)常替代內(nèi)衣,但現(xiàn)在,T恤更多的時(shí)候是上身唯一的衣著。T恤也已經(jīng)成為表現(xiàn)力和廣告的一種標(biāo)準(zhǔn),人們將文字、圖像和照片不可思議地組合在一起,來裝飾這種服飾。另外一些T恤時(shí)尚包括穿超大號(hào)的T恤,這種穿法常見于現(xiàn)代“嘻哈”風(fēng)格;穿短得露腰的緊身T恤,以及在長(zhǎng)袖T恤的外面再套穿一件不同顏色的短袖T恤。
對(duì)成人而言,近年來一個(gè)最顯著的潮流可能是穿著印有他們童年時(shí)期耳熟能詳?shù)目ㄍê碗娨暼宋飯D像的T恤。伴隨著廣受吹捧的80年代復(fù)興和時(shí)下一些昨日電視經(jīng)典被好萊塢翻拍成賣座電影或再次熱播,越來越多的人希望他們的T恤能表明自己是變形金剛、蜘蛛俠、正義先鋒、天龍?zhí)毓リ?duì)和霹靂游俠等80年代經(jīng)典形象的“粉絲”。
不過,印有80年代甚至更早時(shí)期卡通形象的T恤在年輕人中也同樣流行。不論男女,這些年輕人渴望重溫他們的童年和少年時(shí)光,印有雷電貓、奇先生、忍者神龜、希曼和蒙面斗士人物形象的T恤已經(jīng)整裝待發(fā),等待在鬧市街頭出現(xiàn)。
1. Vote for Pedro
誰能想到20世紀(jì)福克斯公司于2004年出品的小制作喜劇電影Napoleon Dynamite (大人物拿破侖)會(huì)讓一件T恤成為時(shí)尚的寵兒?影片的主角Napoleon是一個(gè)害羞內(nèi)向的高中生,他的好朋友Pedro在參加學(xué)生會(huì)競(jìng)選時(shí),被要求以表演一段滑稽舞蹈作為結(jié)束。面對(duì)這項(xiàng)突如其來的任務(wù),Pedro顯得不知所措,幸好Napoleon克服自身的膽怯,挺身而出,協(xié)助Pedro完成表演,成功贏得選票。電影大獲成功之時(shí),印有“Vote for Pedro”字樣的T恤也隨之風(fēng)靡。
2. I Love NY
1976年,Milton Glaser設(shè)計(jì)了I love NY(我愛紐約)的標(biāo)志,將其印在T恤上,之后這款T恤不僅迅速風(fēng)靡整個(gè)紐約,還在全球各大城市火速躥紅,出現(xiàn)了如I LOVE SH(我愛上海)、I LOVE London(我愛倫敦)等T恤,一些名牌服裝也紛紛效仿?,F(xiàn)如今,它仍然是最著名、最經(jīng)典的Logo之一。
3. Vote or Die
2004年,“吹牛老爹”肖恩·康姆斯穿上了印有“Vote or Die”字樣的T恤,鼓勵(lì)大家在總統(tǒng)競(jìng)選中勇敢地投出自己的一票。各界名人紛紛響應(yīng),穿上T恤,為競(jìng)選活動(dòng)增添了不少人氣。
4. Team Jolie VS. Team Aniston
近年來娛樂圈大事件之一莫過于Brad Pitt 與Jenifer Aniston 結(jié)束長(zhǎng)達(dá)十年的婚姻關(guān)系,轉(zhuǎn)投Angela Jolie 的懷抱。事件發(fā)生后,各路新聞媒體炒得沸沸揚(yáng)揚(yáng),廣大粉絲也在希爾頓姐妹的帶頭之下迅速劃分成兩個(gè)“幫派”,分別穿上印有Team Jolie和Team Aniston的T恤,支持自己的偶像。
5. I'm With Stupid
這也是經(jīng)典款之一。穿上之后,在體現(xiàn)個(gè)性時(shí)尚的同時(shí),還對(duì)同行的人開了一個(gè)善意的小玩笑。
Vocabulary
1.emblazon [Im5bleIzEn] vt. 用鮮艷的色彩畫(或裝飾)
2.icon [5aIkRn] n. 畫像,肖像;偶像
3.garment [5^B:mEnt] n. (一件)衣服(可指襯衫、外套、裙子、褲子、長(zhǎng)袍等)
4.lucrative [5lju:krEtIv] adj. 生利的,賺錢的
5.Mr. Men: 奇先生,美國(guó)卡通片《奇先生妙小姐》(Mr. Men Miss Little) 中的人物 ,由英國(guó)知名漫畫家Roger Hargreaves創(chuàng)作,風(fēng)靡80多個(gè)國(guó)家,并被翻譯為20多種語言,是全球最暢銷的EQ兒童叢書之一。
6.exterior [Ik5stIErIE(r)] n. 外部,表面
7.jersey [5dV\\:zI] n. 緊身(運(yùn)動(dòng))套衫
8.renaissance
[rE5neIsEns] n. 復(fù)興,復(fù)活;新生,再生
9.tie-dye [5taIdaI] n. (手工)扎染(法)
10.subculture
[7sQb5kQltFE(r)] n. 亞文化群(指同一社會(huì)或同一文化內(nèi)部年齡、種族、觀念、社會(huì)或經(jīng)濟(jì)地位、生活方式等方面具有顯著共同點(diǎn)的一批人)
11.slogan [5slEu^En] n. 口號(hào),標(biāo)語
12.synonymous
[sI5nCnImEs] adj. 同義的
13.vest [vest] n. <英>汗背心
14.midriff [5mIdrIf] n. 上腹部
15.hearken [5hB:kEn] vi. 傾聽,諦聽
16.tout [taJt] vt. 吹捧
17.resurgence [rI5s\\:dVEns] n. 復(fù)蘇
18.blockbuster [5blCk7bQstE(r)] n. 耗費(fèi)巨資拍攝的電影
19.Dukes Of Hazzard: 正義先鋒,出自電影《正義先鋒》,翻拍自上個(gè)世紀(jì)80年代一部紅透美國(guó)的同名電視劇。
20.The A-Team: 天龍?zhí)毓リ?duì),出自美國(guó)98集電視系列劇《天龍?zhí)毓リ?duì)》,于1983年1月~1987年1月在美國(guó)熱映。
21.Knight Rider: 霹靂游俠?!杜Z游俠》是1982~1986年源自美國(guó)的熱門電視劇。四季共有84集,據(jù)傳第五季即將開拍。并被改編為同名游戲。
22.Thundercats: 雷電貓,是上個(gè)世紀(jì)80年代在美國(guó)播出的同名系列卡通片中的經(jīng)典形象。1997年,Cartoon Network 播放了新版的雷電貓卡通片后,重新帶動(dòng)了“雷電貓”熱潮。
23.He-Man: 希曼,出自動(dòng)畫片《希曼宇宙英雄》(He-Man: Masters of the Universe),是風(fēng)靡上個(gè)世紀(jì)80年代的漫畫人物。
24.M.A.S.K: 蒙面斗士,出自美國(guó)動(dòng)畫片《蒙面斗士》,講述的是警察和黑幫的故事。
25.the High Street: 商業(yè)繁華街