7 Weird Origins of Everyday Fashion Items

Table of Contents

• 1. High heels came first for men
• 2. Jeans were sailor gear
• 3. T-shirts started as underwear
• 4. Neckties came from war
• 5. Bikinis dropped like bombs
• 6. Hoodies weren't always cool
• 7. Zippers took forever
• References
• Images Sources

1. High heels came first for men

Okay, this might blow your mind—high heels were originally made for men.

Not runway models or anything like that, but actual soldiers.

Back in 10th century Persia, cavalry riders wore heels to help keep their feet steady in stirrups.

This let them shoot arrows while riding full speed into battle.

Yep, heels = war gear.

Fast forward to Europe in the 1600s, and suddenly the upper-class guys were obsessed with them.

Why?

Because if something is hard to walk in, that means you're rich and don't have to hustle like peasants.

The higher and more ridiculous the heel, the fancier you were.

And then came the plot twist—women started wearing them.

At first, it was kind of a power move.

Women adopted the look to give off more "masculine" vibes.

But somewhere along the line, the whole thing flipped, and high heels became a mostly feminine thing.

So basically, every time you see stilettos, remember: those bad boys started with Persian archers and royal dudes trying to flex their status.

2. Jeans were sailor gear

Jeans didn't come from America—well, not at first.

The word "jeans" is from "Gênes," the French name for Genoa, Italy.

Sailors there needed tough fabric that could handle wet and wild days out at sea, and this early version of denim was the answer.

Meanwhile, over in France, people in Nîmes tried to copy that Italian fabric.

But instead of making a direct replica, they accidentally created something new: denim.

The name literally means "from Nîmes." Kind of a happy mistake.

Fast forward to the American Gold Rush in the 1800s—miners were wrecking their pants on the job.

That's when Levi Strauss and Jacob Davis came in with their riveted denim pants.

Super tough, super practical, and kind of revolutionary.

At first, jeans were all about workwear.

Now they're everywhere—from office casual to high fashion.

But they all go back to sailors and gold miners trying not to rip their pants.

3. T-shirts started as underwear

T-shirts weren't always a fashion staple.

Way back when, they were basically just undershirts.

And before that, workers would take their long, one-piece underwear (called union suits) and chop them in half to deal with the heat.

The U.S.

Navy caught on and started issuing these cut-off undershirts around 1913.

They were easy to wash, cheap, and didn't need a bunch of buttons.

Perfect for sweating it out on a ship or doing heavy labor.

Then came World War II.

Soldiers brought T-shirts home and kept wearing them.

That's when they started moving from underwear to outerwear.

And then came the movies.

Marlon Brando and James Dean rocked plain T-shirts in films, and boom—overnight, the shirt became a rebel must-have.

Suddenly, a plain white tee wasn't just for working—it was a vibe.

4. Neckties came from war

Next time you're struggling to tie a tie, just remember: this whole thing started with Croatian soldiers.

Back during the Thirty Years' War in the 1600s, Croatian mercenaries wore little bits of cloth around their necks.

It was part of their uniform.

The French king at the time, Louis XIII, saw this and thought it looked really good.

So he made it a royal requirement and gave it a fancy name—"cravate," which is the French word for "Croat." Classy, right?

After that, neckwear just kind of took off.

Styles kept changing, getting fancier or looser depending on the trend.

But at the end of the day, all of it—ties, bowties, even ascots—comes from battlefield fashion.

So technically, you're wearing a 400-year-old soldier accessory when you dress for a job interview.

5. Bikinis dropped like bombs

Here's a spicy one: the bikini was named after a nuclear test site.

No joke.

In 1946, Louis Réard launched his super tiny two-piece swimsuit and called it the "bikini," after the Bikini Atoll where the U.S.

had just tested an atomic bomb.

Why that name?

Because he wanted his design to explode on the fashion scene.

At the time, it was way too revealing for most people.

In fact, no professional model in Paris would wear it.

So Réard ended up hiring a nude dancer to debut it.

But the thing took off.

Eventually.

It was controversial for a while, but by the 1960s, the bikini was a beach icon.

All thanks to a wild marketing move and a little atomic energy.

6. Hoodies weren't always cool

You think hoodies and you probably think comfort, casual, maybe even streetwear.

But their story starts way earlier.

Like medieval monk early.

Monks wore hooded robes all the time—it was part of their daily fit.

Fast forward to 1930s America, and a company called Knickerbocker Knitting (later Champion) started making hooded sweatshirts for cold-storage workers and athletes.

These hoodies were built to block the wind and keep people warm.

Later, in the 1970s, hip-hop culture gave hoodies a whole new meaning.

They became symbols of rebellion, mystery, and even danger (depending on who you asked).

From there, they blew up in skate culture, college campuses, fashion runways—you name it.

Now hoodies are everywhere.

But remember—they were built for monks and meat lockers first.

Hoodie Use Over Time

7. Zippers took forever

Zippers feel like they've been around forever, but the road to a working zipper was full of flops.

Elias Howe (the guy who invented the sewing machine) had the first idea in 1851, but no one cared.

Then Whitcomb Judson tried in the 1890s.

He made the "Clasp Locker," which sounded cool but… kept popping open.

Not ideal.

The real zipper hero was Gideon Sundback, who finally nailed it in 1913 with the "Hookless Fastener."

Early zippers showed up on boots and tobacco pouches.

They were practical, but not very stylish.

That changed when the B.F.

Goodrich Company used them on boots and called them "zippers" because of the zipping sound.

People loved it.

Eventually, they showed up on pants, jackets, dresses—you name it.

Today, zippers are holding the world together, one fly at a time.

Fashion is way weirder than it looks, huh?

Every time you put on a pair of jeans, lace up a hoodie, or even zip something up—you're kinda wearing history.

And not the boring textbook kind.

The wild, unexpected, "wait what?" kind.

That's what makes it fun.

So next time you throw on a T-shirt or spot someone in heels, just remember: there's a whole backstory under that outfit, and chances are—it's way stranger than you'd think.

Sources and References

• BBC Culture: "The High Heel's Strange History"

• Levi Strauss & Co: Company History and Timeline

• Smithsonian Magazine: "The T-Shirt's Surprising Origins"

• History.com: "The History of the Necktie"

• NPR: "Bikini Atoll and the Swimsuit That Took Its Name"

• Champion: Brand History and Hoodie Origins

• Invention & Technology Magazine: "The Saga of the Zipper"

Images Sources and Attributions

All images used within this page have been sourced from Wikimedia Commons. They are used here strictly for informational and illustrative purposes.