Ever since T-shirt-wearing James Dean gave us his moody slouch, this little piece of clothing has become the most ubiquitous cotton item—worn by the whole world, from celebrities to kids in the poorest villages in Africa.

Whether you’re talking Gap plain, Nike branded, Che Guevara iconic, or anti-capitalist slogan-bearing, there’s no escaping the T-shirt. This is a whistle-stop tour covering the T-shirt’s first outing under the uniforms of American soldiers in World War I, slavery and cotton mills, fair trade, and “smart” Ts of the future.