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.