The subtle details of clothing often hide interesting stories. Take a look at the back of your shirts, ever noticed that little loop? You’ll often find it on dress shirts for men, seemingly inconspicuous but with a couple of intriguing purposes you might not have known about.
While dress shirts are typically part of more formal attire, they can also be dressed down for a casual look when paired with the right pants and accessories. But that loop on the back? It wasn’t just arbitrarily placed there.
Originally, it was a thoughtful addition for those hitting the gym frequently. Its purpose? To make hanging the shirt on a hanger a breeze, especially when you’re on the go and need to transition from one place to another without fussing about where to put your shirt.
Interestingly, that little loop had a flirtatious function too. In the past, it was used as a subtle signal of relationship status. If the loop was out and visible, it supposedly indicated that the person was taken, hence not needing to hang around looking for a place to hang their shirt. However, over time, its significance has faded away, becoming just another mundane part of shirt design.
Fashion trends may have evolved dramatically over the last century, but some elements remain unchanged. Men’s clothing, in particular, holds onto certain timeless features. Case in point: the back-of-the-shirt loop.
Often termed a “locker loop” or even a whimsical “fairy loop”, it’s stitched onto most Oxford or button-down shirts. Its primary purpose? Hanging up the shirt. Legend has it that these loops trace back to U.S. sailors who used them to hang their shirts aboard ships.
During the 1960s, they became an integral part of mainstream menswear, especially on college campuses as part of the “preppy” look. Gant, a clothing manufacturer, is often credited with popularizing this button-down style across Ivy League campuses. The man behind the brand initially introduced this shirt design to Yale University’s shop for male students, and from there, its popularity spread far and wide.
When she got home, she excitedly shared with her parents that she had made a new friend at school: Their surprise was evident when they saw the picture she brought with her
In the late summer of 1997, amidst the bustling halls of a Cape Town maternity hospital, Celeste Nurse awoke to a nightmare. Her infant daughter, cradled closely in her arms just moments before, was now inexplicably missing. A woman disguised as a nurse had stealthily absconded with the child while Celeste dozed off, leaving behind a void that would haunt the Nurses for two decades.
Year after year, they commemorated their daughter’s birthday with bittersweet celebrations, clinging to hope amid the anguish of uncertainty. Then, in a remarkable turn of events in 2015, a glimmer of possibility emerged. With the arrival of a new addition to the Nurse family, named Zephany, hope stirred once more.
Zephany bore an uncanny resemblance to their long-lost daughter, sharing not only her features but also her birthday. Astonished by this revelation, the Nurses wasted no time in seeking confirmation, enlisting the aid of authorities for a DNA test. The results validated their deepest yearnings – Zephany was indeed their missing child.
“DNA is a truth teller. It affirmed what our hearts always believed”, reflected Celeste Nurse on the profound moment of reunion. However, for Zephany, then known as Miché Solomon, the revelation unraveled her world. Despite her birth certificate asserting her origin at Retreat Hospital, records of her birth were conspicuously absent.
As the legal proceedings unfolded, Miché grappled with the revelation that Lavona Solomon, the woman she had always regarded as her mother, stood accused of kidnapping and fraud. Lavona professed her innocence, claiming she had received the baby from a woman named Sylvia, an assertion unsupported by evidence.
Ultimately, Lavona received a ten-year sentence for her crimes, leaving Miché to navigate the complex terrain of her dual identity. Reunited with her biological parents under the guidance of compassionate social workers, Miché wrestled with conflicting loyalties.
“It was a battle waged in the recesses of my mind and heart”, confessed Miché, torn between the families vying for her allegiance. Despite her reunion with her birth parents, Miché found solace in returning to Michael Solomon, the man she still considered her father, following her parents’ separation.
Yet, the reconciliation was fraught with challenges as Miché struggled to reconcile her two identities, opting to retain her given name rather than reverting to Zephany. While she maintains occasional visits to Lavona in prison, Miché endeavors to forge ahead, embracing the truth that, though painful, liberated her from a life built on deceit.
“I am both Miché and Zephany, a synthesis of two worlds”, she declared, embracing the complexities of her past while charting a course towards a future defined by authenticity and forgiveness.
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