And it spread! Designers started using it as a detail even when it did not have any functional use. At that point, no one was hanging shirts on pegs in small lockers but the loop lived on regardless. It was a little tip of the hat to tradition. People recognized it even if they weren’t sure why it was there.
Not only that, but it is still incredibly practical today! Not in the practical way. You are probably not hanging your dress shirts on the random hooks cluttering your apartment. But for a person who travels a lot? That little loop is clutch. You can hang your shirt on the back of a hotel bathroom door, or, even in a garment bag, and it helps you keep it somewhat wrinkle-free without a hanger. Basically, it is extraordinarily useful in a very subtle way that you never think about until you are stuffing shirts in a suitcase and you realize: oh, hey, I can just hang this one up by the little loop thing.
Then there’s the style aspect. At some point, the design world decided to embrace the loop as a subtle design touch, and you’ll see brands playing with the loop: different colors, maybe a little contrast stitching, or maybe a unique fabric just for the loop. Sometimes it’s the kind of thing that only someone super into menswear would notice. For some people, it becomes sort of a trademark, almost a little flag for their style or brand loyalty.
source: GANT
There’s even a funny rumor I came across while looking into all this—total urban legend stuff—but apparently, back in the day, a guy at my school used to cut the loop off his shirt to communicate that he was “taken.” Like, not available to date. Loop gone, means in a relationship. And his girlfriend would wear his college pin. Romantic? Probably. A little possessive? Also probably. I can’t imagine it’s something people still do, but interesting, right?
