Matching t-shirts aren’t just for the Doublemint Twins. They’re popping up more and more on the backs of families, friends, teammates, and lovers. Why? Dressing alike promotes unity among the wearers, and T-shirts are affordable and customizable. Here are just a few groups drawn to matching T-shirts:

Families:
Outfitting each family member with a matching T-shirt promotes unity. (That is, if everyone wears them willingly). If the Smith family shows up at a reunion, holiday event, amusement park or vacation spot in matching T-shirts that say “Team Smith,” they’re in effect saying “this is a family that works together and has fun together.”

Dressing alike for family portraits is one thing, but finding a T-shirt that suits a family full of different-sized people with different personalities isn’t easy. One way to get everyone on board is to make them a part of the process. Get everyone’s input on color, fabric, slogan, and logo before you buy. Also, take into account that women might prefer a different cut than the guys. The shirts won’t be exactly the same, but you can still have a unified theme.

Teammates:
Sure, athletes dress alike on the field, but the hours spent forging a team spirit sometimes trickles off the field as well. You’ll often find teammates from a variety of sports wearing matching T-shirts in the off-season. Sometimes they do it to commemorate a particularly memorable past season, to celebrate school spirit, or to promote the fact they all went to sports camp that summer.

Often these shirts reflect school colors and are emblazoned with inside jokes that only those “who have been there” would understand. The backs of these shirts often feature the players’ nicknames, which are often equally obscure in meaning.

Groups of friends:
Others order T-shirts to remember a shared event. Pat S. And his friends braved a trip to Key West during a serious storm warning for that area. So they commissioned a dozen shirts emblazoned with “Hunkered Down and Liquored up in Key West!” and wore them en masse to the clubs that night.

Other groups opt for matching T-shirts to promote a cause or identify who they are. One church group from Savannah did both when they all wore matching T-shirts during a two-week humanitarian stint in Mississippi after Hurricane Katrina.

Lovers:
Ah, young love. A time of walking on air, whispered endearments, and goofy smiles. It’s also a time when it’s perfectly OK to outfit yourselves in matching T-shirts proclaiming your feelings for one another. Kevin and Jane bought light blue T-shirts with each other’s names on the backs. They weren’t publicly affectionate, but they didn’t have to be.

Of course, donning matching T-shirts isn’t just for young lovers. Older couples like to dress alike too – only they usually prefer track suits. And that’s another article for another time.

In summary, matching T-shirts can be corny, kitschy, or cool. It all depends on what they look like, and the attitude of those wearing them. The important thing to remember is that no one wants to wear an ill-fitting T-shirt in an unflattering color, so make sure you pick a style that suits everyone.