Today the modern T-shirt has spawned a vast textile and fashion industry, worth over two-billion dollars to the world's retail trade. The unlikely birth of the t-shirt was a rather unspectacular event, however this humble piece of attire was set to change the styles and fashions of cultures for generations to come. Eventually the T-Shirt would be used as a political tool for protest and in certain times and places in history, a symbol of revolution and change.

Last week I had a short vacation to New York with a friend and we splashed out in all the big name stores and had a whale of a time. In the midst of all the chaos of that weekend I managed to remember my partner, in particular a selection of jeans they were after and the massive showcase Abercrombie and Fitch store.  I was bowled over by the prices, they were incredibly low. Now I understand that with the healthy exchange rate of UK Sterling to the US Dollar I had a distinct advantage when it came to the power of my British purse. But I was in for a shock.