The history of the locker loop is often linked to the U.S. Navy and the cramped quarters on ships. Sailors had limited space for clothing and hung their shirts on hooks in small closets or lockers.
A small fabric loop was significantly more space-saving than a conventional clothes hanger. It also allowed the shirt to be hung up without simply folding it and thus creasing it.
However, the exact historical origins of the loop are not entirely clear. Numerous sources describe its connection to military or maritime clothing, but not every detail is historically verifiable.
From the Navy to Campus
In the mid-20th century, the loop increasingly appeared on American casual and Oxford shirts.
It became particularly well-known thanks to Gant, the company that popularized Oxford button-down shirts with locker loops in the 1950s. These shirts were very popular with students and became part of the so-called Ivy League
