Definition of shirt tail

The origin of the term "shirt tail" can be traced back to the late 19th century when men's shirts did not have collars. Instead, they had a wide piece of fabric called a "fall front" that buttoned down the front of the shirt, allowing it to be suitably tucked into trousers. When men that didn't bother to wear belts, the fall front would become loosely fastened, and the bottom edge of the shirt's hem would hang down, exposing their unfastened back belt loops or the waistband of their trousers. The term "shirt tail" was coined to describe this hanging piece of fabric, as it appeared to be the "tail" of the shirt, left unfastened, similar to an animal's tail. The phrase "shirt-tail" or "shake-tail," as it was also called at the time, emerged as a popular insult, intended to shame men who didn't dress appropriately or maintain good grooming habits, aiming to uncover the associated social stigma that was attached to such displays of impracticality or impropriety.