The thick two-tone stripe tee is synonymous with the outlaw biker scene of the 1950s. Aesthetically reminiscent of prison stripes, club members adopted thick two-tone stripe jerseys, often worn under biker ‘cuts,’ as a counter-culture rejection of the dapper style of pre-war motorcycle meet-ups. For many veterans, motorcycling emerged as a substitute for wartime experiences, and the act of men socializing post-war was in itself an anti-establishment concept. This, combined with the more casual, rugged aesthetic of men returning from the war in Europe, redefined the prevailing style of American motorcycle club members, especially in the ‘outlaw’ clubs on the fringes of biker culture.

The media's sensationalizing of the 1947 Hollister Riot catalyzed an association of post-war American motorcycle clubs with misfits and rebels. This affiliation was further cemented by depictions in classic American cinema throughout the '50s and '60s, where the thick stripe tee was used as a shorthand to depict a character's anti-establishmentarianism.