Ivy League students could hang their shirts in locker rooms using loops, which kept the shirts from getting creased. As time passed, these loops became more than just practical; they grew into a cultural thing.
In Ivy League culture, locker loops were a sign of relationships. Young men would take off their loops to show they were in a relationship, and women would often wear their partners’ scarves in return. But this romantic thing sometimes got out of hand. Reportedly, women would rip the loops off the shirts of boys they liked. Sadly, since the loops were stitched tightly, it often damaged the shirts, making them unusable.