The Splurge is a brand new column during which Males’s Well being invitations lovers to provide us their trustworthy opinions of clothes, tech, gear, and extra, which they’ve bought and examined on their very own. This week, Ace Momin, a Houston-based software program developer with an curiosity in style, shares the outcomes of his year-long, $500 journey to search out his new favourite t-shirt.
A number of months in the past, I went to my closet to select a t-shirt and realized the vast majority of the shirts I owned had been in dangerous form—deformed, torn, or worn out from years of use.
I made a decision that I needed to put money into some high quality items, shirts that might not solely look good, however maintain up over time. (I additionally documented the method on my YouTube channel, which yow will discover right here.)
First, I did some analysis, attempting to study which elements make a t-shirt nice, and which might finest go well with me. After a number of studying, I bought a number of shirts from seven totally different manufacturers, focusing primarily on those I encountered most frequently—Uniqlo, Everlane, Cuts, and extra. In complete, I spent practically $500, and over the course of a few 12 months I put all of them by means of their paces, testing them as completely as I may. (I additionally made a video in regards to the expertise, which you’ll see beneath.)
For what it’s price, I search for three issues in a “excellent” shirt: the match, the texture, and the development. My private definition of a “good match” is a shirt that drapes properly, hugs the arms, and is fitted within the chest however leaves some room within the abdomen. As for the texture, I search for materials which can be clean and smooth to the contact. Lastly, I like a heavier material that will not shrink and a strong collar that gained’t simply lose its form. Each dimension I attempted was a small or medium, and I went off the measurements on the scale charts. (For reference, I’m a medium construct—5’10,” 175 kilos. Right here’s what I found in my seek for the proper tee.
Cuts Clothes
Subsequent, I attempted the Break up Hem Crewneck tee from Cuts Clothes. You could be accustomed to Cuts: Their advertising and marketing campaigns are throughout YouTube, Fb, Instagram, and different social platforms, particularly if you happen to’ve visited their web site. Out of the field, the shirt felt nice—extraordinarily smooth and bouncy. Cuts says they use a cloth referred to as Pyca, which is a mix of cotton, spandex, and polyester. The material has four-way stretch for added consolation, and doesn’t wrinkle simply. That offers it a slight ‘efficiency’ material really feel, despite the fact that it’s meant to be worn casually—not a foul factor, however one thing price noting when in comparison with the opposite 100% cotton choices.
For the reason that match is on the slimmer finish, I opted for a medium, which sat a bit lengthy and bunched up close to my waist, making my legs look shorter once I wore it with cuffed denims. I discovered I most well-liked to put on it with joggers or black denims for a extra streamlined look. Cuts additionally has a “construct your personal” function that permits you to select between three neck kinds: crew, v-neck, or henley, and three bottoms—an elongated, break up, and traditional curve. Once more, all three ran barely lengthy, which could be preferrred for streetwear kinds. The collar was considered one of my favorites. It was skinny but it surely feels tremendous robust and has lasted many washes.
The colour palette can be on-point with loads of impartial tones, and new shades added each season. I purchased the “Arctic Haze,” a lightweight inexperienced shade. The material, whereas skinny, didn’t really feel low-cost and held up properly, not shrinking in any respect after a number of washes. At $48 per shirt, nonetheless, it’s not a finances decide, however the high quality speaks for itself—the buttery material, the stretch, and the match. Nonetheless, I’ll be preserving my buy to only one for now.
Cuts Clothes
Crew Curve-Hem
cutsclothing.com
$48.00
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Everlane
I ordered Everlane’s Premium Weight Crew in a small. Whereas marked as a slim match, it was simply the boxiest out of all of the shirts I obtained, leaving loads of room within the sleeves and thru the physique. At 6.2 ounces, I liked its weight, but it surely nonetheless struck me probably the most, properly, “basic-feeling” of the batch. It jogged my memory of a contemporary Gildan shirt from once I was in highschool, however with much more heft. The material felt just a little scratchy initially, however softened after a few 12 months of washes and wears.
The neck held up fairly properly, too, and I liked the colour. Coming in at $30, nonetheless, I’d say this is not particularly definitely worth the funding. Should you like boxier matches and all kinds of colours, although, this one could be for you. My suggestion: Examine the location’s Select What You Pay part, the place I’ve seen shirts marketed for beneath $20.
Everlane
The Natural Cotton Crew | Uniform – Navy
everlane
everlane.com
$18.00
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Uniqlo
Let’s transfer on to arguably probably the most extensively obtainable shirt I attempted: Uniqlo’s Supima Cotton Crewneck. I would learn many opinions singing the praises for this shirt and determined to provide it a shot after seeing so many individuals swear by it. As you may most likely infer, the shirt is 100% Supima cotton, which is only a model of cotton grown in California, Texas, New Mexico, or Arizona. Supposedly, by way of high quality, it’s among the many prime one p.c of cotton grown on the earth. The additional-long fibers are stated to provide it extra energy, softness, and shade retention in comparison with regular cotton.
The material didn’t specify its weight, but it surely felt thinner in my fingers in comparison with among the different choices I attempted. I opted for a small. The match—someplace between a slim and a daily—hugged the arms properly, left ample room within the abdomen, and had a smallish neck opening. It additionally hung a bit larger than the remaining, and shrunk barely after a wash. The those that sang the praises of this shirt could have been referring to the older shirt, which is not obtainable anymore.