Ordered this tshirt in large and white alongside a couple of other brands, including:Hanes Beefy TAlstyle 1301Joes USA 6.1 ozBayside Apparel 5100 6.1 ozI also ordered a Comfort Colors 1717 which has not come in the mail yet so I cannot include it in my comparison. All of the following critiques are based on the unwashed measurements. However, I'd expect all of them to shrink similarly.For reference, I am 6'1 and about 150 lbs. My chest measurement is 40. My physique is on the leaner side, so I chose a heavyweight tee. I find that lighter weight tees conform strangely around my waist, whereas heavier tees form a more flattering shape around my abdomen.Overall, my least favorite of the bunch was Joes. It would definitely fit a more boxy build, however I found that in general it was too large for me. The sleeves openings, shoulder to shoulder measurement, and width of the tee were too wide. If I sized down, the collar would've been to restrictive for my neck. It was also the most expensive, and sadly, not made in the USA.My second least favorite was, surprisingly, the Hanes Beefy T. I've felt several older models of the Beefy T, and the newest iteration pales in comparison. It felt too thin, was too wide and short, and had terribly sewn seams. However, I will say that it was the softest, comparable to the Hammer T. This T would probably fit best for someone shorter.The Bayside tshirt was made in the USA, which is a pro, especially for the price of $9. However, I felt the Alstyle and Hammer T were just better in value. The tee was a little too scratchy for my taste, but had a THICK collar and nice silhouette. It reminded me of a slightly slimmer ProClub tshirt. If you like thick collars, and prefer USA made, this ones for you.The Alstyle 1301 was the runner up, which surprised me. It was the cheapest of the bunch but held its own. I also have some older versions of this shirt, with the triple-A tag on the collar. The quality has remained relatively consistent through the years, albeit slightly less soft. The fit is VERY similar to the Hammer T, which I will describe shortly. The main differences between this and the Hammer T is a slightly thicker collar and a more scratchy cotton. Overall, a good budget purchase for someone building a starter wardrobe if softness isn't a priority. Probably would be cheaper ordering off a third party website.The Hammer T is the only tee I kept from the bunch, so I have before washing and after washing measurements. It shrinks about a half size after washing and drying on the highest heat, which ended up fitting perfectly. The cotton was extremely soft straight from manufacturing because it is ringspun cotton. It loses some of the smoothness after washing because it becomes slightly fuzzy, however it is still much softer than the bunch. I would put it somewhere between the softness of a worn vintage shirt and a Uniqlo dry packaged tshirt. It's probably slightly lesser than a Uniqlo supima cotton tshirt. The sizing is perfect for me, because after washing and drying it reaches about the middle of my zipper. Before washing, it passed it. The width also slightly shrinks, hugging around the end of my shoulder. My only gripe with it is the collar is a hair too thin for my taste. I would prefer it to have the thickness of the Alstyle T. If you're my build, I would highly recommend this tshirt. I'm definitely ordering more colors soon, and I plan on trying the Gildan Hammer Hoodies in the future.Tl;dr: Joes heavyweight too big, Hanes beefy t too short, Bayside 1717 too overpriced, Alstyle 1301 needs to be softer, Hammer T just right.
Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]