Boring thread alert, but hopefully you’ll cotton on to what I’m after until weave reached a consensus.
I want some decent, heavyweight cotton t-shirts, plain, simple, in nice colours, but mostly black, and that don’t cost stupid money because of some label inside.
All the t-shirts I’ve bought from Fruit of the Loom or Gildan etc, described as heavyweight have been horrible thin, cheap feeling, clingy things. Why must they put elastane in t-shirts? We don’t all want our magnificent pectoral muscles cupping 😐
I’ve got lots of old t-shirts that just seem way better quality and have that kinda stiff feel off the washing line. Many of these are Fruit of the Loom etc but most have a print.
I have a couple of Animal T shirts that have held their shape well, not quite plain, they have a logo. The Quiksilver and other surf brand T-shirts that I have are not heavy weight but again hold shape well.
I’ve had quite a few fruit of the loom and been less than impressed at their skimpyness and stretchy clingyness, unable to tame nor compliment my manly aesthetic.
Have you tried Gildan Ultra? They are far heavier and a better quality than Gildan Heavyweight (which I don’t like). Gildan also do a Premium ringspun cotton which has a much softer feel than the Ultra and is a slimmer fit., finally they have a newish line called Hammer which I think is more like their Ultra line but in a boxier cut.
find a local place that does workwear/embroidery etc and ask if they can just sell you unbranded ones. Have a flick through their wholesale catalogues, all the brands do heavyweight versions. With Fruit of the Loom it is called Super Premium IIRC. When I used to do it they only cost a couple of quid wholesale. The difference between the best ones (which are really nice) and the regular thin crappy ones was probably about a quid or so (I guess it adds up though if you’re having a few hundred done!)
Gildan Ultra and Gildan Hammer are both heavier at 6.0oz/yd2 than Gildan “Heavyweight” at 5.3oz/yd2
I bought heavy originally and they are pretty crap, replaced with Ultra now and they are far better.
American Apparel are pretty decent for this but you have to have them posted from the US now as they’ve closed the shop over here. It actually works out quite cheap as they always seem to have sales on.
Part of a collection of progressive essentials created in our Paris atelier by artistic director Christophe Lemaire and a team of international designers.
American Apparel are pretty decent for this but you have to have them posted from the US now as they’ve closed the shop over here. It actually works out quite cheap as they always seem to have sales on.
American Apparel are pretty decent for this but you have to have them posted from the US now as they’ve closed the shop over here. It actually works out quite cheap as they always seem to have sales on.
American Apparel went bust, the brand was bought by Gildan. Mostly not made in the USA any more. Are they as good quality as they used to be?
I bought some around 3 years ago in the UK before they went bust. Very good quality. Recently got some again and I can’t see any difference. The website still states they are made in the US: