Tuesday, June 24, 2025

Slim T-shirt Comparison

 I am 5' 10", 150lb. Long arms, wide shoulders, somewhat muscular. But thin, which makes finding a good fitting T-shirt a challenge, particular finding one that doesn't feel or look like I'm wearing a table cloth.


I own mostly TALLslimTees (TST), both long and short sleeve. Small size. Made of 50/50 cotton/polyester blend. Minimal shrinkage with 100% dryer use. They are (or were) my favorite fitting T-shirts; not perfect but close enough. They last more than 5 years if taken care of. Some I've owned for probably 7 or 8 years now, but they are looking worn and needing replaced.  When I bought them they cost between $16 and $24 depending on how far back I go and whether they were on sale. Now, they are no longer offered in the 50/50 cotton blend and instead it's mostly polyester, which, in my experience traps body odor and feels worse than the cotton blend. So I've begun looking around and am ordering other branded slim Tees with the cotton blend fabric blend to compare. Here are the results so far:


0. BASELINE: Original Tall Slim Tee short sleeve crew neck, Small


   Material: 50/50 cotton blend, on the heavier side but not overly suffocating in heat.

   Torso: Perfect fit around the belly for us skinny wearers (will show beer belly for those that have them)

   Length: About 1-2" longer than I'd like, falls to about the bottom of the zipper of my shorts/pants.

   Sleeves: Slightly longer than half way down the bicep, tight but not stretched against muscle for someone that does daily curls

   Shoulders: Slightly narrower than I'd like

   Collar: A little on the tight side, especially if working out and focused on neck/shoulders. No curling.

   Consistency: Perfect. Never received a bad fitting Tee

   Tag: Printed on material, back of neck

   Cost: No longer available


1. Next Level Men's Baby Rib Collar Premium T-Shirt, Turquoise, Medium


   Material: 60/40 cotton blend, not overly thin but perhaps just slightly thinner than TST. 

   Torso: 1"+ wider than TST, but still usable. Definitely does not have the tablecloth appearance as with most T-shirts

   Length: Same as TST

   Sleeves: Maybe 1/2" shorter than TST, looser around the bicep

   Shoulders: 1/2" wider than TST

   Collar: Similar size as TST. Doesn't appear to want to curl yet, but I suspect it will eventually based on the stitching.

   Consistency: Only ordered 1 so far, so TBD

   Tag: Stitched, back of neck

   Cost: $8, as of 2025


2. H2H Men Cotton Blend Crew Neck Classic & Stylish Typical Type T-Shirts DARKBLUE, Medium


   Material: 60/40 cotton blend, not overly thin but perhaps just slightly thinner than TST.

   Torso: Same as TST

   Length: Same as TST

   Sleeves: About 1/2-1" shorter than TST, looser around the bicep

   Shoulders: Same as TST

   Collar: Similar fit as TST. Looks good and reinforced with an off-color, hidden fabric strip

   Consistency: Only ordered 1 so far, so TBD

   Tag: Printed on material, back of neck

   Cost: $16 of 2025


Between the H2H and the Next Level, I'm leaning towards the H2H simply because I don't care for excess material around the lower torso. I do wish the sleeves were longer and the shoulder slightly wider, though.


Will update as I review more brands. If you have a recommendation, or are a designer and would like me to add your shirt to my comparison, please reach out via the Contact form.