justin․searls․co

The T-Shirts I Buy

I get asked from time to time about the t-shirts I wear every day, so I figured it might save time to document it here.

The correct answer to the question is, "whatever the cheapest blank tri-blend crew-neck is." The blend in question refers to a mix of fabrics: cotton, polyester, and rayon. The brand you buy doesn't really matter, since they're all going to be pretty much the same: cheap, lightweight, quick-drying, don't retain odors, and feel surprisingly good on the skin for the price. This type of shirt was popularized by the American Apparel Track Shirt, but that company went to shit at some point and I haven't bothered with any of its post-post-bankruptcy wares.

I maintain a roster of 7 active shirts that I rotate daily and wash weekly. Every 6 months I replace them. I buy 14 at a time so I only need to order annually. I always get them from Blank Apparel, because they don't print bullshit logos on anything and charge near-wholesale prices. I can usually load up on a year's worth of shirts for just over $100.

I can vouch for these two specific models:

The Next Level shirts feel slightly nicer on day one, but they also wear faster and will feel a little scratchy after three months of daily usage. The Bella+Canvas ones seem to hold up a bit better. But, honestly, who cares. The whole point is clothes don't matter and people will get used to anything after a couple days. They're cheap and cover my nipples, so mission accomplished.


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