Where can I get tagless high-quality long-sleeved t-shirts?

December 19, 2004 10:45 AM

Can anyone recommend a source for long-sleeved t-shirts (not undershirts)? I'm looking for outstanding comfort and outstanding quality. Preferably no tags. I don't mind paying a premium for the comfort and the quality.
posted by yaquina27 to Clothing, Beauty, & Fashion (23 answers total)

American Apparel - made in America, no sweatshops.

I've also had good luck with Eddie Bauer t-shirts (can't vouch for their manufacturing/employment practices however).
posted by matildaben at 10:57 AM on December 19, 2004

Wal-Mart sells comfy tagless longsleeved T-shirts in many colors each winter. They're maybe $7. They're in the men's department, but that doesn't stop me.
posted by croutonsupafreak at 11:00 AM on December 19, 2004

Banana Republic
posted by ericb at 11:07 AM on December 19, 2004

Not upscale, but Old Navy has these really comfy and soft sueded long-sleeved Ts. They're like buttah, baby. The quality is pretty damn good for such an inexpensive shirt. My husband and son wear them, and they've been washed a trillion times, and still look like they did the day we bought them. They come in crew neck, v-neck, yoked, striped, turtle, and baseball style. They do have tags.

A little more upscale - Gap's super soft tshirt, and it is tagless. Gap owns Old Navy, but there's no similarity between these shirts, actually. The Gap t has a tighter, more vintage look to it. I have a few of these (I love men's tshirts) and they wash like a dream. I'm one of those people who is always spilling something on myself, so I can attest to their durability.
posted by iconomy at 12:06 PM on December 19, 2004

I'll second American Apparel. It's very cool that they are a conscientious company, but their product is really quality.
posted by elwoodwiles at 12:08 PM on December 19, 2004

I heart American Apparel as well. Best ts I've ever owned.
posted by leecifer at 12:11 PM on December 19, 2004

I like Banana Republic's t-shirts, which are tagless. Eddie Bauer makes good quality comfy clothes too.
posted by riffola at 12:13 PM on December 19, 2004

my father is what you might call a connoisseur of fine t-shirts and he swears by broder brothers for all his t-shirt needs. i can't suggest a specific make/model, but their catalogs seem to have pretty extensive information concerning weight, fit, fabric, etc..
posted by mdpc98 at 1:38 PM on December 19, 2004

Have to second both the Eddie Bauer and Old Navy mentions. They're both inexpensive, soft, and come in a good variety of colors. (My Eddie Bauer long-sleeves have an average life of about 4 years, Old Navy about 3, and I'm pretty hard on them. On average, they probably cost US$12 each.)
posted by whatzit at 1:46 PM on December 19, 2004

I own both Gap and American Apparel (unisex) shirts. Both have a very similar fit, the Gap has the advantage of being tagless but the American Apparel are hands down the softest, most durable, flat-out best and most comfortable t-shirts I have ever owned.
posted by cali at 2:04 PM on December 19, 2004

Lands End. You know it has to be the best because it it SUPER T.
posted by darkmatter at 2:38 PM on December 19, 2004

If you're really looking for comfort and warmth in your tee shirts, consider silk. I've ordered from Wintersilks before, and they have fine products. There's nothing like the feeling of silk next to your skin.
posted by SteveInMaine at 2:45 PM on December 19, 2004

I second darkmatter's suggestion for LandsEnd. They consistently have the absolutely softest fabrics, best construction and durability, nice colors, great service, a gracious returns policy, and very good prices.
posted by lobakgo at 3:01 PM on December 19, 2004

prana. smartwool. rei. medalist.
posted by dorian at 5:07 PM on December 19, 2004

For the record, Banana Republic = Gap = Old Navy. All one company.

That said, I'm wearing a Gap longsleeved T that I bought years ago, when I worked for them. It's great. Before I left, I wanted to buy another one, but they'd altered ("improved") the design, and the newer ones were nowhere near as comfortable, good looking or hard wearing.
posted by armoured-ant at 6:33 PM on December 19, 2004

I gotta go with Patagonia capilene. Synthetic, wicking, comfortable, and you can wash it with cold water in your sink. Great for travel, and it comes in different weights for winter.
posted by josh at 6:44 PM on December 19, 2004

If you're looking for something for working out/playing sports in, I would recommend Underarmour. You can get the real stuff at any sports store, but I think Wal-Mart has some cheap knockoff commpression shirts too.
posted by ruwan at 7:16 PM on December 19, 2004

American Apparel is the best - comfortable, reasonably priced, and they are tailored to fit a million times better than anything else out there. That they are made in the USA and good to their employees is just icing on the cake.
posted by sluggo at 7:17 PM on December 19, 2004

I second the feather-weight capilene. I'm wearing a long-sleeved one right now. They are the coolest (literally) shirt to wear when sweating in the sun on a hot summer day. Reasonably warm on a cold day, and an ideal wicking bottom layer when it gets colder. I'm normally a large, but prefer an extra-large.

Not long sleeve, but Offline-tshirts sells fun gaming-geek designs on a similar wicking material shirt which is slightly thicker than feather-capilene and an awesome shirt for casual wear/sports. I got mine at a convention, but she'll sell any of her designs on these wicking shirts if email her via the "Customize a shirt" link.
posted by Manjusri at 12:09 AM on December 20, 2004

American apparel shirts, while nice, are pretty expensive (unlesss you're getting them wholesale) and, just as a matter of taste, they're thin. There not beefy, but instead or soft and slim fitting. They're also designed for screen printing, so the cotton is smoother on the surface -- no little wisps can be found.

I love mine, but you might be looking for something different.
posted by zpousman at 6:40 AM on December 20, 2004

Patagonia's Capilene is incredible. I'd marry it if I could.
posted by jackofsaxons at 6:52 AM on December 20, 2004

I want to like American Apparel, but I find their stuff thin and scratchy. Not comfortable at all (for me).
posted by transient at 8:14 AM on December 20, 2004

I like Duofold CoolMax. Approx $15-20 for t, $25-30 for long sleeve? They're synthetic, and have no tags. They are sold as bottom/mid layers for hiking etc., but they look/wear/feel great, come in nice no-fade solid colours, and are perfectly presentable for casual wear. Very comfy for long periods. They're the one t-shirt I have sought out to buy again, and have about 6 shirts now. Also, if you are interested, they are ideal for travel - they pack up real small, and you can handwash and drip dry them very quickly. You can google for stockists; I get them from bike/camping stores.
posted by carter at 8:31 AM on December 20, 2004