What brand of t-shirt fits me?

July 31, 2006 9:26 PM

T-Shirts: I'm trying to find a brand of t-shirts that fit me well, aren't very expensive, and don't have stupid things printed on them.

I especially like shirts that fit snugly around the neck (shirts with loose or misshapen necks drive me nuts for some reason), and aren't very long (say, belt-length). Bonus points if they're not made (specifically) for super skinny people. I'm not fat, just not in shape, and don't really want to accentuate that.

American Apparel seems to be the obvious choice for plain shirts that fit nice. The problem is, I'm using these shirts largely to experiment with some silkscreening ideas I have, and I don't really want to spend the $15 on guinea pig shirts.

I have some Jerzees shirts, but they're inconsistent. A couple of them fit snugly and are the right length, but the others feel loose and long.

Any recommendations?

posted by paulrockNJ to clothing, beauty, & fashion (21 comments total)

H&M, if you have one nearby.
posted by dirtynumbangelboy at 9:36 PM on July 31, 2006

Large thrift stores are great for finding cheap plain t-shirts in lots of different sizes. They're hit or miss, but definitely worth the time when you find those perfectly fitting $1 gems.
posted by mediareport at 9:41 PM on July 31, 2006

I found American Apparel shirts cheaper on Amazon than on Amazon's own website. Try eBay as well.
posted by booksherpa at 9:45 PM on July 31, 2006

Doh! Than on American Apparel's own website.

The one time I don't preview . . .
posted by booksherpa at 9:46 PM on July 31, 2006

Go with American Apparel but purchase them instead through Y-Que Trading Post. They offer most American Apparel colors and styles at almost half the price.
posted by viewofdelft at 9:46 PM on July 31, 2006 [1 favorite]

What about Old Navy Vintage Ts? They're really cheap (2 for $10.), and they fit exactly the same from lot to lot and year to year, it seems. They pretty much have the belt-length fit you're after, and come in S-XXL. That particular type has a front pocket, so if that would interfere with your design there are several others that are cheap and pretty well constructed too.
posted by iconomy at 9:47 PM on July 31, 2006

Like here ...
posted by iconomy at 9:52 PM on July 31, 2006

Seconded. Thrift stores, tag sales, and even your local Salvation Army will give you the best deals (if you're willing to look).

Large thrift stores are great for finding cheap plain t-shirts in lots of different sizes.
posted by ifranzen at 9:58 PM on July 31, 2006

Bonds? Good quality, a range of different styles, reasonable (though hardly op-shop) prices.
posted by robcorr at 10:06 PM on July 31, 2006

I got the impression that he wanted to bulk buy one reliable type of t-shirt so that he could perform his evil genius experiments on them, not pick up random and sundry t-shirts hit-or-miss from a thrift shop. But I could be wrong about that...
posted by iconomy at 10:10 PM on July 31, 2006

Hanes Her Way makes a good t-shirt, not slim fitting and not huge, and they're only $5.
posted by bolognius maximus at 10:45 PM on July 31, 2006

I have some Fruit of the Loom shirts that fit close to the way you describe. I got them in multi-packs at Target. It was a few years ago, though, so they may have changed their design.
posted by concrete at 10:49 PM on July 31, 2006

just order through AA wholesale. im doing the exact same thing as you and thats how i did it.
posted by moochoo at 2:22 AM on August 1, 2006

Similar question.
posted by klarck at 4:38 AM on August 1, 2006

Sierra Trading Post sells Hanes "Beefy-T" blanks for cheap.
posted by scratch at 6:37 AM on August 1, 2006

OneOff has American Apparel shirts for $10/ea. They actually used to be a little cheaper, but the site got somewhat popular a little while back.
posted by chimmyc at 6:56 AM on August 1, 2006

I just bought a bunch of American Apparel tees from Yellow Rat B*st*rd's store in the SoHo section of Manhattan for $8 apiece.

Not sure if that is geographically convenient for you but they might be selling them for that price on their website.
posted by jason's_planet at 7:28 AM on August 1, 2006

Footlocker sells an assortment of plain t-shirts in a wide range of sizes (S-XXXXL), 5 for $20.
posted by elle.jeezy at 7:29 AM on August 1, 2006

More cheap American Apparel here. They claim to be overstocked items shipping directly from the factory. You can also buy from them on eBay for even less money (I recently bought 3 shirts for $18).
posted by Venadium at 10:58 AM on August 1, 2006

You could sign up as a wholesaler at the AA website.
posted by radioamy at 12:15 PM on August 1, 2006

I go to a big sporting goods stores that supplies athletic teams and get the thickest all-cotton tee they have, which is usually Champion. I've worn them for years.
posted by KRS at 2:25 PM on August 1, 2006