# Undershirts made in USA



## Miket61 (Mar 1, 2008)

Does anyone have any recommendations for undershirts made in the US?

When I realized that my Brooks Made-in-Thailand undershirts looked more worn than those made in Canada which are indisputably older, I knew it was time to make a change.

Are these too trendy and incapable of containing anyone who doesn't look like a sad hipster?

https://store.americanapparel.net/2001org.html

The other option is a mystery brand. Neiman-Marcus had a small selection of them, available in black or white, v-neck or crew, in a cloth bag containing three. The brand's web site said that the founder wanted something that fit better than American Apparel, but now I can't find the site again and Neiman's has stopped carrying them. They've never been on their web site.

Any advice or recommendations (other than not wearing undershirts) would be appreciated.


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## Jovan (Mar 7, 2006)

www.ribbedtee.com

I own a few graphic tees made from AA's stuff, but the sizing, dye lots, and quality of construction can be really inconsistent, even within the same batch. A shame, as I actually do like the jersey fabric quite a lot.


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## Miket61 (Mar 1, 2008)

Thanks! I'll give RibbedTee a try.

Free Priority Shipping, and there's a coupon code - "ASKANDY" - for 10% off.

Correction - free shipping is for orders over $75 provided you don't use the coupon code.


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## Coffee Mug (Mar 27, 2011)

https://camapp.com/productDetails.php?id=3

Made in Kentucky. $10.50 for a pack of 3.


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## Miket61 (Mar 1, 2008)

Coffee Mug said:


> Made in Kentucky. $10.50 for a pack of 3.


Wow - you can't beat that price!

I've ordered a few RibbedTee shirts to see what I think of them. But at this price I ought to try these as well.


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## g3dahl (Aug 26, 2011)

Another option...

Flint and Tinder


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## Jovan (Mar 7, 2006)

Miket61 said:


> Wow - you can't beat that price!
> 
> I've ordered a few RibbedTee shirts to see what I think of them. But at this price I ought to try these as well.


Hope you like them. I certainly do.


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## Miket61 (Mar 1, 2008)

g3dahl said:


> Another option...
> 
> Flint and Tinder


Looks like a great project, but it seems that right now they don't do undershirts.

If my main goal is "Made in USA," I know the boxers at J. Press are. But I'd love to find some of the same quality as the Brooks Country Club (now repackaged as Golden Fleece). They retail for $45 a pair, but the ones I have I've bought on clearance for a quarter of that when they change out patterns.


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## Jovan (Mar 7, 2006)

Would be fairly awesome if RibbedTee made boxers, briefs, and boxer briefs.


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## eagle2250 (Mar 24, 2006)

^^
+1 and a hearty amen to that!


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## DoghouseReilly (Jul 25, 2010)

g3dahl said:


> Another option...
> 
> Flint and Tinder


What sort of fabric do you suppose they make those boxers out of? Looks like oxford-type cloth, but I don't see it mentioned. $36 for 3 or $75 for 7 for Supima cotton boxers made in the US sounds like a heck of a deal.


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## DoghouseReilly (Jul 25, 2010)

Miket61 said:


> Does anyone have any recommendations for undershirts made in the US?
> 
> When I realized that my Brooks Made-in-Thailand undershirts looked more worn than those made in Canada which are indisputably older, I knew it was time to make a change.
> 
> ...


How about these, by Cambellsville Apparel? They make undershirts for the US military and produce them in KY. Here's a review.


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## tocqueville (Nov 15, 2009)

I bought a few from ribbed t last year and have since bought nothing but. They are fantastic undershirts. Good fit and minimal bulk. No bunching around the arms.


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## Miket61 (Mar 1, 2008)

After reading the review of the Campbellsville Apparel t-shirts, I've decided that anything that is form-fitting and touches bare skin, and is described as "scratchy" is probably not what I want.

The reviewer has RibbedTee at the top of his "Favorite five undershirts" list.

Is anyone else bothered by the brand name "Tommy John"? I mean, Tommy John was an impressive pitcher, but his name is also associated with a type of elbow surgery of which he was an early recipient.


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## TheGreatTwizz (Oct 27, 2010)

A hearty +1 here for RibbedTee.com - THE BEST undershirts I've ever come across.


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## iam.mike (Oct 26, 2008)

*TheGreatTwizz, **tocqueville, and Jovan* - A continued and heartfelt thanks for your continued support of our made in the USA RibbedTee undershirts. We're always striving to put out the best fitting, feeling, and functioning undershirts in their price class. Keep an eye out for our upcoming "CrossOver" undershirt. It'll have a similar cut/design to our Retro Fit line, but made in super soft 40/1 100% cotton jersey fabric that is light enough to wear as an undershirt, but opaque enough to wear as a regular t-shirt.

We might venture into creating a line of underwear sometime, but not likely in 2012. Our primary focus right now is implementing some additional design improvements to our best-selling Classic Fit line, seeing where we can make further improvements to our existing lines, and launch of some new undershirt products that will round out our entire offering. #1 goal is to get the undershirts near perfect before diverting focus to underwear design.

*g3dahl* - The Flint and Tinder line looks promising. Love the fact that Jake is manufacturing in the U.S. like us and there seems to be a lot of support for what he's doing considering his KickStarter project has been massively over-funded. Doesn't look like he'll be initially offering undershirts though and his launch is currently scheduled for June.

*DoghouseReilly* - Based on the videos, F&T will be using Supima (long-staple, US grown) cotton. We use Supima in our MicroModal line it's a pretty fantastic. That said, not all Supima cotton products feel as soft as you would expect them too. Much of it has to do with knitting and finishing. My guess is that Jake from F&T will want to get it right, so I would expect his underwear to be pretty soft.

*Miket61* - I ran across those Campbellsville Apparel undershirts a while back and picked some up. For the price, and being made in the USA, they're a good value-priced undershirt. If you're considering Hanes or Fruit of the Loom, Campbellsville is a good 100% combed cotton alternative.

Tom P. from Tommy John launched his brand of undershirts around the time we launched RibbedTee. The fit problems we were addressing (bunching, coming untucked) are the same, we just approached it with different solution products. TJ retails their MicroModal/Spandex product for $38. We retail our MicroModal/Supima for $29. TJ moved his manufacturing offshore to _[most likely]_ reduce costs so he could compete in big-box retail. RibbedTee chose to keep manufacturing here in the US and find other ways to keep overhead costs low. The TJ product is a good product, and I have tried it myself, but candidly there are many other MicroModal/Spandex blend undershirts that are of equal quality that sell for less than $38, such as the ones from CK and Emporio Armani.

If you decide to give us a try, I'm fairly certain you'll be happy with your purchase. Feel free to post a comment here if you have any questions.


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## Jovan (Mar 7, 2006)

Miket61 said:


> After reading the review of the Campbellsville Apparel t-shirts, I've decided that anything that is form-fitting and touches bare skin, and is described as "scratchy" is probably not what I want.
> 
> The reviewer has RibbedTee at the top of his "Favorite five undershirts" list.
> 
> Is anyone else bothered by the brand name "Tommy John"? I mean, Tommy John was an impressive pitcher, but his name is also associated with a type of elbow surgery of which he was an early recipient.


I looked into them at one point, but first impressions from customer service were not good. Came off as rather snooty in response to my questions and suggestions, at one point saying they hadn't seen any orders under my email... wow.


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## nerdykarim (Dec 13, 2005)

Jovan said:


> I looked into them at one point, but first impressions from customer service were not good. Came off as rather snooty in response to my questions and suggestions, at one point saying they hadn't seen any orders under my email... wow.


Are you referring to Campbellsville or Tommy John in this post?

Also, if I may ask, what suggestions did you make?


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## Jovan (Mar 7, 2006)

Tommy John. Basically I asked if they were going to make any flyless boxer briefs since the prototype of their underwear line was like that (something I was interested in before they released). They gave me a rather abrupt answer that other manufacturers made them if I wanted that. Maybe it wasn't their _intention _to come off as rude, but they sure did.


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## Miket61 (Mar 1, 2008)

Mikel, I received an e-mail this afternoon - a dozen classic fit v-necks were shipped out to me today! I'm looking forward to getting them.


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## iam.mike (Oct 26, 2008)

Miket61 said:


> Mikel, I received an e-mail this afternoon - a dozen classic fit v-necks were shipped out to me today! I'm looking forward to getting them.


Thanks for the support Mike61! So you know, our Classic Fit line is not pre-shrunk so they'll reach their intended shape, fit, and length after laundering and may fit a bit relaxed right out of the package. I hope you enjoy your new RibbedTee undershirts.

If you need anything else, please let me know.


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## Miket61 (Mar 1, 2008)

Thanks! They arrived as scheduled a couple days ago and I washed them. because they're ribbed, they look like the shrunk up side-to-side but they really didn't. It does mean I can fit more into my undershirt drawer.

I'm sticking with my old Brooks shirts for my upcoming trip to New York, but I expect that half of them won't be coming back. I'll switch to the new ones when I return and will post a full report.


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## frosejr (Mar 27, 2010)

Any thoughts here for extra-tall guys? I currently buy JC Penney's 2XL-XT shirts (taller than the 2XL-T) and would love an American made alternative.


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## Topsider (Jul 9, 2005)

Miket61 said:


> I'm sticking with my old Brooks shirts for my upcoming trip to New York, but I expect that half of them won't be coming back.


That's a pretty high casualty rate. Underwear thieves...? :icon_smile_wink:


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## Miket61 (Mar 1, 2008)

Sometimes you have to plan for adoring fans ripping your clothes off.

Seriously, I've often heard that people pack some clothes for trips that are almost ready to be thrown out, so that's one less thing to pack and launder on the way back. I'm going to toss four or five of these shirts at least.


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## DoghouseReilly (Jul 25, 2010)

DoghouseReilly said:


> What sort of fabric do you suppose they make those boxers out of? Looks like oxford-type cloth, but I don't see it mentioned. $36 for 3 or $75 for 7 for Supima cotton boxers made in the US sounds like a heck of a deal.


Off topic, but good to know for anyone who was considering their boxers. This is from an update email I just received:

"3. KNIT BOXER SHORTS. Again, some of you requested this... admittedly, some of you prefer the woven kind (more like a dress-shirt then a t-shirt) but it turns out you can't make that kind of fabric in the U.S. at the moment. 6 months from now, we're going to change that, but for the time being, the simple solution is siding with the Knit Boxer people."

So no woven boxers from Flint and Tinder for the time being. Kinda wishing I didn't pledge that $75 now...


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## DoghouseReilly (Jul 25, 2010)

Why I failed to mention this, I'm not sure, but Flint and Tinder is now doing t-shirts. From the same update:

"1. SUPER-PREMIUM T-SHIRTS. Of the 3000+ people who took our survey, close to 1000 of you mentioned Flint and Tinder shirts to go along with your underwear. So we're doing it! Check out the Flint and Tinder Kickstarter page for details, but the basic info is this: 100% SUPIMA cotton, double soft-washed, and tagless. You're going to love them! Comparable shirts retail from $45 to 85 and go up from there. PLEASE CONSIDER CHANGING YOUR ORDER FROM ALL UNDERWEAR TO A MIX by logging into your Kickstarter account and selecting one of our new reward levels. It's just that easy, but it's actually going to change the game quite a bit. More on that later in this update (see point 6)."

Link to update text


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## Miket61 (Mar 1, 2008)

Since we've started to talk about boxers...

I had been wearing the Brooks Brothers Country Club, which are now packaged as Golden Fleece but at the same $45 price. In my effort to support American manufacturing, I looked at the made-in-USA boxers at Paul Stuart and J. Press. Neither had buttons at the waist, but the Paul Stuart model came in an upgraded softer fabric for $39.50 (instead of $32.50 for the oxford material). I bought the last five pair in the company in my size.


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## Orsini (Apr 24, 2007)

*A Quest Fulfilled!*



Coffee Mug said:


> https://camapp.com/productDetails.php?id=3
> 
> Made in Kentucky. $10.50 for a pack of 3.


I bought some of these. They arrived after a reasonable time, very carefully packaged, undamaged, and no irregularities.

They may be a bit scratchy and, as XXL, are a bit snug. They have been through the wash several times, have not shrunk noticeably, and may have softened a bit.

The neckline is about an inch (or so) larger than what you would get on a BB v-neck tee. This allows an unbuttoned polo to be worn without showing any of that miserable underwear -- the dreaded 'Melican cravat!

This is a quest fulfilled and I don't give a damn about any minor scratchiness. I just ordered three more packs.


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## Pink and Green (Jul 22, 2009)

Good on you then, as I found them the worst ever. I'll stick to my made in Bangladesh or wherever Jockeys. Softest shirts ever!


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## Miket61 (Mar 1, 2008)

Pink and Green said:


> Good on you then, as I found them the worst ever. I'll stick to my made in Bangladesh or wherever Jockeys. Softest shirts ever!


I assume you're referring to the Army standard t-shirts, rather than Ribbed Tee.

While on the trip to New York I referenced above, I actually ran out of t-shirts. The weather was unseasonably warm and I was doing a lot of walking in a suit. I purchased three from Paul Stuart that were made in Japan. They're quite nice, but I've started bypassing the remaining Brooks shirts in my t-shirt drawer and reaching for the RibbedTees instead.


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## Jovan (Mar 7, 2006)

Miket61 said:


> I assume you're referring to the Army standard t-shirts, rather than Ribbed Tee.
> 
> While on the trip to New York I referenced above, I actually ran out of t-shirts. The weather was unseasonably warm and I was doing a lot of walking in a suit. I purchased three from Paul Stuart that were made in Japan. They're quite nice, but I've started bypassing the remaining Brooks shirts in my t-shirt drawer and reaching for the RibbedTees instead.


:icon_cheers:

As much as I like my RetroFits, I really need to get some of the Classic.


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## Orsini (Apr 24, 2007)

Pink and Green said:


> Good on you then, as I found them the worst ever. I'll stick to my made in Bangladesh or wherever Jockeys. Softest shirts ever!


I received the second shipment. They seem marginally less scratchy, or possibly I am just getting toughened up...


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## Jovan (Mar 7, 2006)

Oh, I forgot to tell everyone... someone informed me that Tommy John is no longer made in the USA. They shipped production overseas the instant they got a retail presence. :mad2:


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## Andy (Aug 25, 2002)

Jovan said:


> Oh, I forgot to tell everyone... someone informed me that Tommy John is no longer made in the USA. They shipped production overseas the instant they got a retail presence. :mad2:


They haven't been made in the USA for a long time and the quality is very low. You'll get pills by the third washing!

But you can use them to shine shoes or wash your car!


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## Jovan (Mar 7, 2006)

Andy, didn't you review them and have advertising for them at one point?


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## MicTester (Oct 8, 2009)

Can anyone kindly comment on how long the RibbedTee's fit lasts?


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## Jovan (Mar 7, 2006)

How long the RibbedTee's fit lasts? I'm confused at what you are trying to ask.


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## tocqueville (Nov 15, 2009)

Jovan said:


> How long the RibbedTee's fit lasts? I'm confused at what you are trying to ask.


My guess is that he's wondering if it looses its form-fittedness and starts to gap. Mine are holding up at least as well as the stuff I used to buy.


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## MicTester (Oct 8, 2009)

tocqueville said:


> My guess is that he's wondering if it looses its form-fittedness and starts to gap. Mine are holding up at least as well as the stuff I used to buy.


Thank you. Yes, I was wondering if they sag after a certain number of washes. I am being realistic of course, but was curious what others have noticed.

I can't recall the name now but I purchased a brand several years ago. My colleagues raved about it. Four months (about 10-15 washes) and I was looking for new ones.


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## Jovan (Mar 7, 2006)

Haven't at all in my experience.

EDIT: I'll explain in more detail. None of the undershirts contain lycra, and though they stretch out a bit throughout the day (like any other cotton knit) they return to shape with every wash and dry. In fact, Mike made a point of saying he doesn't use lycra for the reason that it wears out after a while.


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## MicTester (Oct 8, 2009)

Jovan said:


> Haven't at all in my experience.
> 
> EDIT: I'll explain in more detail. None of the undershirts contain lycra, and though they stretch out a bit throughout the day (like any other cotton knit) they return to shape with every wash and dry. In fact, Mike made a point of saying he doesn't use lycra for the reason that it wears out after a while.


Perfect. Thank you. Will order five two-packs and give to a try. Looks like the site discount is still on.


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## Jovan (Mar 7, 2006)

That's a bit much for a first order, no? Just get a two pack at first and see how you like them. Then you can continue adding more.


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## ada8356 (Dec 14, 2007)

I'm late the party but once I saw this thread I wanted to make sure to recommend Ribbed Tees. It is a terrific product. It's the only tee I wear now.


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## MicTester (Oct 8, 2009)

Jovan said:


> That's a bit much for a first order, no? Just get a two pack at first and see how you like them. Then you can continue adding more.


I agree. I pulled that number because of the free shipping offer ($75). But, alas, no free shipping when using the AAAC code. So, Ribbed Tee does not treat us any different. In fact, either save $12 on free shipping or $10 with AAAC code.

So I will order a single two-pack and go from there.


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## lbv2k (Feb 16, 2010)

ada8356 said:


> I'm late the party but once I saw this thread I wanted to make sure to recommend Ribbed Tees. It is a terrific product. It's the only tee I wear now.


Late to the party also, but this is the best undershirts I have ever owned in my life and I have worn quite a few. Highly highly recommmeded. I went with the classic fit. Awesome product.


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## lbv2k (Feb 16, 2010)

I hope this is not a dumb question. How many times do you guys typically wear your undershirts before washing? For me, once I wear once, it goes in the hamper to be washed. I just hope that is not an overkill because I was looking for a way to lengthen the life of my ribbedtee undershirts. I go through many undershirts relatively too quickly.

Thoughts?


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## Jovan (Mar 7, 2006)

Gross! Why would we wear undershirts multiple times? At the end of a day, all I want to do is take off my sweat soaked undershirt.

I find any machine washable knits will last longer with the washer's permanent press cycle and using low heat in the dryer.


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## Orsini (Apr 24, 2007)

You're doing fine. Keep it up.


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## Miket61 (Mar 1, 2008)

My intial order was for twelve shirts - and I used the free shipping rather than the AAAC code.

I don't regret the choice. I haven't discarded as many old Brooks shirts as I'd like, so my undershirt drawer is rather full, but I now only grab a Brooks when I'm consciously thinking that I ought to wear them more often so they wear out and I can dispose of them.


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## Miket61 (Mar 1, 2008)

Miket61 said:


> The other option is a mystery brand. Neiman-Marcus had a small selection of them, available in black or white, v-neck or crew, in a cloth bag containing three. The brand's web site said that the founder wanted something that fit better than American Apparel, but now I can't find the site again and Neiman's has stopped carrying them. They've never been on their web site.


Updating this thread to say that I found them: Rich In Clothing.

https://richinclothing.com/

Three t-shirts for $40. I think Neiman-Marcus sells them for more, but you don't have to pay shipping.

Not currently looking to buy more, but now that I've found them I'm curious if anyone has tried them.


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## tjpatte (Aug 31, 2008)

This is Tom from Tommy John. I wanted to clear any confusion here. We did have a pilling issue like most modal products in the market. Micro modal will "pill" if you wash it in warm water and put in the dryer. The only way to prevent it from pilling is to wash in cold water and hang dry.

We understand guys are used to washing and drying their underwear, undershirts, and socks so we took this feedback seriously and improved the product. Last year we launched the first non-pilling micro modal to the US men's market. Tommy John's new micro modal now remains as softly smooth as the day you bought it, wash after wash. You can learn more about the fabric technology on the "fabric" link on our website here https://www.tommyjohnwear.com/fabric


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## tjpatte (Aug 31, 2008)

Hi Jovan

I'm sorry to have heard you had a bad experience. We did have numerous inquiries about customers wanting our underwear with a fly option so we designed and brought it to market last year. You can see our new underwear series with our Quick Draw horizontal fly. You can check them out here https://www.tommyjohnwear.com/underwear


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## Pleasant McIvor (Apr 14, 2008)

I have been very impressed with Everlane's T-shirts, and they're made in the USA. After three weeks, they're still extraordinarily soft and comfortable. https://www.everlane.com/collections/mens-luxury-tees/products/mens-crew-white


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## Jovan (Mar 7, 2006)

tjpatte: Thanks for the apology, and glad you sorted out the problem with pilling.


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## Atlanta (Oct 21, 2012)

Has anyone tried Zimmerli?


Are they worth the massive premium?


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## iam.mike (Oct 26, 2008)

Atlanta said:


> Has anyone tried Zimmerli?
> 
> Are they worth the massive premium?


Hi Atlanta, I noticed that no one yet had responded to your question about Zimmerli, so I thought I'd chime in to offer a perspective.

Whether or not Zimmerli undershirts/underwear are worth their premium price tag is, at best, fully subjective. Meaning, I don't think the question is if Zimmerli products are 4x-6x better than similar products 1/4 or 1/6 the price. It's more about affinity to a particular brand and experience.

I've personally tried Zimmerli undershirts from CustomShirt1.com, and there are a couple that are pretty spectacular to wear. Now, I'm not insinuating that they were exponentially better than other undershirts I've evaluated, including our own, but rather they are comfortably fitting and feeling undershirts that I enjoyed trying on and evaluating. At the same time, there are some other undershirts in the same Zimmerli higher price-point that were not nearly as comfortable as I thought they should be for the price.

Personally, as a consumer, I am not one who feels comfortable spending $80 - $120 on a single undershirt or underwear garment, but I am one who would spend $30-$35. Moving away from undershirts/underwear for a moment, at the same time, and partially-related from a "product experience" point of view, I also find myself willing to spend $80-$90 on a nice sushi dinner for my wife and I without even batting an eye.

I guess what I'm saying here is that each of us finds an affinity to a product experience and we become willing to pay for that experience regardless if there is a comparable product for less. I could go to the All You Can Eat Sushi restaurant right down the street and get a lot more for my money, but I prefer the experience elsewhere and am willing to pay for it.

I believe the same holds true for most other things, including undershirts and underwear. You could be completely happy in your $15 undershirt. I could love my $30 one, and others could be over the moon for the $100 Zimmerli.

From my point of view, it's all a matter of personal preference.

My recommendation would be to try a handful of different undershirt/underwear brands at different price points and see which one (which experience) you prefer most. Best of luck!


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## Jovan (Mar 7, 2006)

^ A very reasonable and surprisingly unbiased point of view! 

In all seriousness, at a certain point there are diminishing returns. For example, I may pay $10 for RibbedTee versus $3 for Hanes each undershirt, but feel they're the better value because they fit better, feel better, hold their shape, and last significantly longer. Because of that, Hanes undershirts are no longer even an option for me. Higher quality items are an investment. At the same time, I can't even imagine spending an upwards of $80-100 for an undershirt that has to be treated as delicately as a dress shirt. Okay, so they're soft and comfortable. They'll probably last a long time too. But what more am I really getting out of that? In the end, it's an undershirt. A sweat/modesty barrier.

However, to each their own. Donald Trump probably has nothing but Zimmerli in his underwear drawer. :icon_smile_big:


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## Jovan (Mar 7, 2006)

Annnd I just got some more undershirts. They improved the fit a bit on the Classic recently. Most noticeably, the v-necks are a tad deeper. I like that, not because I'm a Saturday Night Fever cosplayer, but because some of my shirts have more button spacing than average.


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## rwaldron (Jun 22, 2012)

Coffee Mug said:


> https://camapp.com/productDetails.php?id=3
> 
> Made in Kentucky. $10.50 for a pack of 3.


I got these, and though the fabric isn't wiz-bang (though much better feeling after 2-3 washings) the fit is AWESOME, and the price and country of origin are outstanding. I'll be ordering a few more packs in a couple of weeks.


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## Jovan (Mar 7, 2006)

^ For cheap undershirts, at least they're made in the States and fit a little nicer. You pay that much for a three pack of Hanes ComfortSoft (which aren't all that comfortable or soft IMO). Damn things shrink to the size of a midriff top, too.


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