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Black (luxury) t-shirt advice.

Carl London

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I believe, that is a T-Shirt by E.Zegna. Jokingly, I would be willing to place money on it.

In response to the OP, having fondled a whole bunch, for the same look on a budget, Derek Rose is still up there. It's very hard to tell the difference between a Derek Rose T-Shirt and one made by one of the Italian houses, Armani Black label included.

I picked up a E.Zegna black T-Shirt (amongst others) with a shine to it, boxed, for 50 USD, I will create my own thread to compare the differences.

For Plain t-shirts, I would not pay over 85 USD but I have been forced to pay much more for non-plain t-shirts as the market is much more competitive i.e. young people like buying them.
 

rjc149

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There are few things unmanlier than spending more than $50 on a t-shirt.
 

DapperPhilly

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There are few things unmanlier than spending more than $50 on a t-shirt.



I have both. The BR has a moderate shine, but to remain so hand wash it.

About 5 years ago I bought a couple Theory T's which were cotton and silk. Shiny and smooth even after washing on gentle cycle. I don't know if you can find them but they have some high end T's if you want to spend the $$$

 

rjc149

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I have both. The BR has a moderate shine, but to remain so hand wash it.

About 5 years ago I bought a couple Theory T's which were cotton and silk. Shiny and smooth even after washing on gentle cycle. I don't know if you can find them but they have some high end T's if you want to spend the $$$

I think when we start talking about t-shirts that require hand-washing, we've gone too far.

To me, t-shirts are gymwear, workwear, and ultra-casual wear. You wear them to the gym, or hiking, or fixing stuff around the house, or doing yard work, or to bed, etc. They get sweaty, stained with dirt, paint or grease or whatever, then get tossed in the wash along with your gym socks and boxer shorts.

When you start pushing t-shirts into the higher-end luxury tranche of menswear, prioritizing form over function, you start undoing the overall aesthetic of t-shirts, which is part-in-parcel with their purpose, not their look per se.

The appeal of workwear is its common man origin. $200 designer t-shirts, along with other instances of "luxury workwear" makes them exclusive and an item of conspicuous consumption, which is something I find idiotic and repulsively pretentious.
 
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DapperPhilly

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I think when we start talking about t-shirts that require hand-washing, we've gone too far.

To me, t-shirts are gymwear, workwear, and ultra-casual wear. You wear them to the gym, or hiking, or fixing stuff around the house, or doing yard work, or to bed, etc. They get sweaty, stained with dirt, paint or grease or whatever, then get tossed in the wash along with your gym socks and boxer shorts.

When you start pushing t-shirts into the higher-end luxury tranche of menswear, prioritizing form over function, you start undoing the overall aesthetic of t-shirts, which is part-in-parcel with their purpose, not their look per se.

The appeal of workwear is its common man origin. $200 designer t-shirts, along with other instances of "luxury workwear" makes them exclusive and an item of conspicuous consumption, which is something I find idiotic and repulsively pretentious.
The t's I listed cost $16 & $25
 

Carl London

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Opinions vary but the OP wanted advice on Luxury and in all likelyhood, Giorgio Armani is probably wearing a RR Black Label T-Shirt in the photo, its probably a 90% cotton 10% elastane mix and if it is hand washable on the label it is probably to help avoid fading, i doubt a Black label T-Shirt will disintegrate like the Polo line does.

I have Reiss, O.B, Sundek T-shirts for the gym and for other activities but i would not hit a nightclub or, go on a date with the other half wearing one.

A luxury t-shirt for nightlife and work? Yes, they have many uses where a dress shirt or a dress polo won't work as well.
 

breakaway01

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There are few things unmanlier than spending more than $50 on a t-shirt.

LOL. Really? Is your sense of manliness so fragile that it can be undone by owning a T-shirt that costs more than $50?

I think when we start talking about t-shirts that require hand-washing, we've gone too far.

To me, t-shirts are gymwear, workwear, and ultra-casual wear. You wear them to the gym, or hiking, or fixing stuff around the house, or doing yard work, or to bed, etc. They get sweaty, stained with dirt, paint or grease or whatever, then get tossed in the wash along with your gym socks and boxer shorts.

When you start pushing t-shirts into the higher-end luxury tranche of menswear, prioritizing form over function, you start undoing the overall aesthetic of t-shirts, which is part-in-parcel with their purpose, not their look per se.

The appeal of workwear is its common man origin. $200 designer t-shirts, along with other instances of "luxury workwear" makes them exclusive and an item of conspicuous consumption, which is something I find idiotic and repulsively pretentious.

Again, what a strange line of argument.

I guess if you take it farther, you're also saying that anyone owning a pickup truck (I don't) should forgo any amenities that deviate from its essential working-man origins? Anyone who owns a >$100 kitchen knife is idiotic and pretentious? Beyond what price point does a pair of jeans, boots, or a chore coat become "unmanly" to own?

Or what about someone who works in the financial industry -- possibly one of the least "manly" jobs (referring to your other post about T-shirts and manliness) because they aren't building something with their hands?
 

rjc149

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LOL. Really? Is your sense of manliness so fragile that it can be undone by owning a T-shirt that costs more than $50?
My manliness can never be undone.

Other's manliness? That's a larger question posed to our society -- the general emasculation of men in the wake of feminism. If we start off with the OP going for an "extremely manly" look, then chortling over luxury t-shirt fabrics "ooh so nice!" has the opposite effect.

Again, what a strange line of argument.

I guess if you take it farther, you're also saying that anyone owning a pickup truck (I don't) should forgo any amenities that deviate from its essential working-man origins?
I think the better analogy here would be someone spending $200K on a pickup truck with Italian leather seats, 14k gold rims, etc. Which is definitely just as idiotic as a $300 t-shirt.

Anyone who owns a >$100 kitchen knife is idiotic and pretentious? Beyond what price point does a pair of jeans, boots, or a chore coat become "unmanly" to own?
Again, not a good analogy because higher end kitchen knives deliver noticeably superior performance, especially for those who use them all day. Does a $300 t-shirt offer noticeably superior performance to a $30 one? Or is it just a vehicle for conspicuous consumption? That goes for all marked-up designer brand workwear.


Or what about someone who works in the financial industry -- possibly one of the least "manly" jobs (referring to your other post about T-shirts and manliness) because they aren't building something with their hands?
I think making a lot of money is pretty manly. Spending it on frivolous **** is a different question.
 
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DapperPhilly

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So here is the silk T I was talking about. I own 2 and they are very dressy for T's. You wouldn't wear them to the gym etc..



They retailed for $95 and I bought them on sale for around $35 if I recall. Wanted to keep my manliness intact.

I also remembered buying 2 very luxurious Theory T's made of 85% cotton and 15% cashmere. I included a pic of the black one. These would possibly fit the bill.

20220531_134156.jpg
fullsizeoutput_13b8.jpeg
 

DapperPhilly

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I grew up in Miami during the Miami Vice era and seeing people with suits and T's was common.

Scroll to the second pic and you'll see a great example of a black T paired with a SC. Don Johnson
was usually seen in a suit or SC with varying colors of T's.

 

rjc149

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So here is the silk T I was talking about. I own 2 and they are very dressy for T's. You wouldn't wear them to the gym etc..

They retailed for $95 and I bought them on sale for around $35 if I recall. Wanted to keep my manliness intact.
Achieved.
 

breakaway01

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My manliness can never be undone.

Other's manliness? That's a larger question posed to our society -- the general emasculation of men in the wake of feminism. If we start off with the OP going for an "extremely manly" look, then chortling over luxury t-shirt fabrics "ooh so nice!" has the opposite effect.

lol again
I assume you know what “projection” means in psychology.
If you have no concerns about your own manliness why fret about other men?

I think the better analogy here would be someone spending $200K on a pickup truck with Italian leather seats, 14k gold rims, etc. Which is definitely just as idiotic as a $300 t-shirt.


Again, not a good analogy because higher end kitchen knives deliver noticeably superior performance, especially for those who use them all day. Does a $300 t-shirt offer noticeably superior performance to a $30 one? Or is it just a vehicle for conspicuous consumption? That goes for all marked-up designer brand workwear.

I think making a lot of money is pretty manly. Spending it on frivolous **** is a different question.

You said $50 T-shirts originally. Don’t move the goalposts now. honestly I think there are some $50-75 T-shirts that do feel nicer and better made than $15 T-shirts. Whether you value such differences is up to you, but they do exist.

And what if a woman makes lots of money? Is that manly? Or what would you call that?
 

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