True Classic: You’ve seen the ads plastered all over social media and shoehorned into your favourite podcasts, but are they worth all the hype and the massive marketing budget? We put them to the test.
True Classic Tees Claim They Could Be The Internet’s Most Comfortable
VERDICT: They do what they promise to do: sculpt your shoulders and chest while hiding your tummy. However, they have their limits.
Pros
- Sculpts the shoulders and chest effortlessly.
- Pricepoint, especially if purchased in bulk.
- Wash without much shrinkage or loss of material quality.
Cons
- Finding the right size can be a challenge.
- Standard range isn’t at all suited to exercise.
Amidst the surge of direct-to-consumer breakthroughs, brands often tout their products as the definitive answer to highly specific needs. Today, we want to shift our gaze to a wardrobe staple that is all too often overlooked despite representing a cornerstone of so many men’s style identities – the classic T-shirt – and answer the question of whether True Classic Tees are really reshaping our understanding of the perfect fit.
An exclusively online brand specializing in T-shirts and polos, True Classic have burst onto the scene with a big, bold claim: conventional T-shirts simply don’t live up to expectations when it comes to fitting you in a flattering way, but they’ve cracked the code to making all men look good and feel better in a classic t-shirt with the help of their unique design. Whether you’re shredded as cheddar cheese or could do with laying off the cheddar cheese, True Cassic tees will fit you in the most flattering way possible… or so they say.
By employing a silhouette that emphasises the shoulders and chest — hugging those parts of the body a little tighter — and draping gently over the belly, providing a little more room for those that need it, True Classic has tapped into and allegedly solved one of men’s biggest style insecurities. We wanted to see if they live up to the hype, and took their flagship products for a week-long test.
Short For Time? Here Are The Quick Take-Away Points
| Overall Rating: | 8/10 |
| Fit: | Great. If you’re between two sized, go with the smaller one. They also run a little slim, but that’s kinda the whole point. |
| Quality: | Good, but not excellent. The tees are very soft but a little thin; this allows for that sculpting effect, but if you want a more structured tee, prepare to spend more. |
| Materials: | The tees are 60% ringspun cotton and 40% polyester, with minor variations between styles. |
| Washability: | Very good. No issues after one week’s constant wear and washing, but I will update in 12 weeks time. |
| Price: | Great. If you’re between two sizes, go with the smaller one. They also run a little slim, but that’s kinda the whole point. |
| Delivery Time: | 6 days, morning delivery. |
| Best For: | Working, relaxing, sleeping. If you want activewear, get activewear. |
Already Convinced? Score A Classic
Classic Crew Neck T-Shirt
Premium fitted crew neck t-shirt
made from 60% combed ringspun cotton and 40% polyester jersey.
Why Trust Us?
When it comes to selecting a good men’s tee, there are various factors to consider, including comfort, style, durability, and fit. To ensure a comprehensive evaluation, the methodology I utilised for figuring out whether True Classic tees are worth the hype was to wear two of their t-shirts — one v-neck, one crew neck — over the course of a week.
I did my best to test the tee shirts in a range of different settings and for a range of different activities, which can broadly be divided into three categories: resting, working, and exercising. Resting included relaxing at home and even spending a night in each whilst I slept. Working is pretty self-explanatory; I wore them both to the office for a day or so to see how they felt in a different environment.
Finally, I wore each tee during a pretty intense workout, seeing if it could move with my body in a seamless fashion or stand up to my copious amounts of sweat and — more importantly — how well it would wash afterwards, testing whether the aforementioned sweat would disappear or leave a lasting mark, both visual and olfactory, on the tee forevermore…
For anyone concerned about the hygiene of all this, it’s worth noting that I would always wash and dry each tee between activity types, swapping out to the alternate tee for the interim period. Not only did this keep things clean, but also ensured each tee got a few washes, hinting at how well it would last in the longer term.
A Bit About Me
Let me give you a more in-depth insight into my physical dimensions and how they impact my preference for a tee…
Height
Standing tall at 6’6″ (198cm), I am a somewhat towering figure, which undoubtedly influences my preference when it comes to the length of my tees; no one wants a bit of belly poking out unexpectedly. In the same breath, however, the last thing you want is a tee that looks more like a nightdress, dangling around your knees. You have to find that sweet spot inbetween.
Weight
I currently weigh approximately 95kg and consider myself fairly fit.
As an ex-rugby player, I’m pretty well endowed across the chest and shoulders but — as if so often the way — it means I’m carrying a little bit of extra weight around my stomach too. Therefore, True Classic’s promise is an appealing one; can it accentuate my best assets and hide my worst? Let’s see…
My Sizing
I usually take an XL when buying tees, jumpers and the like. However, in some brands, I can comfortably take a Large and in others I’m more at home in an XXL. Given that XL is my usual go-to, that’s what I ordered from True Classic.
In short: understanding a bit about me is vital in comprehending my opinions and preferences when it comes to True Classic tees.
As you read through my review, keep in mind that what works for me may not necessarily work for you, and it’s always best to consider your body type and personal preferences when selecting the perfect tee, whatever brand it may be from.
So, without further ado, here are my opinions, praises, and criticisms of True Classic tees…
Classic Crew Neck T-Shirt… For Big Fellas
If you’re a big bloke then True Classic offer up to 3XL sizes.
True Classic’s Packaging And Delivery
My True Classic tees took just under a week to arrive in Australia; 6 days from the point of order with a morning delivery slot. While this isn’t exactly rapid, it’s definitely not the end of the world and wouldn’t put me off ordering them again.
The packaging they arrived in was nice too: a pretty premium-looking black and gold outer layer and branded inner packets, all supposedly made from recycled plastic; easy sustainability points for them there.
The product was also very neatly folded and hadn’t become scrunched up during transit, which is a real pet peeve of mine. For your reference, I ordered one Classic Crew neck and one V-neck, both in black, both extra large.
How Are True Classic Tees Different?
Honestly, these aren’t massively different from regular tees. The subtle differences are, first, in the fit. As described above, True Classic claims to have found the perfect fit for emphasising your chest and shoulders while providing a flattering fit through the stomach.
The other difference from your regular shopping experience is the way you can build your own “pack” of tees, which you’re encouraged to buy in batches of four or six. Naturally, the bigger the pack, the bigger the savings. A single tee retails for $48 AUD, but if you buy a pack of six that comes down to $33.66 per tee.
On top of this, you have the flexibility to customize your pack, choosing not only from a variety of T-shirt colours but also a range of styles including polos, V-necks, long-sleeves, and activewear should you wish to branch out.
How Do True Classic Tees Fit?
We should start off this section with a slight confession: as mentioned above, I ordered my True Classic tees in XL, as this is my usual move when purchasing upper-body garments. However, True CLassic’s sizing clearly runs on the bigger side, meaning that my t-shirts were somewhat oversized. Normally, this wouldn’t be an issue at all, but I was worried it would hinder my experience of their magic cinching abilities around the chest and shoulders.
And yet… even though my tees were oversized, I immediately noticed the way they draped flatteringly over my shoulders, clinging to the front, back, and sides of them, giving the appearance of fullness and roundness I can’t usually boast. Much the same can be said for my chest, which looked even fuller than usual. All the meanwhile, the bottom half of the tee left plenty of room for my ample tummy. Despite the oversized look, the magic definitely worked.
Moreover, True Classic tee’s sleeves are designed to be longer and tighter than you would expect on a regular tee, given that this helps to emphasise the size of your shoulders as well as the thickness of your arms. The unintended benefit of this design feature is that it makes the tees sit very comfortably under additional layers without rucking up and becoming uncomfortable.
Some other reviewers have flagged that — given the multiple countries where True Classic manufacture their tees, including China, Egypt, and Vietnam — they’ve noticed quality control issues between different garments, with some having considerably tighter hems at the waist and sleeve than others, or a slight discrepancy between collar size. I can’t say I experienced this, but it’s worth keeping in mind.
There may still be those out there who say that True Classic overstate their “revolutionary” design alterations, going as far as to suggest that there’s something of a placebo effect involved when trying them on for the first time. Though I’m definitely sympathetic to the power of good marketing, I definitely noticed the alterations doing me favours, and I’m very grateful for them.
A Note on The Materials In True Classic Tees
True Classic’s most popular product, the Classic Crewneck T-shirts, are made from 60% ringspun cotton and 40% polyester jersey, the latter of which allows them the slight stretch that gives you the flattering cut.
How Do True Classic Tees Wash?
True Classic says on its website that you can expect up to 5% total shrinkage on a low-heat wash. I didn’t experience that — or at least, I didn’t notice the shrinkage — but I hugely respect the fact they call it out pre-purchase. Naturally, if you put it on a significantly hotter wash, that number is going to climb…
I didn’t notice any pulling, piling, or fading during my week of washes, but I plan to update this review after a few months to see if they keep a clean sheet on that front…
Can You Exercise In A True Classic Tee?
The short answer is yes, but I wouldn’t recommend it. If you like the brand, try their dedicated line of activewear rather than a Classic Crew or V-neck.
I wore both my crew neck and v-neck to the gym and gave them a pretty hard workout to withstand. While all the sweat and smell washed out immediately afterwards — which I can’t deny was a pleasant surprise — the cotton/polyester mix isn’t the comfiest blend to exercise in.
However, I don’t really hold this against True Classic; this is the case for pretty much any tee. The garments I tried are much more well-suited for working, relaxing, and sleeping. All areas in which they excelled.
Are True Classic Tees Worth It?
In a word: yes, I believe they are. It’s important to remember that a True CLassic tee — or any piece of clothing, for that matter — will never be a silver bullet if you’re unhappy with the shape of your body. That’s an issue to be addressed in your head, in the kitchen, and in the gym (in that order).
And while you could say that it’s a little cynical of True Classic to so shamelessly market directly at men who clearly are unhappy with the shapes of certain parts of their bodies, I also couldn’t help but feel a little more confident when wearing a True Classic tee compared to an off-the-rack equivalent at a similar price point.
Classic V-Neck T-Shirt
Premium fitted v-neck t-shirt with
60% combed ringspun cotton and 40% polyester jersey. Fit is standard.
That being said, I also have a hunch that with all the money in the world you could quite easily find an expensive, designer tee — or even shell out for a few truly bespoke tees — that would ultimately look a lot better. However, at this price and with such a well-designed online shopping experience, I can’t bring to mind anything that does the job as well as True Classic.
Tees To Try Instead Of True Classic
Fresh Clean Threads Classic Crew Neck T-Shirt
If you love the timelessly cool look of a premium fitted tee, then look no further, because our Crew Neck is here to help you live your best life.
If you’re not convinced that True Classic is right for you, check out our list of the 31 Best Tees for Men; we’re sure you’ll find something you like there.