What is the best T-Shirt Fit

Looking at a bunch of seemingly-similar t-shirts and trying to decide which to go with can be overwhelming for printed t-shirts. You want a t-shirt of quality, you want one that fits well, and you want a t-shirt that’s comfortable, and prints on well, but how do you choose?

The overall construction of a t-shirt generally goes unnoticed; tubular vs. side seam. Yet, it’s the structure of the t-shirt that makes all the difference when it comes to the fit and knowing which one to buy can make a world of difference in your level of comfort and print quality.

Tubular T-Shirt vs. Side Seam T-Shirt

How does it fit?

The tubular t-shirt construction exists in the industry because the tubular t-shirt is cheap to the manufacturer and requires less sewing. Much like a tube of fabric, tubular t-shirts are made by slicing into the tube to create a circular piece of fabric. Afterward, the arms and neck are sewn on creating a structure in which the front is exactly the same as the back.

A side-seam t-shirt on the other hand, is tailored and structured along the lines of the human body.  A side-seam t-shirt is constructed with seams on either side for a form fit. It is designed for every body type with differing sizes to fit your shape. Side-seams also make great unisex t-shirts intended to be worn by women.

The tubular t-shirt fit is often inferior to a side-seamed construction. Tubular t-shirts lack any structure creating a box-like fit that fails to form to your body. We aren’t shaped like a tube, therefore, a tubular t-shirt will not fit with any form or structure.

Will it hold its shape?

Side-seam t-shirts have structure, unlike its inferior counterpart. Tubular t-shirt begins to lose their shape once washed and start twisting, damaging the integrity of the fabric.

Side-seam t-shirts hold their structure to ensure the print on the front and center, or the back stays where it’s supposed to throughout the lifetime of the t-shirt.