About 5 years ago, my wife purchased two super beefy heavyweight shirts for me from J. Crew. One was a J. Crew branded tee the other was a Wallace Barnes tee. Ever since I have been going back and forth to J. Crew looking for these tees. Unfortunately, they don’t make them anymore. After a while, my interests changed. I went through a bit of a streetwear phase, and my shirts became significantly longer and not nearly as beefy.
Seeing that I have recently gotten back into the workwear and heritage scene again, these tees have become a part of my rotation. Thus begins my series to find the ultimate heavyweight champion tee. I’m kicking off this series with Brave Star Selvage‘s 8.5 oz Glory Days Tee. As I have mentioned in the past, Brave Star is one of those love-hate brands, mainly because their quality is hit or miss. Lucky for me, this round has definitely been a hit.
As we near warmer weather, and thank fuck for that, I will continue my search for the ultimate heavyweight champion. There are many offerings to consider. I will look at a range of brands and various price-points to provide my opinion on which are best and the value they bring to the table.
BRAVE STAR’S “Glory Days” 8.5 oz Heavyweight Tee AESTHETICS
- These tees are a real throwback to the glory days of t-shirts.
- The fabric is 8.5 Oz of ultra-heavy cotton, custom made for Brave Star.
- They feature a 1×1 knitted inset collar for a flat profile around the neck.
- This is a “standard fit,” meaning it has a blocky body that’s not overly wide, with a slight taper in the midsection. It’s a pretty forgiving fit.
The QUALITY
- The tee is beefy. I mean royale with cheese beefy. The type of tee that will weigh ten pounds if it ever gets wet.
- They are double-needle stitched where it counts, like at the shoulders and the hem.
- These are not tube tees. Personally, I hate tube t-shirts. It’s lazy manufacturing. You could also have this tee tailored if you wanted, based on the construction.
- The t-shirts are pre-shrunk before being sewn to eliminate shrinkage. I am happy to confirm this personally. Test washes resulted in no shrink.
The VALUE
- They aren’t cheap at $48 for a two-pack, but they aren’t exactly expensive either. It’s a nice middle-of-the-road price for a heavyweight. I think $40 is more reasonable for two shirts of this quality.
WHO SHOULD BUY Glory Days 8.5 oz Heavy wEIGHT tEES?
- If you’re looking for a nice, simple, yet beefy t-shirt, then these are the right shirts for you.
- These definitely have a classic feel to them. If you are looking for that kind of iconic basic-ass-t-shirt that is up for daily life.
WHO SHOULDN’T BUY tHE Glory Days 8.5 oz Tee
- People who don’t like heavy t-shirts should avoid these shirts.
- Tall people. These shirts run short. They are meant to just meet the waist of your jeans. So If you’re tall or are looking for longline t-shirts, this ain’t the one for you.
aRE Brave Star’s “Glory Days” 8.5 oz Heavy Tees A WHY? TRY? OR BUY?
These are a definite try! They didn’t get a definite buy because I don’t think the fit is for everyone. As I said, the shirts run short. For me, they were just the length and width I was looking for. But I feel they are just too short to be that go-to t-shirt that everyone needs.
Follow the story and stay connected. For more stories, click here!
