Review: Bayside Union Made T-Shirt
int. ladies garment workers union. National Park Service
When we think about manufacturing or the countries that are proudly displayed on garment tags, we collectively think of Vietnam, China, Sri Lanka, and various Latin American countries. However, way back before the early 80s, that wasn't the case. The United States of America constructed lasting, tough and organic fiber garments with American hands in community orientated factories. Although the climate of the fashion industry has forgotten the importance of American labor and artisan construction, the Bayside company, specifically the Union made T-shirts, are a symbol for the fading ideals of building tough. This is my favorite T-shirt, with a heritage.
I discovered this T-shirt on a wholesale site and it was an instant love story. For a while, I was hooked on Uniqlo’s airism and Calvin Klein’s basics, (both cheap T-shirts, non-cotton & cheap construction). Their lifespan was short, felt papery and fit weird in a few short washes. I could argue Bayside saved my desperation for the everyday tee. In this comprehensive review, I’ll be going top to bottom on affordability, accessibility, fit, quality and top to bottom what this tee means to me. This is my version on a well rounded T-shirt, hitting the right spots, keeping the bank safe and softening your skin with homegrown cotton.
This T-shirt won’t put a hole through your wallet. Spending 25 bucks on a pack of 6 T-shirts sounds awesome, but once you dive deeper into the problem of them fitting weird and thinning after every wash, the saying “quality over quantity” comes into play. Let’s compare my favorite T-shirt to a widely famed and praised T-shirt, Uniqlo U’s Crew Neck T-shirt. First off, Uniqlo U is supposed to be their luxury line however when you pull the trigger on a $20 all cotton T-shirt, you aren’t paying for homegrown cotton nor construction/quality control. The brand’s luxury line is double the price and their praised and glorified T-shirts aren’t even artisanal quality. Any day I’d fight to pay 10 bucks for a T-shirt double the quality of Uniqlo’s, especially when this T-shirt is also always on sale, especially on wholesale sites. You can find these bad boys for down to 7 bucks, that’s a deal you can’t pass up on. My ideal T-shirt wipes harder than baby wipes and that’s a fact.
bayside union made tee Blankstyle
Accessibility is also the prime factor of what I consider a widely available article of clothing. Let’s compare to a couple other T-shirts that roam around in my wardrobe. The aforementioned Uniqlo U is constantly out of stock because of massive hype, which you can consider a bonus in two ways. First, Bayside has no massive audience behind it which means more T-shirt availability for you, and no other Joe will be wearing the same T-shirt as you (it means you‘ll have original style). Another T-shirt that will be neglected once you pick up these bad boys are Merz B. Schwanen and Whitesville, both one of my holy grail luxurious T-shirts. Although there stands a massive crowd of Japanese-Americana enthusiasts and loopwheel fiends, and is known as quality T-shirts, the biggest problem you come to face is avaliability which the Bayside has never failed on. Constant struggles are no more as you can find Bayside on every major site such as Amazon, Blankstyle, Walmart, and any site where you can buy Hanes tighty whities.
a musty T-shirt, faded and worn, after a year of constant wear.
Most importantly, to all the curvy and boney men out there, you want a T-shirt to drape your arms, hug your shoulders, and make your chest look buff . This heft of a tee does just that. From big to small, tall to short, Chad to Greg, any nerd, build like C-Bum (an extreme body builder), or TLC’s my 600 pound life stars can dawn this armour. And I'm speaking from experience. Seriously, the fit is versatile as it’s not boxy or slim, it’s the golden medium. The length is just right, for people looking for proportions to make you look tall. It splits you into thirds without even lifting a finger. From my perspective, most T-shirts that fit right in all the vulnerable spots, don’t have the right damn length. This tee falls a few inches below your waistline and I’ve always found that more comfortable than boxy, oversized T-shirts that make you look short or tight cropped T-shirts going above and beyond what you need. Simply, this T-shirt wrecks the fit factor of my review.
Breathability from the cotton T-shirt is also a bonus. Contrary to popular belief, synthetic fibers (polyester, nylon) are not cooling you off in the summer. Cotton actually allows you to get in more cool air than polyester. This T-shirt especially proves that theory, as throughout this summer, whether it was the humid Mid-Atlantic, sunny but chilly San Francisco or tropical Cabo, the Bayside Union Tee wicked away sweat and heat. After a few washes, my Uniqlo T-shirts started wearing down, especially on the fit and neckline. The Bayside tee did not have that same malfunction. Another feature I drool at is the fading and wearing-in process. The organic fibers let the T-shirts fade from the wash and moisture from sweat and stains. For my navy blue T-shirt, on the cuffs and ribbing, it has some minor discoloration. I actually prefer the worn in look because when you first get these T-shirts, they’re a little stiff (a feature of all good things workwear). Breaking these bad boys in, is vital and it is apart of my top 5 SOFTEST things I've fondled (ayo). Also, cotton grown and raised in the US is a huge factor of how soft it’s going to be and how durable it is. Homegrown cotton in the US proves to be the fabric of choice for the perfect T-shirt.
My personal experience with my own T-shirt was very exceptional. I have a problem with stretched necklines and chests, and this T-shirt avoided that but also got worn in. The color was bright dark navy, and is now a more mature grey-ish navy blue. The fabric is softer, and hasn’t changed much since the breaking in period. Mind you, it’s been more than a solid year of wear, diving into the dirt and grass and spilling fried chicken grease from sloppy eating. Although I’m only showing my dark navy pair, I also had two white ones (I got them muddy), 2 black ones (still breaking them in) and 2 lost black ones (one got definitely eaten up by the dryer and the other one got paint everywhere). As you can tell, they’re user errors and not the T-shirts themselves. With proper care and love, these T-shirts lasts.
Theres not much left to say about the Bayside Union Made T-shirt. Just cop it.
