A Man and His T-Shirt…Reinvented

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I’ve been in love with t-shirts since I wore my Spider-Man shirt over my dress shirt for school pictures in pre-K, and again when I wore my Goonies paste-on undershirt proudly to kindergarten.

At 38 years old, I’m still in love with t-shirts—the plain tee to wear around town, the V neck (for when my wife reminds me that I look good in a V), and all sorts of “nerdy dad” shirts that fill my drawers, often worn so much they find themselves in the bag of “painting t-shirts” I have in my closet.

I’ve mourned the passing of “perfect” shirts ruined by pit stains (thanks gel deodorant!) or too much wear—usually sporting them down to hole-laden collars and faded graphic designs. Some shirts have lasted almost twenty years, the oldest of them being from my first day of high school—suffice to say the pits are as stained and hard as those leather patches on some professor’s corduroy jacket. Nevertheless, I just can’t let go of these favorite t-shirts.

And the other shirts—from rare thrift store finds to handmade band concert purchases—have all seen the sunset of my 20s and the more mature fashion discoveries of my 30s (and parenthood). I even started a t-shirt company years ago when I thought I could be a designer (suffice to say that dream is still alive somewhere in the back of my closet).

I just love t-shirts so damn much.

Selective, a San Francisco t-shirt company, may just have changed the t-shirt game for me in that they’ve created the perfect, long-lasting, and sustainable undershirt, made out of bamboo and spandex. It’s perfect for dads and professionals who are always looking for a better work, play, and everyday undershirt.

Their Kickstarter Campaign—leading as the #1 most popular under-apparel category—just hit 300% and I can see why: they’ve done the impossible, which is to reinvent the t-shirt and be able to sell it for less than retail while employing designer-brand factories.

This doesn’t happen often, and the promise of the shirt is that it’s odor-resistant (perfect for me after a long day of teaching and coaching), sweat-stain free (a personal utopia we all hope for), and not made from cotton.

Whatever “bamboo viscose” is, sign me up and bring on the shirts. I love the world of sustainable goods more than anything, and the idea that my new favorite t-shirt will last longer and come from an environmentally-friendly place is all the more reason to invest in their Kickstarter campaign and pre-order.

But really, bamboo viscose was chosen as the fabric because it is three times more breathable than cotton, it keeps you cooler than cotton, and it’s twice as soft as cotton. Bamboo viscose captures the best characteristics of other luxurious fabric like silk and Egyptian cotton. It is considered the most suitable for human skin.

Blogs like ProductHunt and the Undershirt Guy have covered Selective’s ascent, and there’s no question I’ll be wearing the affordable tees with pride and comfort. Selective wants to provide quality everyday basics at a fair price. The 40% discount on a premium tee is an amazing deal.

After that, I’ll want Selective to make polos—you know, for those “leave your t-shirts at home” days. I look forward to checking out their next lifestyle collection.

Until then, bring on the crew and the V, and make enough for my wife, the kids, and the whole soccer team.

We’ll be waiting, patiently, for the perfect tee and the years to go by wearing them.

It’s what we do.

Here’s a video with a few more details about the undershirt and the Kickstarter campaign.