- First of all, check that the color suits you, or if you are buying for a man, then think about the colors that suit him rather than the ones you like. If he has auburn hair, he might not look good in a flame red T-shirt, for example.
- You should also consider the color from the point of view of its color fast properties. Do a small test by wetting a finger and rubbing it on the T-shirt. If the color comes off onto your finger, it will lose its color rapidly and will always have to be washed separately by hand. If it accidentally gets into the washing machine then you will have a minor disaster on your hands. You could not test this if you buy from online store, but you can rely on reputable brands.
- Buy colors that reflect the heat rather than those which absorb it, so white is a good choice and pastel shades, beige or pistachio green, not black or dark blue. You don’t want to be any hotter than is necessary.
- Check the stitching to see how firm it is. If it looks flimsy, then you will have a repair job to do after wearing and washing the T-shirt a couple of times.
- Last and most importantly, is to try it on and raise your arms above your head.
If the T-shirt rides up and leaves a vast expanse of flesh between it and the belt- line, then you need a bigger size. If you have swathes of material bunched around your waist, when you do this, then clearly it’s too big, unless you want a really baggy mens fashion T-shirt.
Of course there are always rugby shirts and tank-tops for men, although the former is usually made from thicker cotton than the T-shirt, and the tank-top doesn’t suit everyone, and it doesn’t protect the vulnerable skin at the top of your arms and shoulders. Mens fashion T-shirts are the better bet as they don’t go out of fashion and are easy to wear.