How Much Do You Pay for T-Shirts?

cuteseal on 26/04/2021 - 14:04
Last edited 26/04/2021 - 15:33

I think a good measure of thriftiness is how much a person would pay for T-shirts.

I acknowledge that shirts differ in quality in fabric and manufacture. However, on one end of the spectrum you can get one for less than a price of a cheeseburger, and on the other end, some designer T-shirts cost more than a pure wool Italian suit…

Where do you sit on the spectrum? Let us know in the poll how much you would normally pay for T-shirts for going out (Edit: i.e. not for sleepwear or gardening).
And out of interest, also post in the comments the most expensive T-shirt you've owned/bought…

Edit: Also… for those who do spend big… what's your justification?

Poll Options

  • 68
    Under $10
  • 156
    $10 - $50
  • 7
    $50 - $100
  • 2
    $100 - $200
  • 1
    $200 - $500
  • 6
    $500+ (please hand in OzBargain License)
Fashion & Apparel T-Shirt

Comments

  • epkh on 26/04/2021 - 14:07
    +6

    uniqlo supima cotton when on sale for $10 down from $15 purist here

    • pformag on 28/04/2021 - 13:42

      Mine shrank too much after the 1st wash

  • djones145 on 26/04/2021 - 14:12
    +5

    uniqlo t shirts lol, when on sale
    dad here lolz

    wearing street fighter ones currently…. :P

  • angelkulit025 on 26/04/2021 - 14:16

    Jay-jay Licensed T-Shirts when on sale 10bucks - 2 bucks

  • apsilon on 26/04/2021 - 14:17

    I'd spend around the $25 mark for something that was heavier weight and good quality. That's also about the max I've ever paid as I don't care about the label and that's all your paying for above that.

    Around the house cleaning, mowing, working on the car etc it's KMart/Target/Big W all the way. For around $4 you get a shirt that's 90% of the quality of a $40 Bonds one.

  • GG57 on 26/04/2021 - 14:44
    -3

    People wear a t-shirt when "…going out…"?

    • apsilon on 26/04/2021 - 14:50
      +1

      I assume they're talking about going out for groceries, Bunnings etc. Not out to a restaurant, club, event etc

    • cuteseal on 26/04/2021 - 14:51
      +1

      Yeah sorry… as in not for sleeping or gardening… ;)

  • hymio on 26/04/2021 - 14:50
    +1

    Uniqlo UT for some fun ones

  • waterbottled on 26/04/2021 - 15:17

    Paid 90 dollars for a 70% wool/30% silk blend tshirt.

    • cuteseal on 26/04/2021 - 15:31

      Interesting… was it worth it?
      Usually T-shirts are cotton… what was the difference?

      • waterbottled on 26/04/2021 - 16:41

        yep, it feels a lot nicer on the skin honestly. cotton can't compare :(

        • havabeer on 04/05/2021 - 09:27

          Try a bamboo one, magical.

  • Nugs on 26/04/2021 - 15:25

    most of my recent (five plus years) have been op shop, or occasional heavy discount at big w etc
    max paid new would have been $35
    .

    • cuteseal on 26/04/2021 - 16:10
      +1

      I don't mind Op shops as well - some good bargains to be had.
      The good quality ones tend to hold up well and are good value.

  • Muzeeb on 26/04/2021 - 15:31
    +2

    AS Colour when on special or support some small t-shirt independent printers. Usually around $40 to support someone having a crack at small business.

  • Cheaplikethebird on 26/04/2021 - 15:48
    +2

    I used to spend ~$100 on shirts with designs I liked from brands like Supreme, Brain Dead, Online Ceramics. These days though there are so many good designers on IG pumping out awesome designs for under $50 and a lot of the bigger brands are copying their style from them anyway. I foresee a major rejection of hype and luxury brands among young people over the next decade as they seek to differentiate themselves from the generation before and with the growing positivity/anti-consumerism trend. Currently I'm selling a lot of my stuff from hype brands on Depop and getting more than I paid originally so if I'm a sucker I'm at least not the biggest sucker.

    • cuteseal on 26/04/2021 - 16:06

      Wow, thanks for sharing!
      Interesting that you are actually getting more than you originally paid.

      • Cheaplikethebird on 26/04/2021 - 16:36

        Yeah that will only last so long. I've seen the writing on the wall and I'm offloading the stuff I have while it still has value and a market to sell to. Supreme really started the hype trend of the last decade and the resale market for their clothes is already quickly drying up.

    • JimB on 26/04/2021 - 17:21

      Can you link me onto some designs on IG?

      • Cheaplikethebird on 26/04/2021 - 18:18
        +3

        Redwood Press - Australian screenprinting company where all the trendy local brands print their stuff. They post a lot of the stuff they print so it's a good place to find new Australian brands.

        Repostees - curated gallery of tees mostly from small IG based designers

        A couple accounts I'm liking atm…
        Renaissance Man
        Cody DeFranco
        Samborghini

        Not IG but a lot of designers I like will release tees through Everpress

        • JimB on 27/04/2021 - 10:24
          +1

          Many thanks for the tips..

          I think I've realised I turning middle aged and can't pull off many of these designs! haha

          Cheers

          • Cheaplikethebird on 27/04/2021 - 10:36

            @JimB: Here here mate haha. I’m getting more into quality clothes in heritage styles but trying to avoid the cookie cutter workwear vibe. I really like a company ATM called Dehen 1920, not cheap at all but timeless designs and well built so shouldn’t be too bad value when you look at it on the basis of cost per wear and how much enjoyment they bring. I figure a wardrobe with a couple expensive jackets that I wear with cheap white tees is cheaper than a wardrobe full of $50-$100 tees, plus jackets hold up a lot better over time.

  • WizMuncher on 26/04/2021 - 15:55

    Used to work in Laos and Thailand. You can buy very cheap shirts there - like copies of that Versace shirt. I found it worth paying a bit more for quality - say when Camel Active is having a sale. I've had one of those shirts for 15 years now, worn very often and still looks new.

    If you find yourself in a Korean market clothes are ridiculously cheap. I bought a suit for about $20.

    In Australia I find it's worth paying a bit more than say K-mart and going to Giordano - which hits that sweet spot between low price and quality. I've had those shirts for years and years now.

  • Top G on 26/04/2021 - 16:14
    +2

    I have a stockpile of puma t-shirts for $10-15 from sale also under armour shirts from black Friday. Tend to buy 10-20 in one go then keep the rest sealed.

    Once t-shirt is not good enough for 'public use' it gets demoted to gardening/home tier. Eventually those get demoted to dusting rag tier. The cycle continues.

    Material wise I go pure cotton, or cotton poly blend. Also I like to update T shirts just before summer because during winter you're mainly wearing heavier clothing.

  • jv on 26/04/2021 - 16:15

    How Much Do You Pay for T-Shirts?

    About $3 at K-Mart.

  • mskeggs on 26/04/2021 - 16:34

    You don’t have drawers full of band t-shirts from gigs?

    • cuteseal on 26/04/2021 - 16:48

      Haha, Oppa doesn't wear t-shirts in Gangnam, only shirts and bow-ties.

  • jonagrah on 26/04/2021 - 17:20

    Usually around $15 for an AS Colour staple tshirt.

    https://www.ascolour.com.au/mens-staple-tee-5001/

  • datafellows on 26/04/2021 - 17:49

    I found several good sellers from AliExpress who sell Star Trek themed t's and the t's are pretty good quality. And you can find proper man sizes there as well.

    My latest find (which is sadly sold out):

    https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005001819073636.html?spm=a2…

    Prices are about $15.

  • the Unforgiven on 27/04/2021 - 07:55

    Get some good ones for cheap at the op-shop

  • MontyMacaw on 27/04/2021 - 08:11
    +1

    Kmart bargain stand. Always $10 or less and I wear a T- Shirt every day.

  • jimboj on 27/04/2021 - 08:29

    Best T-shirts I have ever worn were purchased in a Hong Kong street market years ago for around HK$20 each. At the time that converted to about AU$2.50. Really gaudy graphics but still going strong after more than ten years of wear.

  • Loopholio on 27/04/2021 - 08:44

    My last shirt purchase was at a thrift shop. $2.25 (half price) and the shirt has Deadpool on the front. Epic deal right there!

  • chrisharry53 on 27/04/2021 - 08:45

    $5-10 at Kmart etc. Get maybe 2 years out of them before collars go out off whack. Most ever was $45 or so for Budgie’s 2009 Australian Tour. Tshirt still in top condition after many uses and print not faded.

  • Noblejoker on 27/04/2021 - 09:22
    +3

    $10-$50 is too broad
    I would usually pay $20-$30 but rarely $50

    • AncientWisdom on 27/04/2021 - 13:43
      +1

      Agreed 10-50 is too broad

  • Yizzur on 27/04/2021 - 10:32

    AS Colour Classic tee. Organise a coupla mates and buy in bulk for wholesale pricing. Depending on quantity you can get it down to around $12/shirt.

  • Slippage on 27/04/2021 - 15:45

    I'm not a small guy, so when i find a shirt that fits, I'll buy it.

    Places like uniqlo, kmart, Jay-jay's…. they don't have anything that fits, so they don't get my business.

    • pformag on 28/04/2021 - 13:48
      +1

      Try Best and Less. Their sizes run larger than normal.

      • Slippage on 28/04/2021 - 14:33

        Thanks for the tip

  • fredblogs on 27/04/2021 - 16:00

    Where can I find good quality plain coloured tshirts? Happy to spend a bit more for something better (higher GSM) than Target etc.

  • hullohullo on 27/04/2021 - 19:05

    I pay more for ethically produced shirts and to support local artists. But otherwise, max out at $50.

  • SlartiBartFozz on 27/04/2021 - 21:00

    https://www.qwertee.com/ great limited edition design t-shirts, from $5-10US.

    Hard to beat. Also, I usually wear a top over the T, if I'm leaving the house, so the 'cheap Tshirt' doesn't matter too much, as long as it's comfortable and decent fabric.

    • pformag on 28/04/2021 - 13:47

      How does the sizing run?

  • Procyon on 28/04/2021 - 13:19
    +1

    Is there any good place to get good value tencel shirts?

    • RyanLL on 29/04/2021 - 23:34

      What kind of Tencel shirt do you need? Men and women?

  • dirtybigbjelke on 28/04/2021 - 13:40

    I buy Merino from Icebreaker on sale either online or at the outlet. They are long lasting and comfortable. Hold their shape much longer than cotton.

  • OneJay on 28/04/2021 - 14:33

    I bought a t-shirt from Rebel Sport for $1 once (you know the black t-shirts they put on the mannequins with bold white “SALE” on them).

    Apart from that I’ll pay $20-30 for something online with pop culture references (eg. LV426/Hadley’s Hope/Weyland-Yutani, Big Trouble in Little China “Pork Chop Express” etc). Has to be Gildan Ultra-cotton.

  • RyanLL on 29/04/2021 - 23:32

    Ozb, the quality of T-shirts depends on the material and workmanship of the clothes. Generally, T-shirts are made of cotton, and the quality of cotton mainly depends on the origin and gram weight of cotton. The larger the gram weight, the tighter the feeling will be. The stitching place that makes work generally sees collar and clothes, every 10 cm sewed how many needle, needle number is more the better, general good T-shirt is 4 needle 6 line. Judging whether a T-shirt is hao from the above two points.

  • RyanLL on 29/04/2021 - 23:32

    The brand T-shirts are okay, but Kmart's are not. Someone upstairs said that the T-shirts bought on AliExpress are of good quality. That's because China now sells T-shirts with a weight of 220-300 grams.

  • cuteseal on 03/05/2021 - 09:04

    I was at a DFO over the weekend and couldn't resist and bought 3 T-shirts for $10 at Cotton On. Not just plain Tees but nice patterns and designs as well.
    I can't speak of the quality as they feel a bit thin to me, but meh.

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