Comparison: It’s Tee Time – T-Shirts: Uniqlo U vs AS Colour vs Asket vs Everlane vs Velva Sheen

Comparison: It’s Tee Time – T-Shirts: Uniqlo vs AS Colour vs Everlane vs Asket vs Velva Sheen

Top to bottom: Velva Sheen, AS Colour, Uniqlo U, Asket

Grab a cup of tea while we talk t-shirts. This isn’t going to be about me recommending that each of these shirts are must haves for your wardrobe. These are just the shirts that have made their way into my current rotation. All of the shirts pictured are of the plain white, cream/tan variety but I do have different coloured shirts in my wardrobe.

The Specs

	Uniqlo U	AS Colour	Asket	Everlane	Velva Sheen
Type	Supima Cotton Short Sleeve T-Shirt	Mens Classic Tee – 5026	The Lightweight T-Shirt	Premium-Weight Pocket	2 Pack Plain
Price	$29.90 AUD	$30 AUD	35 EUR ~ $56 AUD	$44 AUD	~ $50-$80
Colour	White	Tan	Off White	Canvas	Oat
Material	100% Cotton	100% combed cotton	100% long staple Egyptian cotton	100% Cotton	99% Cotton, 1% Polyester
Made in	Vietnam	Bangladesh	Portugal	Vietnam	USA
Size	M	L	M	L	L
Shoulders	18″	19″	19.25″	17.5″	18.75″
Pit to Pit	20.25″	21″	20.75″	20.5″	21″
Slimmest Width	19″	20.5	19.5″	20.5″	20.5″
Sleeve Length	10″	9.4″	9.5″	9.25″	7.75″
Body Length	28″	30″	28.5″	28.25″	29.25″
Detail	Supima Cotton	220GSM, preshrunk	120gsm	Pocket	No side seams

Uniqlo U: Supima Cotton T-Shirt

This isn’t the normal boxy Uniqlo U heavy cotton shirt that we all know and love. I’ve got a bunch of those. It’s also not that regular Supima cotton t-shirt that they make. Though this shirt is like the love child of both.

Uniqlo U’s Supima cotton t-shirt isn’t just a lightweight version of the heavy cotton Uniqlo U shirt. Yes, it’s softer and lighter weight but the cut is different. It’s slim, but doesn’t hug my body in the wrong places like a regular Uniqlo Supima shirt.

It also feels like it’s better made. It has a mounted collar that’s sewn on-top of the shirt which means it’s less likely to lose its shape over time. And it’s been through a bunch of washes and hasn’t lost its shape or shrunk much or at all from what I can tell. I do cold wash and hang dry all of my shirts though.

I’ve got no issues with it untucked, but prefer to wear this shirt tucked (as seen in my comparison of Fatigue Pants).

This shirt looks and feels great, I just wish I bought another one. Hopefully they’re back next time Spring/Summer rolls around in Australia. If you’re looking for a lightweight, soft shirt and you can find one I’d recommend giving it a go. Definitely pass if you’re looking for a more robust and heavy weight tee though.

AS Colour: Classic Tee

I’m not sure how readily available AS Colour is around the world, but if you’re from Australia or New Zealand you’ve at least seen their stores around or have tried one of their items before. They’re great for a huge amount of basics with no branding and offer a bunch of different cuts and colours.

Either way I find their clothes above your average mall brand/fast fashion stuff. Their shirts are no different. I usually look to AS Colour when I’m looking for a tee in a particular colour.

In terms of weight and feel, it’s right in the middle. Not light or thick, it’s not super soft but comfortable enough. I don’t have any major complaints, it hasn’t changed weirdly after washing.

Nothing really sticks out as a major flaw or highlight, it’s just a good all rounder.

Asket: The Lightweight T-Shirt

If you know, you know. Regular folk might think what Asket charge to be more than they’re willing to pay. But in this case you really do get what you pay for. You might not care about ethical standards and traceability when it comes to making clothes, but they do.

Besides all the good stuff that Asket promotes, one major thing that that other companies should take note of is that measurements are readily available for the variety of sizes that they offer. That means for their T-Shirt they have sizes from XS-XL in three different lengths (short, regular and long) to comprise of 15 different sizes in total. They’ve got measurement charts for all their products and Size Finder Wizard to help you if you’re still unsure.

The Size Finder Wizard wasn’t available when I got my t-shirt so I went with a M-Regular. Recently, I ran through the Size Finder and it recommended either L-Short or a M-Regular. Cool, pretty spot on.

The Asket T-Shirt is hands down the lightest and softest shirt I have in my rotation. It’s super comfortable and great for the warmer months.

To be honest, I’m not sure why it feels so great. I’m definitely no expert, does Egyptian cotton or the weave they use make a difference? Or the twin needle stitched hems? Their website says ‘made from premium heavyweight Egyptian cotton jersey’ but there’s nothing heavy about this shirt at all. It feels durable, but it’s soft and breezy.

Update: I looked up the wrong info, this is actually the Lightweight T-Shirt which is 120gsm and 35% lighter than their regular shirt.

It’s fine after multiple cold water washes and line dried. The fit is perfect for me, but I might try the L-Short for a boxier fit in the future.

Everlane: Premium Weight Pocket

I understand Everlane as a company can be pretty divisive. So feel free to do your own research on whether or not you would purchase from them. I’ve had a few of their shirts in my rotation for a while and still get used every now and then.

The fit and cut of their Premium Weight Pocket T-Shirt isn’t as boxy as a regular Uniqlo U shirt, but still rather boxy when compared to most regular/slim shirts that are around these days. The shoulders are weirdly narrow on me, even in a large size, it feels slimmer than the measurements suggest.

The shirt isn’t thin or overly soft, but it’s not super thick or heavy weight as you expect a ‘premium weight’ shirt to be. It’s definitely stiffer than any of the shirts previously mentioned, which isn’t a bad thing. Some people prefer a shirt that isn’t on the soft side.

After a bunch of wash cycles the collar hasn’t really held it’s shape well. It’s a bit wavy at the moment, I’m not sure if it’s because I’ve got a big head, but I don’t have this issue with the collar in any of my other t-shirts. It hasn’t gotten so bad that the shirt gets relegated to lounging around the house, but it’s bad enough to mention.

Velva Sheen: 2 Pack Plain

I probably wouldn’t have heard of Velva Sheen if it weren’t for Reddit. But here we are. They’re on the pricey side to get in Australia, unless you happen to find them on sale. For something made in the USA though, the price seems about right.

Either way, from what I had read I expected these shirts to be stiff and heavy weight. Again, comparing them to the regular Uniqlo U shirt, the Velva Sheen shirts I picked up weren’t that heavy or stiff. Definitely not on the soft or lightweight side of shirts though.

With a similar fit to my Everlane shirt (tighter in the shoulders with more room around the body) I recommend sizing up if you’re unsure or between sizes. I don’t feel as restricted in this shirt though compared to Everlane, it could be something to do with the tubular design (no side seems). The fit looks pretty vintage and classic, which is probably what they’re going for. Works well with workwear and military outfits.

The Velva Sheen shirt has actually gotten softer with wear and washes but held its shape well. No problems with the ribbed collar losing shape. Also, I just wanted to note that this is the only shirt that isn’t 100% cotton, as it’s got 1 % polyester in the material, but I didn’t notice the difference at all.

I enjoy wearing this shirt with fatigues, there is an annoying tag towards the bottom of the shirt that peeks out every now and then that I could probably easily remove. But at this stage I’m more lazy than annoyed, when that changes I’ll get rid of the tag.

Honorable Mention: Uniqlo U Regular Cotton

I didn’t include this shirt in the main comparison because lots of people have already had experience with it and it’s measurements are readily available on Uniqlo’s website. I’ve had a bunch of these shirts for years. They’re thick, heavyweight and wash well. My preference is to get this shirt with the pocket detail for aesthetic reasons. They’re always the shirt I reach for if I’m looking for something boxy and fairly rigid. Totally still in my regular rotation.

Are they Affordable?

Generally yes, but as always that depends on what you’re looking for in a t-shirt and what your budget is.

If you’re looking for a budget option it’s really hard to skip any of Uniqlo U’s shirts, whether regular or Supima.

If price isn’t an issue and you’re looking for the softest t-shirt I’ve tried, I’d recommend Asket all day.

Either way, try on a bunch of tees, see what works for your body and your preferences. I would like to try more thick, stiff, vintage shirts in the future. So if you’ve got any recommendations, shoot them through to me.

Note: The T-Shirts by Everlane and Asket were gifted to me, but this comparison was not sponsored or paid for. Like all my comparisons and reviews, I strive to write honest reviews based on my experience with each product.