Black V-Neck T-Shirts That Won’t Shrink, Fade, or Wear Out Quickly?

Looking for that perfect black v-neck t-shirt? This may help.

Hi Tug,

​Your site rocks, definitely appreciate all the reviews and posts.

I need your help though… I’m looking for the best black v-neck shirt. I’m not necessarily looking for an undershirt but more of a basic black v-neck tee. I love the versatility of black v-necks, and I have quite a few.

My problem is they always fade, shrink, they never last long if they’re 100% cotton. ​

​What would you recommend? ​ ​If it helps… I’m 6′ and roughly 210 lbs.​​

…Don’t even get me started on antiperspirants and deodorants… ​
​I’m a sweater.​ :P​

Regards, Darius

Black V-Neck T-Shirts

Heya Darius,

Good to hear from you buddy and thanks for stopping by my site!

You know, I’m not really an “expert” in t-shirts since I really don’t wear them, but I can give you a little info that may help you in your search.

Dunno what brands of black v-neck tees you’ve purchased in the past, but I can tell you the following:

  1. 100% cotton t-shirts will all shrink, unless they are pre-shrunk
  2. most any dyed item will fade over time, but the amount it will fade will depend on (a) how it was originally dyed, (b) how you care for it
For #1:

Many companies now will list their items as pre-shrunk (or pre-washed). This means that you should experience nominal shrinkage post laundering. If the item does not show that it’s pre-shrunk/pre-washed, it’ll likely shrink.

For #2:

You can’t do much about finding out how the item was dyed (either piece dyed or garment dyed), but you can do something about how you care for it. The best bet to keep your shirts from fading are to wash them in cooler temps, and hang them dry. Hot wash and hot drying will inevitably fade nearly any black t-shirt.

As for t-shirt recommendations, i’d suggest checking out:

  1. Everlane
  2. American Apparel
  3. Los Angeles Apparel
  4. American Giant
  5. Pro5USA
  6. Alternative Apparel
  7. All American Clothing
  8. Banana Republic

You can also check out this article that lists 40 v-neck t-shirts under $30.

Black V-Neck T-Shirt from Everlane
Everlane Muted Black V-Neck T-Shirt ($15), Pre-Shrunk, Made in Los Angeles. Link

Remember to look for pre-shrunk/pre-washed as that shows that the company is a bit more aware of how they produce their shirts and how it affects the end customer. Oh, and if you never thought about this — you can always re-dye your black shirts with rit dye at home.

I’ve personally used rit dye a bunch of times at home to dye my undershirts different colors, and I really love how easy it is to dye my stuff. A bucket of hot water, and a little rit dye goes a long way (:

Hope this helps you in quest for that perfect black v-neck t-shirt. Definitely keep me posted and let me know what you try and what you love.

Do You Have A Favorite Black V-Neck T-Shirt?

If so, please let me/us know about it in the comments section below.

2 thoughts on “Black V-Neck T-Shirts That Won’t Shrink, Fade, or Wear Out Quickly?”

    • heya gene,

      thanks for stopping by!

      if i recall correctly, the last i saw nylon ribbed a-shirts were some vintage ones on ebay. not sure they are still there, but you may want to do some searching on ebay.

      if you find them, let me know (:

      Reply

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