My husband is a big man. He needs a good t-shirt. We haven't found any better T's anywhere. Just in case you have the same question we did about choosing 6x or 5x-tall. The 5x-tall is about 2" longer. Russell Athletic Men's Big & Tall Basic Short Sleeve Solid Crew Neck T-Shirt With Chest Pocket, Navy, 2XT
Update. I'd like to upgrade this to five stars, now. Why the turn-around? Well. Since I got my iPhone, the front pocket has become invaluable. Before the iPhone I had nothing to put there and it was kind of an eyesore. But given my longer torso, the iPhone's iconic white headphones are just a bit too short for comfort if I carry my iPhone in my pants pocket.
So now I'm only buying the pocket tees. The $1 premium is cheap for a quality iPhone sleeve :-)
The rest of my original review:
- The quality and fit of the t-shirt itself deserves five stars. The pro cotton is a world different from the regular cotton on most t-shirts, its slightly heavier weight letting the shirt hang off your shoulders and maintain a nice shape. Cheaper material light t-shirts have tended to crumple or cling a bit more than is comfortable, and are best worn inside of shirts or something. This pro cotton t-shirt can be quite elegant worn on its own.
- I used to buy the regular XXL shirt, but now the 2XLT's are my favorite, even if they are more than twice the price on Amazon. The problem is, you can't find these sizes anywhere else, including on Russell Athletic's own online store. So Amazon is it, mostly.
- I'm not unusually tall but my torso is proportionately longer. My normal XXL t-shirts would often un-tuck themselves, or expose my belly if I was reaching for something. The 2XLT's are a perfect remedy for that, allowing me to be more physically active - you won't believe how much the annoyance of a shirt escaping out of its tucked position limits your movement. You hold yourself back even if you aren't aware of it.
- Even though it seems there are only color differences, the materials do differ slightly depending on the color. The heather variety are more flexible, but I think they are ugly in the lighter colors. Navy heather's my favorite, though rare to find here.
- Follow the washing instructions. If the washing and drying is too hot, the t-shirts DO shrink. I have some XXL's that were washed in the "normal" setting of the washer and dryer, and they have distinctly become tighter and shorter, almost by an entire size.
I exclusively buy Russell t-shirts for one reason:
THE NECKS NEVER, EVER DROOP EVEN WHEN THEY ARE SEVERAL YEARS OLD !
this is a very big issue with me and Russell is the only t-shirt I have ever owned that keeps it shape.
Russell Athletic Men's Big & Tall Basic Short Sleeve Solid Crew Neck T-Shirt With Chest Pocket I purchased 4 shirts. When I received them the material was puckered along the seams under the arms. Looked like a high school home economic class did the sewing. The seam joints were misaligned also.
I subsequently bought shirts from another supplier made in the same country and the workmanship was excellent. This may have been a problem with one assembly organization.
Got three of these for working out at the gym. I'm fairly well satisfied.
Pros: Excellent quality construction and very heavy fabric. These should last a long time.
Cons: These shirts have the tightest neck I've ever experienced in a t-shirt. They are the only t-shirts in my collection that I have to take my glasses off to put on. They fit my neck so tight that, combined with the heavy weight fabric, they get awfully hot due to lack of ventilation. Sure, I've got a big neck, but I bought shirts for a big man. You'd think they would take that into consideration when designing the neck.
Overall, they're pretty good shirts but I don't think I'll buy anymore. I'll probably go for a V-neck shirt. However, I might consider the long-sleeve version for winter use. They should be great.
I've worn Russell tees for about 30 years now. I'm 6'2" tall, and used to weigh 260 - 270 pounds; they used to fit, not shrink, and have neck room.
I'm down to 230 pounds, but as soon as I wash the shirt, it shrinks - even in cold water wash, and delicate dry. The neck size is more like for someone that wears a medium.
I had to "stretch" / pull the shirt to be able to wear it; upon the 2nd washing I noticed that the stitching is falling apart.
Only the Russell Premium has held up (although the neck size is smaller than XL).
All tee shirts are becoming like this - I too think it's due to poor craftsmanship & sizes running smaller - due to being made outside of U.S., with no real quality control in place.
Gary - Jersey Shorts - Shorts - Gym Shorts - Russell Athletic'
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