I may have discovered the best t‑shirt ever.
Well, to be more accurate, the best t‑shirt ever may have found its way to me.
Note
I originally published this review on September 7, 2022, before I took my five-week trip to Turkey and the Caucasus. Below is my final review after giving these shirts a thorough trial.
How it discovered me
A few months ago, I received this email:
Hey Lane
I am a fan of your site and benefit a lot from your content. I love your lifestyle and your adventures. Your travel experiences are really fantastic!!!
While I am reaching out to work with you. I am Regina, from Fioboc, an apparel brand that aims to develop sustainable clothes with science and technology.
We want to invite you to showcase our product on your site. May I know how should we proceed?
Best regards,
Regina
FIOBOC Marketing Director
I’ve this sort of email before, but mostly they are for products I would never use or endorse. But I wear clothes. And my body’s thermostat is set high, so I often get hot when I am active, such as when I’m traveling. I like to pack light, and sometimes wear the same clothes multiple times between washing. So how could I not be interested in clothing that is odor free, stain resistant, eco-friendly, and moisture wicking?
I emailed Regina and said I would be happy to receive a t‑shirt, and if I like it, I will write a review on my blog and share on social media.
Size
I normally wear either Large or Extra Large t‑shirts. I asked Regina to send me an Extra Large. She sent me two. They arrived (from China) in about two weeks.
Unfortunately, they were quite small, significantly smaller than other XL t‑shirts I have.
When I emailed Regina and told her that the shirt was too small, she said she could send me a larger size. So last week I received two more t‑shirts from China: one XXL and one XXXL.
My partner Luis an I compared the three sizes to other t‑shirts we have. We concluded that the XL is about a Medium; the XXL is about a Large, and the XXXL is about an Extra Large.
I can probably wear the XL shirts, though they are snug. I’ll be more comfortable wearing them under a button-down shirt. The XXL is probably a perfect fit, and because I like to wear roomy shirts, the XXXL suits me well.
Unboxing
My shirts from Fioboc arrived in beautiful packaging and in perfect condition. Inside the box was an envelope with a card describing the brand, a card describing the procedure for returns, a gift bag, and the two shirts, neatly folded around a cardboard form and wrapped elegantly in tissue paper. If you were giving them as a gift, you could easily put a ribbon around the box and it would look great, or you could present them in the gift bag.
While I was impressed by the unboxing experience, I told Regina it might be a bit of overkill. The gift bag is really unnecessary, though I suppose it would be a good option to request when ordering. But I have no use for them, so they will probably go to the landfill.
Is this the best t‑shirt ever?
The shirts I received are the Staingo Men’s Anti-Oil Stain Proof Waterproof T‑shirt. They are currently listed on the website for $42 (USD), a $7 savings off the regular price of $49.
So far I wore one of the t‑shirts for a day. It was comfortable and kept me feeling cool all day, even in the hot afternoon sun. At the end of the day it smelled the same as it did when I put it on. It stayed dry.
The fabric is smooth and even feels cool to the touch. It is about 1/3 bamboo, 1/3 cotton, and 1/3 Sorona from DuPont.
So far I love these t‑shirts. But time will tell. They are coming with me on my upcoming trip, and then I’ll give a full report. (I guess you’ll see me in white pretty often i my trip photos!)
My Post-Trip Review
I’m now back from my trip. I wore these shirts probably half of the time. The first two weeks or so it was quite warm, so I was pleased to have shirts that would help me keep cool, and I wore them just about every day. Toward the end of the trip, temperatures got a bit cooler, so I didn’t wear them as much.
These shirts are so comfortable! the fabric feels great against my skin. My original assessment, that they kept me feeling cool all day, even in the hot afternoon sun, may have been a bit of an exaggeration, but that’s certainly not the fault of the shirt. When it’s hot, I just get hot. And I get sweaty.
But I was able to wear these shirts over and over without washing. A little spritz of Febreze (I always bring a small spray bottle of Febreze when I travel) and they were as good as new. But even without that, I never notice any body odor on the shirts.
The one disappointment was that they are supposed to be “anti-oil stain proof.” It turns out that doesn’t mean oil won’t soak it. A few times when I spilled food on my shirt, it immediately soaked in and created a stain.
But the good news there was that a little spot washing with soap and water took out every kind of stain. Since these are white shirts, even a slight bit of residue would have been visible. After spot washing, I couldn’t detect any trace of the stains.
As a test, I washed out one of the shirts in my hotel sink using shower gel, wrung it out gently, and hung it to dry. It dried completely overnight and looked as good as new.
After I got home, I washed the shirts in the washing machine, and, per the instructions, I laid them flat to dry. They still look as good as new.
My final review:
Yes, this is the best t‑shirt ever
Want one of these t‑shirts?
If you’re convinced, you can buy these t‑shirts, or any of Fioboc’s other products: polo shirts, sweatshirts, outerwear, and bottoms. Simply visit Fioboc and browse through their selections.
And if you order with the promo code LANE15, you’ll receive a 15% discount off your entire order.
I have talked with Regina about the sizing issue, and I hope they will resolve it. But for now, if you order, size up by about two sizes from your usual size.
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