Men's Athletic Shirt Guide

If you spend a lot of time working out, you spend a lot of time in athletic shirts. That’s why it’s important to find shirts that help you perform to the best of your abilities, no matter the circumstances.

How Can You Choose The Best Athletic Shirt 

There are a few major factors to keep in mind when buying a new athletic shirt:

• Comfort 
• Technology 
• Style And Material

Comfort 

First on the list is comfort, something that we should be looking for in any clothing that we purchase. 

What Type Of Fit Do You Need?

There are many different opinions about what type of fit is best for athletic shirts, and they all come down to personal taste. Some people prefer their shirts to be baggy, and others opt for a skin-tight fit, but most fall somewhere in between. We’re not here to tell you what your preferences should be, but we can provide some tips on finding a shirt that fits.

Ideally, an athletic shirt should cover your torso while you’re doing any physical activity. If your stomach shows every time you raise your arms for a shoulder press, it may be too short — but if you keep sitting on loose fabric at the bottom and it’s keeping you from reaching your farthest, it may be too long.

Consider the tightness of the sleeves. If a shirt’s sleeves grip your arms tightly, the shirt is too small. A shirt’s sleeves shouldn’t limit the movement of your arms — so even if you want to show off your guns, find a shirt that provides at least a little wiggle room.

When it comes down to it, trust your instincts: if you’re questioning whether a shirt is too big or too small, it probably is.

Look For Stretch 

When making sure that your athletic shirt doesn’t hold you back, it’s important to consider the stretchiness of the material. The best athletic apparel is ultra-stretchy, allowing for a full range of motion. Any material that doesn’t stretch with your body may not be the best choice for working out.

With that in mind, be on the lookout for fabric blends that contain stretchy materials, like spandex and polyester. These materials can help provide extra stretchiness to natural fibers, like those found in bamboo and cotton.

Watch Out For The Seams 

Seams on the tops of your shoulder, while pretty standard in athletic wear, can become extremely annoying. If you’re carrying your gym bag with you, you don’t want it to be sitting right on top of a seam — that can lead to irritation. Instead, choose a shirt like the Carrollton Fitness T-Shirt, which pushes the seams down a bit to provide you with the ultimate comfort. 

Technology 

Recent advances in textile technology have made for much better workout gear than in the past. These days, there are plenty of features that give some fabrics a leg up when it comes to working out:

Breathability 

The best fabrics for athletic apparel are extremely breathable. Working out is a sweaty activity, and you want your body to be able to regulate temperature as you push yourself to your limits.

With that in mind, be sure that your workout clothing is made from materials that allow for optimal breathability. Natural fibers, like those in bamboo, contain micro gaps that provide ample room for air to pass through the fabric — making for long-lasting comfort.

Sweat Protection 

While wearing clothing made from breathable materials can help your body stay cool, it’s still very likely that you’ll be sweating while working out — and that’s perfectly normal. Sweating is the body’s way of regulating temperature — and the inability to sweat can actually be life-threatening — so if you’re sweaty, your body’s doing what it’s supposed to do.

Still, that sweat can be pretty annoying. A sweat-drenched t-shirt is not remotely comfortable and can result in you ending your workout early just to change into something dry.

That’s why these days, the best athletic apparel is made from moisture-wicking materials. Moisture-wicking fabric is engineered to pull sweat away from your body and rapidly dry it on the surface of the material — keeping you dry and comfortable for as long as possible.

Sun Protection 

While sun protection isn’t necessary under the fluorescent lights of an indoor gym, anybody who works out outside should take efforts to protect themselves from the sun’s rays. While sunblock is a useful tool for this purpose, you’ll eventually sweat it off, and if you’re in the middle of a long run, you may not be able to stop to reapply.

Luckily, a lot of workout clothing these days provides Ultraviolet Protection Factor (UPF) protection from the sun. There are some synthetic materials that are made to offer UPF protection, but they obtain that characteristic through chemical treatments. These chemical treatments may cause skin reactions, and they often wear out after a few washes.

However, some fabrics made from natural materials provide sun protection without the use of any harsh chemicals. Bamboo fabric has a natural UPF rating of 50+, so wearing clothing made with bamboo is a great way to protect your body.

Anti Odor 

While sweating can lead to discomfort for whoever’s stuck in their damp shirt, sweat can also create some pretty unpleasant odors. That’s why many of the best athletic apparel these days is designed to prevent body odor.

Any clothing that’s advertised as “antimicrobial,” “antibacterial,” or “antifungal” will have some properties that kill odor-causing microorganisms. If the clothing is made from synthetic materials, odds are those properties were obtained through harsh chemicals. Ideally, your workout clothing will fight odor without the use of chemicals; luckily, bamboo is naturally antibacterial and antifungal.

Style And Material 

It’s not enough for your athletic shirt to just perform well. You also need it to have the right kind of style. 

V-Neck VS Crew Neck 

When it comes to the cut of a shirt, it’s all a matter of personal preference. Some people like the look of a v-neck, which is so named for the v-shaped cut of the neck. This is a good look for those wanting to show just a bit more skin than a traditional crew neck, and can point downward toward developed pecs and abs. Depending on the style you’re going for, you might want a deeper v that’s a bit more revealing.

The classic crewneck never goes out of style and can be worn pretty much anywhere. While it doesn’t show off quite as much skin as a v-neck, it’s still an excellent choice for working out.

Bamboo and Cotton

The synthetic materials often found in workout wear can be pretty harmful to the environment. They’re often made from plastics, which don’t biodegrade, and they’re coated with harsh chemicals that artificially give them performance capabilities.

Unlike those synthetic materials, natural fabrics like those made with bamboo and cotton provide all sorts of natural characteristics that make them ideal for use in athletic apparel.

We at Tasc Performance believe in the power of bamboo, and we put it to use in our lineup of athletic apparel.

Conclusion 

When it comes to the best athletic shirt for you, there are plenty of factors to keep in mind. Most importantly, you should be comfortable in whatever you’re wearing. At Tasc Performance, we offer many different styles of athletic shirts — whatever it is you’re looking for, look no further than our collection.

Sources:

How To Determine A Properly Fitting T-Shirt | Wardrobe Advice

What Synthetic Materials Are Doing To Our Environment | Sustainable Fashion Collective

The Complete Guide to Removing Odors - Microorganisms and Odor | Eco Bear