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Specs & Stache

Specs & Stache Combed Cotton Mascot T-Shirt

Regular price £43.00 GBP
Regular price Sale price £43.00 GBP
Sale Sold out
Shipping calculated at checkout.
Size
Size Chart

History

The t-shirt evolved from undergarments of the 19th century, with the earliest t-shirt dating back to as early as 1898. During the 1910’s the U.S. Navy began issuing them as undergarments. These undergarments were meant to be worn underneath the uniform and were designed as a crew-necked, short-sleeved, white cotton undershirts. It gradually became a common practice for sailors and Marines to remove their uniform jacket and wear only their undershirt for certain tasks and during work parties. As the undershirts were commonly worn by soldiers, many had taken the fashion home with them after the war, and the word “T-shirt” soon became a part of American English, appearing in the Merriam-Webster Dictionary in 1920.

By the time World War II started, the “modern” t-shirt had become commonplace in high schools and universities across the states. However, this trend did not yet catch on everywhere, and the t-shirt was still more commonly worn by adults as an undershirt. The trend continued into World War II, where Navy men wore them as undergarments, and veterans wearing their uniform trousers with their t-shirts as casual clothing gradually became a common sight. By the end of the war, due to many of the soldiers once again incorporating the t-shirt into their casual wardrobe after returning home, the era of viewing the t-shirt as an outer garment finally began.

The t-shirt became even more popular in the 1950s after Marlon Brando wore one in his film “A Streetcar Named Desire”. This final push solidified the t-shirt’s status as a fashionable, stand-alone, outerwear garment suitable for daily chores and activities, which opened up the idea of wearing the t-shirt as a general purpose casual clothing item.

As the t-shirt gained popularity in the 1960’s, it quickly became known as a medium for self-expression, as well as for advertisements, and souvenirs.

 

Characteristics of Quality Cotton

The quality of cotton is determined by a variety of different characteristics, including the length of the individual fibres or staples. In general, the longer the staple, the better the cotton, as it allows the cotton to be spun into a finer-textured thread with more tensile strength, as well as create a softer, smoother, and more supple fabric. Durability is also an important factor, and this is usually affected by the length of the fibres. Longer fibres can be spun into finer yarn, which can be more tightly bound, resulting in a fabric that is stronger and more durable.

A big distinguishing factor in determining whether the product produced is of low quality or high quality is the extra steps that the manufacturer takes to ensure that the garment not only looks to be of high quality but will continue to do so after multiple wears and washes, in addition to feeling comfortable for the wearer and being well-fitted. All these extra steps take time, effort, and money. Thus, it is very easy to find pretty garments at budget stores that end up falling apart after a few washes, as the manufacturer had chosen to cut costs by focusing on making the garment look good on the hanger instead of focusing on quality. This decision is ultimately made due to the observation that many shoppers will make their purchasing decisions based on the look of the garment, with few people taking the time to assess the quality of the garment.

 

Combed Cotton

Combed cotton is generally softer than regular cotton due to its lack of impurities or short protruding threads that can stick out and cause prickling. It is also known to be stronger than regular cotton due to the combing process used to remove short fibres, which are prone to breakage. During the combing process, the harvested cotton is put to fine brushes (the ‘combs’) of a combing machine to tease away impurities and any short fibres (about 1 cm or less). Roughly 15% of the volume is removed this way, leaving only long, straight fibres that are able to join together more tightly, leading to less fraying and unraveling. The resulting fabric also has better texture, washability, and durability. These benefits, combined with the additional work required during the manufacturing process, makes combed cotton more expensive and durable than regular cotton.

 

Our Story

The t-shirt is a staple item that we interact with everyday, whether as an undergarment or as a key component to an outfit. We have been a long-time fan of the simple and utilitarian design of the t-shirt which has inspired us to create a silhouette that we feel is well designed for wearing as an undergarment or standalone piece while offering great durability and comfort. A key difference that can be found in our design is the length of the t-shirt, which is cut slightly shorter than many generic t-shirts giving it a casual, yet tailored look. Moreover, the t-shirt is constructed with heavyweight combed cotton making the garment smoother, softer, stronger, and less translucent. For the final touch we have included a screen print of our signature mascot logo on the front of the garment. Hope you enjoy wearing it as much as we do!

 

Designed in Canada

Imported

Key Features

Heavyweight Combed Cotton

Constructed with heavyweight combed cotton which provides greater durability, softness, smoothness, and opaqueness.


Screen Printed Graphic

The front of the garment includes a high quality screen printed graphic of the Specs & Stache mascot logo.

Materials

100% Cotton

Note: Clothing items that appear in the lookbook photos are samples and may differ in appearance from the final product. Please refer to the product photos on this page when making your purchase.

Fit

Model is 5’10” wearing a size Medium. We recommend taking your normal size for a regular fit and one size up for a relaxed fit.

Care Instructions

Turn garment inside out and wash cold

Tumble dry low

Cool iron if needed

Use non chlorine bleach when needed

Shipping

We offer free standard shipping on all orders $150 CAD and up (before tax) across Canada and the United States.

Shipping rates for international orders will be calculated at checkout.

International orders may be subject to import duties and/or customs taxes. We are not responsible for any of these charges to the customer.

Orders will be processed within 5 business days under normal circumstances.

Returns

We have a 14-day return policy, which means you have 14 days after receiving your item to request a return. The customer is responsible for all return shipping costs.

To be eligible for a return, your item must be in the same condition that you received it, unworn or unused, unaltered, unwashed, with tags attached, and in its original packaging. You’ll also need the receipt or proof of purchase.

To start a return, you can contact us at info@specsandstache.com. If your return is accepted, we’ll send you a return shipping label, as well as instructions on how and where to send your package. Items sent back to us without first requesting a return will not be accepted.

You can always contact us for any return question at info@specsandstache.com.

Damages and issues
Please inspect your order upon reception and contact us immediately if the item is defective, damaged or if you receive the wrong item, so that we can evaluate the issue and make it right.

Exceptions / non-returnable items
Certain types of items cannot be returned, like perishable goods (such as food, flowers, or plants), custom products (such as special orders or personalized items), and personal care goods (such as beauty products). We also do not accept returns for hazardous materials, flammable liquids, or gases. Please get in touch if you have questions or concerns about your specific item.

We cannot accept returns on sale items or gift cards. All on sale items or products purchased with a discount/promo code are final sale.

Shipping fees on all products are non-refundable.

Exchanges
The fastest way to ensure you get what you want is to return the item you have, and once the return is accepted, make a separate purchase for the new item.

Refunds
We will notify you once we’ve received and inspected your return, and let you know if the refund was approved or not. If approved, you’ll be automatically refunded on your original payment method. Please remember it can take some time for your bank or credit card company to process and post the refund too.