I WASTED $130 On a Real McCoy's Loopwheel T-Shirt

The Real McCoys are one of the most popular Japanese brands out there for American and vintage inspired clothing so I wanted to see how their famous loopwheel athletic t-shirt stacks up against the rest.

I must admit I am disappointed. When your fiance says it "looks like it's from Primark" you know something is not right. For the price of this shirt I expected better and compared to competitor brands with a comparable product it just misses the mark in my opinion. All stores that sold this shirt list it as 'heavyweight' when it is FAR from heavyweight. In fact it is one of the lightest shirts I have. Yes it is soft, but that is about it. Would I buy this shirt again? No. There are far better t-shirts out there both in terms of value and quality.

Note: I say £105 in the video. The actual cost was:
Shirt - £95
Total + shipping and taxes - £101.50

#menswear #tshirts #whitetshirt

[changyiliu]

Hello Cameron! In my understanding, since The Real Mccoy's and Freewheelers are repro brands, the weight of their T-shirts is very historical. When they are talking about heavyweight, it’s around 5.5-6.5oz rather than 8oz. Just like when those repro brands saying heavyweight denim, it’s not 21oz but 14-14.5oz. I've been talked to other people about the weight of their t-shirts and I've been told which thinner but stronger fabrics are harder to make than thicker but stronger ones. Don't get me wrong, I'm a heavyweight T-shirt fan myself. My t-shirts are all over 10oz. But I once owned a thinner Freewheelers tee and the quality was surprisingly good!

[robertrosas]

I hate paying for shipping too lol. Especially when it’s an expensive item

[journeymanedc]

Thank you for the honest review, Cameron! There are quite a few options for quality loopwheel shirts out there and it's hard to know which ones justify the high price tag. So far, I've found the Merz B. 215 is my favorite.

[Brayden-co]

So glad I finally clicked on one of your recommended videos! Great stuff man, keep it up!

[HeroHeritage]

I found the exact same thing with mine. I’ve washed it twice and it seems to be holding up well. My biggest complaint is the fit…a little too loose/baggy for my typical taste but it is quite comfortable here in the Texas heat. Awesome vid, as always!

[TwoWheeledTokyo]

That price is insane. In Japan it costs ¥8, 800 incl. shipping (approx $70 or £55) from The Real McCoy’s Nagoya store.

[docl]

Appreciate the honest reviews man! Keep it up

[alanward]

I'm still a newbie to this stuff so I'm not on very solid ground here, but it feels that maybe some brands take their status for granted a bit. I can't say too much because I haven't tried Real McCoy for myself, but claiming that a shirt is heavyweight when it clearly is not and charging £100 is a real abuse of trust. I could see me paying £100 for the Merz B 2S14 because they've earned my trust and ditto for UES, The Strike Gold and Sunray, but your experience here is a good reminder that you can't just equate sky-high prices with better quality. Same goes for retailers too, so a quick shout-out for Redcast Heritage - good prices and the nicest folk you could deal with.

[metalplague]

I’ll take Bravestar 8.5oz tee for $28 and Made in USA👍🏼

[thanGacao]

Very helpful vid! I'm currently gathering a lot of loopwheel items for my vintage/used shop and this video and your knowledge will come in handy in selecting items.

[MegaThucydides]

Hi Cameron I'm wondering if you ever tried out Bronson Mfg T-shirts. They have some tubular heavyweight (9-10oz) offerings. At ~25 USD for a guy who only wears T-shirts as undershirts and gym shirts, they are the most expensive and luxury ones I have. I'm not sure I will ever buy the top-of-the-line $100+ shirts you dabble in. That's why it is super valuable if you get your hands on a Bronson seamless T-shirt, and give an honest and objective appraisal. I'm really curious about your take on what distance (if any) there is between the $30 Bronsons vs. Studio D'Artisan or Merz or Iron Heart. Thank you!

[paulfellowes]

Visually it doesn't look like a quality t-shirt, i hate to say that, but it doesn't. You are correct, there are many other brands out there doing loopwheel tee's that offer better quality, shapes and styles. Btw, £5.95 nowadays is nothing for postage...and don't forget packaging, although i will say, for that it was pants.

[RadioMcRadioface]

i had a print of that on a sleeveless sweatshirt and now I know where the print came from, thanks for the education.

[atacsk]

I think you would benefit from size M instead of L. It would sit nicer on you body as it is quite stretchy. I have exact the same t-shirt and after 3 years, more than 100 wears and more than 50 washes it looks the same, almost as the brand new one. No pilling, no holes, retains its shape nicely after every wash.

[dabest]

For just a bit more, you could pick up the incredible 11oz cotton knit crew neck from Iron Heart (IHT-1600) at £133 - definitely worth checking out. I loved it so much that I picked up all four colours. This is a GENUINELY heavyweight t-shirt, and you WILL sweat in it during the summer. As a comparison, they're heavier than some pairs of denim.

[JP-gdpw]

I have navy and white ones and I love them. If you want a heavy stuff, you should go for a gusset tee.

[Smarty]

I have about a dozen of the American Athletic tees. Most comfortable t-shirts I own, and I've tried most Japanese brands. The American Athletic t-shirts have all lasted well, and the boxy cut is great.

[jr-zogi]

Great video, as always. Have you tried Filth Mart? If not, you should. A 50s style cut, a good medium weight and no side seams.

[lulabelle]

Hi Cameron, thanks for your honest review. Also I really agree about the delivery. I live in northern Ireland and tried to get some pro club t shirts from the only place in the UK that I can find that stocks them and they wanted to charge me £10 delivery for a t shirt.

[markopolo]

New sub here, liking your content :) totally agree about the shipping gripe, when you spend nearly 100 quid on a fairly minor piece of clothing, they should just Chuck in free shipping. Anything that amount should be free regardless IMO