When you’re looking for a comfortable t-shirt, something soft and breathable, nothing is better than bamboo. Like a lot of guys, I have a somewhat ridiculous collection of t-shirts. Souvenir shirts from all over the world, classic t-shirts from my favorite festivals and rock bands, old worn-out t-shirts with too much sentimental value to discard. But when I reach into the closet, I always hope to grab a bamboo t-shirt. And sometimes I’m in the mood for a bamboo v-neck t-shirt. But where can you find the best bamboo v-neck shirt?
A lot of companies are making bamboo t-shirts these days, far more than when we starting selling bamboo shirts back in 2006. But bamboo v-neck t-shirts are still hard to come by. If you’re looking for the softness of bamboo, with a fashionable v-neck, and a garment produced ethically in North American, for a reasonable price, there’s really only one choice. Jerico Sportswear offers the best bamboo v-neck t-shirts in the industry.
And if you’re wondering what we mean by “V is for velutinous”, it’s a word that is rare and special, not unlike the bamboo v-necks themselves. Velutinous has Latin origins, related to the word velvet, and basically means soft and fuzzy. But these fantastic t-shirts are more than just soft and fuzzy. They are also made from an amazingly sustainable plant and manufactured in Canada under uncommonly fair working conditions.
Why choose bamboo v-necks
Anyone who has worn bamboo clothing or slept on bamboo sheets knows that there is no other fabric quite like it. Spun bamboo is softer than cotton, silky smooth but velvety soft at the same time. Bamboo fabric also has incredible properties of temperature regulation and breathability. It insulates to keep you warm in the winter and breathes to keep you cool in the summer. Not only that, but it also holds up extremely well over time.
It’s no wonder our customers keep coming back again and again. At least 80 percent of the business in our brick & mortar location came from repeat customers. There’s nothing quite like bamboo, and there’s nowhere to shop for it quite like Bambu Batu.
Since we first opened, in 2006, we committed ourselves to finding and providing the highest quality goods made from the most environmentally responsible materials according to the most socially responsible business practices. In doing so, we discovered a great range of wonderful products and built many terrific relationships with countless customers and suppliers. We include our v-neck producing colleagues from Canada among them.
Bamboo v-neck top criteria
When you go looking for the best bamboo v-neck t-shirts, you have a few factors to consider.
- Comfort is crucial. If you’ve already had the pleasure of wearing bamboo fabric, you know that it’s about the softest thing on earth. In addition to being anti-bacterial and anti-microbial, viscose from bamboo is also softer and more breathable than even cotton. The comfort of a bamboo garment has a lot to do with the specific composition of the fabric. Most bamboo textiles are actually a blend of bamboo and cotton (or organic cotton), and maybe some other synthetic material like spandex or lycra. Bamboo clothing is almost never 100 percent bamboo. Blending it with cotton can improve the fabric and give it more structure.
- The right price. Let’s be honest, the price tag on your bamboo t-shirt is going to influence your decision. As a speciality product with superior performance and environmental advantages, you should expect bamboo clothing to cost a bit more than a conventional piece of cotton or polyester. People who purchase and wear bamboo products understand this equation. At the same time, we know there are limits to how much you will pay for an article of clothing.
- Labor conditions. Consumers who are willing to pay a little more for a t-shirt that’s made from a super sustainable eco-fiber are often interested to know how and where it’s made. Those who are conscious about the conditions under which their clothing is produced will want to avoid Fast Fashion purveyors like H & M or The Gap. (Fast Fashion is to the clothing industry what Fast Food is to the restaurant business.) These Fair Trade enthusiasts might also try to avoid products made in China. The fact is, most commercial bamboo (Moso bamboo) grows in China, and China also processes the vast majority of bamboo textiles. So most bamboo clothing is produced in China, but not always, and not always under the same conditions.
Finding the best bamboo v-neck t-shirts
For us, the choice of the best bamboo v-neck t-shirt was not difficult. Although there are quite a number of companies making bamboo t-shirts these days, the v-neck is still something of a speciality. That’s a bit of a shame, because v-necks have become pretty popular in recent years in mainstream fashion, and many men prefer the fit of a v-neck to the higher crew neck cut.
Jerico Sportswear has long been one of our most trusted and reliable bamboo clothiers. Based in Toronto Canada, they have an extensive and colorful line of bamboo items for both men and women, including a variety of tops and sweatshirts. Most of their bamboo catalog features a simple blend of bamboo and organic cotton. They also have a “bamboo stretch” line which incorporates 5% spandex in the fabric. All of Jerico’s products are proudly made in Canada.
Jerico offers the best men’s bamboo v-neck t-shirts that we know of, and they come in a range of colors. These ultra soft, super breathable athletic tops are available in black, white, midnight blue, heather grey and charcoal grey.
- Fabric: 70% viscose from bamboo, 30% organic cotton
- Price: around $24
- Production: made in Canada
Conclusions
If you’re looking for a men’s bamboo v-neck t-shirt, Jerico is the way to go. It’s made in Canada, with solid construction, consisting of nothing but bamboo and organic cotton. Jerico also makes a men’s bamboo tank top in the same fabric and colors, and it’s another one of our top sellers. The mix with organic cotton makes their fabric a bit fluffier, and not quite so sheer and silky as the bamboo/spandex or bamboo/nylon blends you find from other manufacturers.
2021 UPDATE: Adapting to the COVID-19 situation, we’ve had to make some pretty drastic changes here at Bambu Batu. We closed our brick & mortar store in San Luis Obispo, CA, in May 2020, but we continue to maintain our online presence. For now we present Bambu Batu as an online information resource only. But you can still support us by buying from our partners listed in the SHOP tab above.
Further reading
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