Read the fabric weight before you buy the founder story.

GSM — grams per square meter — is the fabric weight, and it is the first number to check. Under about 150 GSM is lightweight and often a little sheer; 180–200 is a solid everyday weight; 220 and up is a true "heavyweight" tee that holds its shape and drapes with structure. Heavier is not automatically better — it is warmer and less breathable — but it usually wears longer, which is where the cost-per-wear case lives. The real tell is whether a brand publishes the number at all. When GSM is missing from the spec, weight is exactly the variable being left vague.

The anchors are shoulders, chest, and sleeve. The shoulder seam should sit at the edge of your shoulder, not droop onto the arm; the chest should let you pinch a couple of inches of fabric at the side without pulling; and the cuff should end at the base of the thumb so it stays put under a jacket. Collar should admit one finger comfortably. Beyond that, "slim" versus "classic" is brand-relative marketing, so match the published chest and sleeve measurements to your own and read broad user consensus on whether a shirt runs large or small — we report that as consensus, not as our own wear-testing. Length and sleeve are cheap for a tailor to fix; shoulders are not, so buy for the shoulders first.

Divide the price by how many times you will actually wear it: wears per month, times twelve, times the number of years it lasts. A $120 jacket worn eight times a month for five years is 480 wears and about 25 cents a wear; a $40 one replaced every year at the same rate is closer to 42 cents. Our Cost-Per-Wear Calculator (/tools/cost-per-wear) does the math and includes honest lifespan presets by category. The one honest caveat: the lifespan is an estimate from published durability data and broad user consensus, not a guarantee — your mileage varies with rotation and care.

Raw (unwashed) denim arrives stiff and dark and fades to your own wear patterns over months; washed denim arrives soft, broken-in, and pre-faded. Raw rewards patience with unique fades and often better long-term value, but you have to size for shrink and wash it rarely. Washed is convenient and consistent, with the look decided for you. Neither is superior — it is a commitment choice. The cost-per-wear case favors raw only if you genuinely keep and wear the same pair for years; if you rotate through jeans, washed denim you like now is the honest buy.