Threadsmiths’ Cavalier T-Shirt Breaks the ‘Curse of the White Shirt’

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My daughter, Sarah, and I have joked about the “curse of the white shirt” since she was a child. You know how it goes: you wear a white shirt, and you’re guaranteed to drop or drip something that leaves a permanent stain right onto the middle of your chest. Threadsmiths’ T-shirts say they’ve developed a non-stainable Cavalier T-shirt. Oh really?!

Okay, that video looks pretty impressive, but it was put out by Threadsmiths; maybe it doesn’t portray the real life results you should expect when you dump a glass of red wine on yourself, or when mustard drops out of the end of your hotdog at a backyard cookout.

So I looked for independent videos from others, and this is what I found …

From Amanda Kooser at Crave:

And from Blake and George at The Gent’s Lounge:

Superhydrophobic nanotechnology sprays and coatings have been around for at least a couple of years, but this is the first time I have seen a company that actually sells garments that come with the tech built in. If you want to see more dramatic effects of what this type coating can do, watch this video from Ultra-Ever Dry

The thing is, according to Threadsmiths, those spray-on coatings “completely destroy fabrics and have been known to contain carcinogenic chemicals.” They claim that their patented fabric nanotechnology is “free of these carcinogens and is completely safe for regular wear.”

Our shirts emulate the natural hydrophobic properties of the lotus leaf. The Cavalier T-Shirt contains no aerosol applications and no dangerous chemicals, and is completely safe to wear – as a shirt should be.

So these t-shirt’s material has enhanced resistance to water and stains, yet the cotton is still breathable and comfortable.

Threadsmiths Cavalier T-Shirt

I asked David Mason of Threadsmiths to answer a couple of questions for me:

Q. How do the shirts feel? Are they stiff or soft?

A. The T-Shirts are made from 100% cotton and feel exactly like a regular T-Shirt. It is actually impossible to tell the difference by hand. Under a microscope it would look different.

Q. Do the shirts hold in sweat? In other words, are they not something you would want to wear when working out?

A. Yes being a hydrophobic means they do not absorb and wick sweat. The advantage of this is that you won’t ever develop sweat patches under your armpits. But yes, it’s not ideal to be working out and sweating in.

Okay, so this is a t-shirt to wear out with friends, but not when you are working out; fair enough!

I wondered about how you would care for a treated garment such as the Threadsmith’s T-Shirt, and I found this on their page:

Washing the Cavalier T-Shirt is simple – they are fully machine and hand washable and will retain their water repellency longer than any hydrophobic spray on the market. To reactivate The Cavalier’s water repellency, simply tumble dry at normal to low heat at every few washes.

The prices will seem high compared to what you pay at Walmart for a pack of Jockey or Hanes t-shirts, and I am not sure that the women’s t-shirt would be as flattering on as I’d like (it looks kind of frumpy on their models). But when you consider that just a couple of these kept in reserve for those times when you need a stain-resistant white (or black — they have those, too) t-shirt; ehhh, it’s not so bad.

Threadsmiths' Cavalier T-Shirt Breaks the 'Curse of the White Shirt'

Cost of a Threadsmith’s Cavalier T-shirt? $55

Value of never being embarrassed at a sidewalk bistro or backyard cookout again? PRICELESS

You can learn more about them, and order your Cavalier T-shirt here.

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About the Author

Judie Lipsett Stanford
Judie is the co-owner and Editor-in-Chief of Gear Diary, which she founded in September 2006. She started in 1999 writing software reviews at the now-defunct smaller.com; from mid-2000 through 2006, she wrote hardware reviews for and co-edited at The Gadgeteer. A recipient of the Sigma Kappa Colby Award for Technology, Judie is best known for her device-agnostic approach, deep-dive reviews, and enjoyment of exploring the latest tech, gadgets, and gear.