Patagonia Mens T-Shirts

About Patagonia T-shirts

The range divides three ways and it is worth knowing which is which, because the names look similar and the shirts are not. The Responsibili-Tee is the recycled one. Alongside it sit standard cotton tees carrying the same graphics — the P-6 Logo T-Shirt and the P-6 Logo Responsibili-Tee are different shirts with the same print on them. And the Capilene Cool shirts are synthetic performance pieces that only look like T-shirts.

What makes the Responsibili-Tee worth the attention is the fabric: a 50/50 blend of recycled cotton and post-consumer recycled polyester, roughly 4.8 plastic bottles and a third of a pound of cotton offcuts per shirt. Against a conventional cotton tee that is 96% less water and 45% less CO2, and cotton is one of the thirstiest crops there is. It is 5.5oz jersey with a rib-knit neck, taped shoulder seams to hold its shape, and a straight hem so it works tucked or untucked. Prints use PVC- and phthalate-free inks, and all of them are sewn in Fair Trade Certified factories.

The P-6 logo and Patagonia's graphic tees

The P-6 is the outline of Mount Fitz Roy in Patagonia, the peak the company took its name from, and it has been the label's primary mark for decades. It appears here on both the Responsibili-Tee and the cotton T-shirt, in short sleeve, long sleeve and the P-6 Outline variant.

The rest divide by where they came from. Flying Fish, Great Waves and Water People come out of the surf side of the business; '73 Skyline and Fitz Roy Foothills are the mountain ones. The Chouinard Crest references founder Yvon Chouinard, who started out forging climbing pitons by hand. The Repair Shop tee nods to Worn Wear, Patagonia's repair programme — the company's own argument is that keeping a garment in use longer does more good than anything else it can do.

Capilene Cool and the heavier tees

Capilene is a different proposition entirely. Synthetic, quick-drying and treated to control odour, these are made to be run and hiked in — where a cotton tee stays wet and starts to smell. The Cool Daily and Cool Trail shirts come in short and long sleeve, in the '73 Skyline and Great Waves graphics.

At the other end, the Daily Pocket Tee and MW '95 Oval Logo Pocket Tee are the heavier-weight options if you find standard tees too thin. On fit, the Responsibili-Tee is cut as a regular fit and runs slightly roomy through the body — several reviewers describe it as boxy through the midsection, so if you want it close, consider sizing down.

See the full Patagonia range, browse all T-shirts at Yards Store, or find us in Manchester and Sheffield.