With thanks to Sea Design and Anne-Marie Beaumont of M/Y Lady S
The life of yacht crew is not easy. For all the obvious - and well-publicised - advantages to undertaking a career aboard a superyacht, the hours are long, the work demanding and the clients even more so.
We at Yachting Pages want to make a difference, or at least help to make life on board a little less stressful. In our new feature, Tried & Tested, we task market-leading brands to conduct real-world tests on essential crew products and services and provide a comprehensive breakdown of their findings - so you don't have to.
Utilising the experience and expertise of a serving crew member to independently rate and review each product in line with key criteria, the brand provides an unbiased verdict on which products are best suited to yacht-crew life, saving you precious time, effort and energy.
In the first in the series, superyacht crew uniform specialist Sea Design and second stewardess Anne Marie Beaumont review a selection of the best crew t-shirts on the market, highlighting their pros and cons and crowning an overall Tried & Tested winner.
In alphabetical order, these are the T-shirts that have been put to the test.
Based in Europe, the B&C brand has been established for more than 20 years. Among its many lines include the Inspire range of t-shirts, which come available in both mens and womens styles. The tee features a crew neck, short sleeves and side seams, and can be bought in a wide range of colours. Its clean and minimalistic style makes it suitable for any occasion, whether there's a need to dress up or dress down.
Characterised by having one of the widest size and colour ranges in the industry, Clique is renowned for using premium materials and producing premium products, but without the high price tags. The Carolina range of tees is stylish and available in long sleeves or as a tank top, while it comes available in eight basic colours.
Gildan is a US-based brand and one of the world's biggest manufacturers of t-shirts. They offer a wide range of models and colours, including the Ultra line, which is a classic, loose-fit, heavyweight model.
Headquartered in England, Gill Marine is well established in the sailing industry. Its UV Tec line of crew neck tees is loaded with an array of technical qualities, such as 50+ UV protection and moisture wicking technology. Ultra lightweight, it provides a comfortable fit.
The Russell mark has been around for approaching 120 years, but it is now part of the Fruit of the Loom group. Based in the U.S., it manufactures classic well-made garments - such as the Russell 180 crew neck tees - which are primed for personalisation.
Russell was one of the first brands to introduce a range specifically for sublimation printing (when the design is printed on transfer paper and heat pressed on to the garment): the Russell HD.
Established in Italy in the late 1970s, Slam is a well-known brand with a strong following. Its Lecanto range provides quality tees with a good surface for printing and embroidery.
A relatively new brand in sportswear, Spiro's quick dry range uses cool-dry fabric to offer breathability and absorbency management. Cotton fabrics can suffer from shrinkage and mis-shaping; cool-dry does not shrink or distort, making it a valuable option.
Founded in the U.S., Stedman is a successful European brand that delivers optimum-fitting garments and bright colours. Its new material compositions offer a perfect base for textile finishing.
Although of U.S. origin, Teejays is now a Danish brand. Its Ringer style is a fashion-fitted single jersey tee with contrast ribs on sleeves and neck rib, featuring lycra ribs and shoulder-to-shoulder tape.
Based on two key purchasing factors – sizing and price – the Russell 180 has been selected as the best crew t-shirt on the market. Made from 100% cotton, it comes in a range of colours and is highly customisable: it is the ideal tee for superyacht crew.
Anne Marie Beaumont, second stewardess aboard Lady S, stated, "We selected the Russell tee overall because of its true-to-size nature and overall quality-to-cost."
Of the others, the Dean undershirt is perfect; it ticks all the boxes on quality, cost and fit. One of those pieces that you don’t have any crew complaining about which is a true rarity," Anne Marie Beaumont noted. "As a long sleeve option, we would go for B&C because of the style of the cut, but after a few uses we have found them to shrink. For future ordering I think we will try our luck with another brand."
Read more Tried & Tested articles in our back catalogue, which includes reviews of the best deck shoes and yacht bedding currently available on the market.
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