At the time of introducing the brand, I wrote about how March Tee proposed a solution to this, and how our initial impressions were that they got pretty damn close to hitting the sweet spot. So I decided to test drive the March Tee Mineral Grey T-Shirt for men for a detailed review.
Let’s face it. It’s tough being in the Indian market for a t-shirt nowadays, if you don’t have an exceptionally strong affinity for large horses or are keen to appear as a brand signage. It can get even harder for people with a preference for the inconspicuous and discreet, without compromises in quality. It’s a funny situation — the simpler you want the object to be, the more difficult it becomes to obtain, accompanied by a proportionately northward price. So while the increasing use of minimalist design cues is relatively recent, we remain somewhat buried under the baggage of ostentatious excesses. March Tee has got our hopes up to spur a change.
The March Tee has impressed me enough to become my go-to t-shirt. It’s the Rahul Dravid of my wardrobe. I really don’t need to think twice about my mood or if it will hold up to scrutiny in an out-of-the-ordinary work circumstance. It just works. Inoffensive, understated, high quality. It’s far softer than most t-shirts I have and having one makes dressing decisions a lot easier.
It’s heartening that the sheen hasn’t worn off (quite literally) after regular use and wash. Overall, it makes me more confident to have a staple like that in a form that I once thought could only be had abroad.
March Tee paired with another favourite — Korra jeans
The basics
- Mineral Grey March Tee
- 100% Supima Cotton
- Made in India
First impressions
Straight out of the box, the t-shirt feels super soft with a kind of sheen you’d find on more expensive t-shirts. It felt nicer than what one sees in high street chain stores. This is because of the quality of cotton they use. The Supima cotton used to make a March Tee is licensed extra long fibre cotton grown in the USA. Fibres are 50% longer than normal cotton for greater softness and strength.
The good thing about this is you can wear it in a more dressy setting where you want to keep it smart, but not necessarily wear a shirt. It’s a nice neutral grey that goes with pretty much anything. Sleeve length is on the shorter side (though most certainly not in a muscle tee kind of way).
The full package
The t-shirt comes in a neat cardboard box with a happy handwritten note. Mine said ‘First March Tee =D”, which brightened the unboxing experience with something personal. There’s also a pencil in there which says ‘Do Good Work’. I really want to ask them the story behind the pencil — I’m sure there’s something there.
Overall, the entire package inspires a lot of confidence and tells you that the guys at March are all about quality and the little touches.
Check out more brands who are doing packaging right.
Living with the March Tee
Here’s a familiar problem. T-shirt looked great when I bought it. Wore it once. Washed it. Acid test failed. Now it looks like a pet’s plaything.
Thankfully, the March Tee didn’t go this way.
It has held up and continues to provide the same look and wearing experience as it did when I first wore it. In terms of wearing experience, the fit and light weight is the real winner. Heavy isn’t always better and the March Tee does a good job of keeping shape and looking great with its short sleeves and length, while making you feel super comfortable. It’s a true go-anywhere-do-anything article.
As body type is quite decisive in whether a particular t-shirt is a good fit or not, I’ll just add here that if I were to box myself somewhere on this graph, it would likely be tall and slim. So keep that in mind as I talk about my wearing experience — your mileage may vary. I also feel like the March Tee is best fitted for such a body type.
There are two more things worth pointing out. Firstly, they mention on the website that the neck rib is a high density blend of Supima and Elastane which ensures that it stays put. I found the one on my t-shirt to be folding inwards a little at times, though it hasn’t started to bother me yet or make a visible difference. Secondly, it doesn’t respond so quickly to a steam iron and I have t-shirts from other brands where the post-wash wrinkles go away a lot faster. On the March Tee, I can sometimes still catch a few wrinkles after I’m done ironing. Again, not a deal breaker and maybe even just my OCD.
All in all, so far so good.
Pricing
All t-shirts are INR 1,500.
While this is pricier than what we may be used to for basic t-shirts, you have to get one to see where all the extra effort has gone, right from the cotton they use to refinements in design and finish. It’s all top notch.
I believe it’s one of the best t-shirts you can buy from a local Indian indie brand. Minimalist clothing at its finest.
Summing up
A high quality, well fitted t-shirt is just as much of a wardrobe essential as a white dress shirt. The fact that you can wear this to work and to a bar says something — it’s appropriate for most occasions not only because of its simplicity but also because of its finish and quality.
No one element jumps out at you. It’s all just a nicely engineered expanse of fabric, that gets the details right. I feel confident wearing it and that isn’t something I thought I’d say about a plain round-neck t-shirt.
Who’s it for: Someone who couldn’t be bothered with fleeting trends, but is a stickler for quality and just wants something that gets the job done well.
What’s different: The quality level, which is uncommon for such a product.
Best thing about it: Versatility.
One thing I’d change: Stock levels! Smaller sizes sell out pretty fast, as I believe they do limited production lots.
Buying experience
I bought my t-shirt online from marchtee.com
The site and buying experience is really clean and simple, like everything else about the brand. While placing the order, it tells you in how much time the order is going to ship. It is generally a few hours and my package arrived the next day. Everything was fairly seamless.
January 2019 update: The March Tee for men is available in 5 colours – Caramel Brown, Denim Blue, Heather Grey, Sporty Maroon and Classic Black. V neck in black is available as well. March Tee for women is available in 4 colours – Eden Rose, Forest Green, Coral Red and Pure White.
How did you hear about March Tee? What other reviews would you like to see? Let us know in the comments below. And if you found this story interesting or useful, please spread the indie brand goodness by sharing it!