Sam Approves: Product Review of the Chester Barkly ‘Sweat Free Tee’

Talking about my new favourite undershirt.

Sweat. It is something we do not like to talk about, unless the conversation involves the gym. However, for many men sweat is a daily occurrence and a daily problem. Excess sweating can seriously hamper your choice of wardrobe and make you feel quite self conscious, this is an especially regular occurrence during the scorching Australian summer. I was one of the affected for some time. I then found out about the product offering of sweat proof undershirts, and discovered Melbourne company Chester Barkly.

My Experience:

I regularly had issues with sweating through a normal undershirt, and decided to do some research on viable options to solve this problem. I discovered the concept of sweat proof undershirts with added barriers in the underarms; but while doing initial research on them I was quite dismayed to see that almost all offerings of this product were from overseas. Adding shipping to Australia into the prices, this made the overseas products inaccessible to me on a student budget; the cheapest option would have cost $78AUD for a single shirt with shipping included! I needed to find a local option.

One day, I was fortunate enough to stumble across Chester Barkly thanks to a Facebook post by Elliot, the man behind the brand. I was stoked to see an Australian offering of sweat proof undershirts and immediately ordered one; the local availability (shipped from Melbourne) made it much more affordable. To illustrate the difference, the previous cheapest alternative was $78AUD but the Chester Barkly tee costs just $40AUD; nearly 50% less (there are further discounts for multi buys). The transaction process was quick and simple and the postage time was fast. Within a few days I had my tee and was ready to try it out.

Being able to wear a leather jacket in the sun without sweating through my shirt is damn liberating.

I am happy to say that I have been wearing mine daily for some time now and have experienced fantastic results, which is why I am writing about it today. I previously felt severely limited in what I could wear because of sweating, often sticking only to black and dark navy shirts in addition to having to change my shirt up to thrice a day during the Australian summer. Even in the winter I suffered from the issue (hyperhidrosis) and had to stick to a fairly limited selection of tops; since wearing my Sweat Free Tee, I have not had to worry about this problem at all. Life saver.

I have partnered with Chester Barkly to offer all of you a special discount code: use STS15OFF at checkout to get 15% off your total order at https://chesterbarkly.com.au.

What is it made of / how does it work?

The shirt is composed of three layers, with a material composition of 95% modal and 5% spandex. Modal is a breathable fabric made from beech trees, very soft to the touch. It is odour reducing, which means any potential for body odour is reduced too. The added spandex means the shirt is stretchy and will conform to the body’s shape (I feel like mine is a second skin); no possibility of baggy creases showing through your top like with a traditional undershirt. This is of extra benefit if you like to wear closely fitted shirts.

In the underarm area, a sweat wicking cotton pad is sewn into the fabric. The pad is treated with a synthetic coating that binds with every individual fibre of the cotton, which is the source of the synthetic barrier advertised. The modal outer layer combined with the cotton pad and synthetic barrier form the three-layer guard, which in my experience has held up exceptionally.

Pictured is the sweat proof pad built into the underarm. It does a great job.

Here is a short video explaining the process:

Appearance:

Currently, the product is only available in a white V neck short sleeve tee (a nude colour is a planned addition to the lineup, which I will be very happy to see). The cut of the V has good depth, meaning it is possible to wear one to three buttons of a shirt undone without the undershirt being visible (the 5% spandex means it can be adjusted up and down to suit, with ease). I was pleased with this, as a problem I typically had with previous undershirts was only being able to unbutton a single button in the heat.

I was also quite pleased when I saw it in person, as it does not look too different from a regular undershirt. It almost looks more like a sports take on an undershirt. I think this is a nice touch of reassurance for anyone who is particularly self conscious of sweating, as the undershirt feels like a regular undershirt and looks quite normal too.

Final Thoughts:

I am extremely satisfied with my Sweat Free Tee purchase; the product is affordable, looks good and lives up to the sweat-free guarantee. It makes being unique and stylish much more practical and accessible. The only caveat is that I have noticed it is slightly visible under a white business shirt (the collar line and sleeve ends); this is simply the nature of white business shirts. If you wear a jacket and tie, this should not be an issue. The planned release of a nude coloured Chester Barkly tee will mitigate the issue entirely, so I am looking forward to the release of that.

That’s all for today!

Thanks for reading! Do not forget to go and check out Chester Barkly at https://chesterbarkly.com.au. Remember, make sure to use STS15OFF at the checkout for 15% off your total order.

Stay tuned for next week, as I will be bringing you an interview with the man behind the brand!