Bronson Mfg. Co. IVY Wide Stripe Tees

The Bronson brand strikes again with another excellent value offering.

This isn’t the first time that Bronson’s tee offerings have been discussed on this site.
After being so impressed with the first round of tees I bought from Chinese vintage reproduction company Bronson MFG, I returned for another round, buying a plain white and two of their Ivy wide stripe tees which piqued my interest.

What I’ve seen from Bronson so far is a great reinforcement to my opinion that a certain country of origin doesn’t make a product inherently good or bad.
While China has a stigma of low cost, low quality items, I continue to be impressed with the quality that Chinese makers can put out at reasonable price points.
These tees live up to the quality of the first ones that I purchased.

Characterising these two tees are the kind of block rugby stripe that would normally be seen on a polo shirt or rugby shirt.
The base colour of both is navy, with both featuring yellow thin stripes.
It’s only the block stripe that changes colours.
Both shades are beautiful to look at, and I’ve found both to be quite versatile.
These would look excellent on a person of any skin tone; a feat that is often hard to manage with reds and greens.

As always with Bronson, it’s important to check the sizing chart before ordering.
The previous tees I ordered were in an XL, but I had to size up to an XXL to achieve the same fit on these Ivy tees.
For context, I usually like my tees somewhat fitted and usually buy them only a couple of centimetres larger than my actual body measurement at the chest.
I have a prominent chest; might as well flaunt it if you’ve got it.

The length on these tees is perfect.
Wearing untucked is easy, and they’re the perfect length for me to do so.
When wearing them tucked, the length is such that they easily stay tucked in with higher rise pants and jeans.
The torso is cut straight in a vintage style, giving some movability through the abdomen.

Sleeve length is also good, as it’s a touch longer than the super short sleeves often seen on modern tees.
These sleeves are long enough for me to comfortably wear my Chester Barkly undershirts on hot days, to keep sweat patches from appearing under the arms.

The fabric is sturdy at 260g, waffle knit with plenty of breathability.
It’s kept me cool on 30-36 degree days (or as cool as any clothing can allow for in the Australian summer).
I’m impressed with how well the fabric drapes on the body.
The drape is immaculate, and it makes the cut extra flattering, even on my stocky frame.

It’s rather wrinkle-resistant, to the point that I can tuck the tee in for a few hours and untuck it later with minimal creasing.
I never need bother with ironing these tees, as hanging them up to air off for a day or two is sufficient to let any wrinkles fall out naturally.

The pattern matching across torso and sleeves isn’t perfect, but it’s not jarring.
At the budget price point, it’s certainly good enough to get the job done.

As previously mentioned, I’ve found both of these tees to be very versatile in pairing options.
Though I don’t wear tees too often, here are some of the ways I’ve worn them so far:

You’ll notice that field and safari jackets have been a common accomplice.
These are my go-to casual jacket styles.

I’ve tried wearing these under casual sportcoats but it doesn’t work for me. A plain colour tee is better for that, in my opinion.

While I’ve packed away my safari jacket for the summer, I expect to be wearing these often with the brown Drake’s linen overshirt pictured above.
A tobacco linen overshirt from Prologue is also en route to me at the moment, and I’ll doubtless be sporting that in combination with these tees also.

I could see these tees pairing well with a very casual summer suit, such as a rust, brown or olive linen with patch pockets.

At $19.99USD each (currently on sale from $23.99USD at time of publishing), these tees are cracking value.
Worldwide shipping is only $5USD, so don’t be afraid if you’re buying internationally.

They’re available in wine red, green, and light blue (note: this is not an affiliate link).
I’d have bought the light blue too, if my size wasn’t sold out.

Bronson do frequently have sales, but I advocate buying these tees regardless.
They’re easily worth the retail price, and you’ll be kicking yourself if your chosen colour/size sells out because you waited too long.