T-Shirt Series: Rassvet Dog T-Shirt

A thorough review of a printed t-shirt from an alternative skate brand.

TL;DR This is a subpar-quality t-shirt. I wouldn’t recommend buying it unless it holds symbolic value to you or you want to support the brand, both of which are completely normal.

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In case you have already read my reviews of the Arpenteur Pontus t-shirt, JJJJound Standard Issue t-shirt, All Blues Co. Pocket Tee, or paa Pocket Tee, feel free to skip the Introduction and Review Criteria sections and proceed straight to the review itself below.

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Introduction

Throughout much of my adult life, I have been an avid wearer of shirts. By adult life, I mean the phase when I started paying unhealthy amount of attention to the clothing I wear. No, I'm not referring to formal shirts worn with suits (thank goodness!). I'm talking about OCBD (a shirt made of Oxford cloth with a button-down collar) inspired by the Ivy style. Why settle for a t-shirt when an OCBD can serve the same functions while presenting a more sophisticated appearance?

That's why I only recently started embracing t-shirts. I still like to believe that I wear OCBDs more often, but honestly, that's not entirely true. 

Since I have accumulated quite a few t-shirts, I thought it would be worthwhile to conduct formal reviews of them. The goal is to identify what I like and dislike about t-shirts in general, and hopefully assist you in making better decisions for your future purchases as well.

Hopefully, I will stay committed, and these reviews will eventually become part of a comprehensive t-shirt series. Time will tell.

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Small ask: If you find this article exciting or helpful, I’d be incredibly grateful if you helped others discover it. Sharing/restacking or just hitting ❤️ are all a huge help. Thank you!

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Review criteria

The inspiration for these reviews comes from Heddels' Great White T-Shirt Review, conducted by David Shuck. He thoroughly reviewed 18 white t-shirts available for under $100. I consider this to be the best resource for making an informed decision when purchasing such a simple item as a basic t-shirt. In fact, I was inspired to buy two different t-shirts based on Heddels' review. Hopefully, they will make an appearance in my series one day too.

I want to emphasize that I am not attempting to duplicate what David Shuck has already accomplished at Heddels. Instead, I aim to offer a more personal and subjective perspective on the matter. With that being said, I will still include objective parameters such as item measurements and fabric composition. Please, do not hesitate to ask for more details in the comments section below the post if you feel like something’s missing.

To make the reviews more applicable, I will categorize each of my t-shirts into one of the following four categories:

1. Merch: These t-shirts were not specifically designed as merchandise. But they turned out to hold more symbolic value for me rather than practical. Typically, these are lower-quality t-shirts that I would not recommend purchasing.

2. Basics: These are reliable everyday staples. They are well-made enough for everyday use, and there is nothing inherently wrong with them. Usually, you don't need to look beyond this category.

3. Heavy: Some t-shirts are just built to be sturdier. They might not necessarily need to be, but they are. Some people might even consider them to be overkill.

4. Special: Certain t-shirts are celebrated for their form, not function. I perceive them more like art. Sometimes they might be even impractical, but there is something about their fabric, cut, or fit that makes them stand out. They are beautiful.

IMPORTANT Price is not a determining factor in my evaluations. The most expensive t-shirt could be of the lowest quality, while an unassuming one might turn out to be heavyweight. Ultimately, this review focuses on value rather than price.

Rassvet Dog T-Shirt

Specifications

• Year purchased: 2022

• Fabric: 100% Cotton

• Made in: Turkey

• Construction: Overlock side seams

• Size: XL

• Post-wash measurements:

  • Pit-to-pit: 58 cm (22.8 in)

  • Shoulder width: 56 cm (22.1 in)

  • Sleeve length: 21.5 cm (8.5 in)

  • Body length: 72,5 cm (28.5 in)

• Fits: weirdly true-to-size

• Price: €60

• Category: Merch

About The Brand

Rassvet (translates from Russian as “dawn“) is a skate brand founded by designer Gosha Rubchinskiy and pro-skater Tolia Titaev in 2016. Produced by Comme des Garçons, the Rassvet mixes post-punk aesthetics with Soviet influences and collaborates with brands such as Carhartt WIP, Russell Athletics, and Kleman.

While clothing plays a key role in Rassvet’s offering, it is first and foremost a board brand. Over the past seven years, Rassvet brought together an eclectic team of skaters from all over the world, recently adding top-tier riders Austin Gillette and Remy Taveira to the roster. I highly recommend watching Rassvet’s latest full-length video project named “Blue“ — it’s the epitome of style in general and the brand’s unique take on it:

I bought this t-shirt spontaneously at Shopi Go in Istanbul. It features a printed photograph of a samoyed dog aka cloud with the head put into the Soviet-era steel gate in the form of a sun. If it isn’t persuading enough the phrase under the photograph says that “the dawn is upon us“, meaning that the dark times are coming to an end — a very appealing motto, considering an autocratic regime took over my country and started a brutal, meaningless war against its neighbor. Finally, the t-shirt is made in Turkey so it only made sense (if only symbolical) to buy it in Istanbul.

Fabric

I had no expectations for quality in a skate brand t-shirt. The tee is made from the most mediocre lightweight fabric. It hasn’t piled over time but holed after a year of occasional wear.

Construction And Details

The tee features a medium-width collar that stretches over time to a point when it’s almost too wide. On the inside, there is a printed label and an additional piece of fabric that covers the overlock stitch across the back.

The overlock stitching on this t-shirt is sloppy with stray fibers escaping the bounds here and there.

The print that took my attention in the first place washed out significantly literally after the first wash. I took a picture, comparing a new t-shirt versus a one-wash tee side by side:

Two years later the print is heavily faded:

Fit

The t-shirt is tagged X-Large and fits weirdly. The length and pit-to-pit measurements are true to size, but the shoulders are really wide, even though they don’t seem to be designed as dropped.

Verdict

The Rassvet Dog t-shirt is a low-quality garment, thus falling into the Merch category. At €60, it is rather expensive too. I wouldn’t recommend buying tees from the brand unless they hold a symbolic value to you as mine does to me.

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Do you own any garments that you love despite their low quality?

If you have any questions or feel that something is missing, please don't hesitate to ask in the comments section below. I'm here to help! 🙌

I would greatly appreciate it if you could hit a ❤️ and restack the article here on Substack or share it on your social media to help others discover it too.

Lastly, in case you missed them, check out my reviews of the JJJJound Standard Issue t-shirt, paa Pocket Tee, All Blues Co. Pocket Tee, and Arpenteur Pontus tee.

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