T-Shirt Series: Palace Wise Up T-Shirt
A thorough review of a printed t-shirt from the hyped skate brand.
TL;DR This is a quality basic t-shirt that stands the test of time and signals a very particular sense of humor by quoting one of the best movies about one of the worst movies in history.
In case you have already read my reviews of Our Legacy Boucle tee, Arpenteur Pontus t-shirt, JJJJound Standard Issue t-shirt, Rassvet Dog 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.
Introduction
Throughout my adult life, I have been an avid wearer of shirts. By adult life, I mean the phase when I started paying an 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. Apparently, even such a basic item might turn up very differently depending on fabric and construction. 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 form a comprehensive t-shirt series. Time will tell.
Small ask: If you find this article exciting or helpful, please share it with your friends, Reddits, or group chats — wherever people might nerd out about it. Leave a comment on the blog or just hit a ❤️ . It all gives me tremendous support. Thank you!
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 source 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, spilling out beyond just white tees. 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:
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.
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.
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.
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.
Palace Wise Up T-Shirt
Specifications
Year purchased: 2021
Fabric: 100% Cotton
Made in: Vietnam
Construction: Overlock side seams
Size: L
Post-wash measurements:
Pit-to-pit: 52 cm (20.7 in)
Shoulder width: 47 cm (18.5 in)
Sleeve length: 24.5 cm (9.7 in)
Body length: 73 cm (28.7 in)
Fits: true-to-size
Price: €64
Category: Basics
About The Brand
While I still think of Palace as a British version of Supreme, the brand has clearly built a following of its own over the past 15 years. Its signature style includes filming skate videos on VHS with club music soundtracks, ironically scripted promos, and an endless list of collaborations — including some of the most iconic British brands, such as Tricker’s, Berghaus, Harrods, Umbro, Rapha, and more. In 2016, they even had Jonah Hill on board to introduce their collaborative sneakers with Reebok:
The above ad is brilliant in its absurdity — something that a certain group of Hollywood comedians, including Jonah Hill, Seth Rogen, and James Franco, have been championing for years. The Wise Up t-shirt from the 2019 fall/winter collection pays tribute to this genre with a printed screenshot of Tommy Wiseau (“wise up”, you see) as portrayed by James Franco in the 2017 movie The Disaster Artist.
Obviously, James Franco didn’t wear a Palace t-shirt in the film. So, you actually get two for the price of one: a screenshot from a fantastic movie and a hyped logo. If anyone in the room recognizes it, you know you’re in for some good laughs.
Although the t-shirt was released in 2019, my wife snagged it off Farfetch a year later at a higher, yet still reasonable price. Four years on, I can confidently say it was worth it.
Fabric
Unlike the other skate brand t-shirt of mine, the Palace t-shirt is made from a slightly thicker fabric, similar in weight to JJJJound. The fabric hasn’t piled, torn, or stretched over time, and, in fact, doesn’t look worn at all.
Construction and Details
The Palace t-shirt features a moderate collar rib that, while it hasn’t stretched wide, has somewhat lost its tightness — you can see a “wave” running through the rib. On the inside, there is a printed label and an additional piece of fabric that covers the overlock stitch across the back. The collar seam is not integrated into the shoulder seem, but it’s done very neatly.
The overlock stitching on this t-shirt is, surprisingly, some of the tidiest I’ve seen among the tees I’ve reviewed. There’s nothing particularly special about it, but there isn’t a single stray fiber escaping the bounds.
The print has faded moderately over time, but it’s still so much brighter than the one on my Rassvet t-shirt.
There is an additional label woven into the left side seam, providing fabric and country-of-origin information.
Fit
The t-shirt is tagged Large, features regular proportions, and fits true-to-size. I’ve since moved up to XL in most of my t-shirts — or even XXL if they’re from Japanese brands — so this one fits me quite snugly. The length is decent, but the shoulder width and pit-to-pit measurement are the smallest I can comfortably wear.
Verdict
I’m genuinely surprised by the quality of this Palace t-shirt. Although it holds symbolic value for me, I love that I don’t have to treat it as a collector’s item — I can actually wear regularly. It’s a reliable everyday basic, and I’ll definitely buy from Palace again when they reference good stuff instead of just chasing more hype.
Which printed t-shirts hold symbolic value for you?
If you have any questions or feel like something is missing, please don't hesitate to ask in the comments section of this article. I'm here to help! 🙌
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Lastly, in case you missed them, check out my reviews of the JJJJound Standard Issue t-shirt, Our Legacy Boucle, paa Pocket Tee, All Blues Co. Pocket Tee, Uniqlo U Crew Neck T-Shirt, Rassvet Dog T-Shirt, and Arpenteur Pontus tee.