T-Shirt Series: Petra Roasting Co.
A thorough review of a printed t-shirt from Istanbul coffee roasters.
TL;DR This is clearly a merch, subpar-quality t-shirt. I wouldn’t recommend buying it unless it holds symbolic value to you or you want to support the company, both of which made complete sense to me.
In case you have already read my reviews of the Our Legacy Boucle t-shirt, the Arpenteur Pontus t-shirt, the JJJJound Standard Issue t-shirt, or the All Blues Co. 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, I’d be incredibly grateful if you helped others discover it, too. Sharing it with friends, commenting on the blog, or simply hitting ❤️ are all a huge help. 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.
Petra Roasting Co.
Specifications
Year purchased: 2022
Fabric: 100% Cotton
Made in: Turkey
Construction: Overlock side seams
Size: XXL
Post-wash measurements:
Pit-to-pit: 60.5 cm (23.8 in)
Shoulder width: 49 cm (19.3 in)
Sleeve length: 20.5 cm (8.1 in)
Body length: 74 cm (29.1 in)
Weight: 193 g
Fits: Small
Price: €31
Category: Merch
About The Brand
I want to put this up front: Petra Roasting Co. is a coffee roasting company, by no means a clothing brand. Technically, they don’t have to sell clothing. But they do, which is always commendable for smaller companies.
Petra Roasting Co. operates its roasting business and cafes out of Istanbul, Turkey. Their Gayrettepe headquarters went above and beyond just another coffee joint by bringing together roasting facilities, the sourdough bakery Mitte Brot, a full-fledged cafe with sandwiches, soups, and main dishes, a souvenir shop with coffee accessories, delicacies, and branded merchandise, and of course, a coffee shop. The place totally hits all the right notes of a modern eatery. The icing on the cake is the company’s two stylish owners regularly hanging around in their Barbours, woolen chore coats, and selvedge denim.
It didn’t take me too much filter coffee to love Petra. Well, their grilled cheese sandwiches and bagels with salmon most probably have something to do with that, too. Not to mention the schnitzel they roast in cornflakes. But it’s the silly illustration on the back of the t-shirt that really got me. Yep, sometimes it’s that simple.
Fabric
You know, they say on the internet that it’s polyester that makes a fabric pill. This t-shirt is claimed to be made of 100% cotton but it’s by far the most pilled piece of clothing I’ve ever had. So either the label is lying or it’s the kind of yarns the fabric is made from.
Not all 100% cotton fabrics are the same. Because not all cotton yarns are the same. Some of them are made from long-staple strains, resulting in a smoother, softer, and stronger fabric. Short-staple cotton is much cheaper though because naturally it’s easier to grow. It might be imperceptible to the eye but the short-staple cotton exposes fiber ends to the surface which causes excessive pilling over time.
Whatever the reason, Petra Roasting Co. just used a random blank t-shirt to put their print on. Probably, a cheap one since they are essentially, a coffee company, not a quality clothing brand. But as much as I’m not a fan of mass-produced products, I’d prefer my merch tees to be made from Uniqlo U.
Small ask: If you find this article exciting or helpful, I’d be incredibly grateful if you helped others discover it, too. Sharing it with friends, commenting on the blog, or simply hitting ❤️ are all a huge help. Thank you!
Construction And Details
The tee features a narrow collar that has stretched over time. On the inside, there is an additional piece of fabric that covers the overlock stitch across the back. Some say that it’s a sign of quality since it requires additional cost. But I suppose it still costs less than doing a proper clean overlock stitch.
While the overlock stitch on this t-shirt is pretty clean, the thread it’s made with is so weak it worn through. I am fine with the cotton threads on my jeans’ front pockets blowing out after 250 wears. But a t-shirt’s collar? C’mon.
Surprisingly, both the chest and the back prints have been holding just fine over numerous washes.
Fit
The t-shirt is tagged XXL and fits me perfectly, meaning it is long enough to be tucked in but can also be worn untucked without being too long. Considering most of my other tees are tagged Large or X-Large, the Petra Roasting Co. t-shirt fits a full size smaller.
Verdict
The Petra Roasting Co. t-shirt is a low-quality garment, thus falling into the Merch category. At €31, it is not too expensive but the Uniqlo U tee is priced at just €14.90 while being made from so much superior fabric. I wouldn’t recommend buying this t-shirt unless you visit Petra headquarters at Gayrettepe. But in case you do have a chance to visit please purchase the tee to support this distinguished institution.
How often do you buy things for their symbolic value?
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! 🙌
I would greatly appreciate it if you share this t-shirt review with your friends or hit a ❤️ and restack the article here on Substack to help others discover it too.
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.