After the wash and wear test, the Levi’s Original Tee remains comfortable and sufficiently roomy, with limited shrinkage and no visible pilling. However, pronounced twisting appeared after the first wash, and the fabric has become noticeably coarser. Almost no product-specific supply-chain information is available.
Product overview
1. Fabric and construction in new condition
The images below document the fabric, collar and seam construction in new condition, before washing.
Fabric structure
Collar
Seams and hems
As new, the fabric felt relatively soft and substantial. The collar was generally even, the stitching appeared reasonably well executed, and no obvious twisting was observed. The T-shirt weighed 174.2 g in size L.
2. Fit and comfort
Fit shown before washing
The Original Tee has a comfortable, relatively roomy fit. It remained pleasant to wear throughout the test and still feels sufficiently wide and long after ten washes. The fabric has, however, become noticeably less soft and somewhat coarser.
3. Testing results
Dimensions and weight
After ten washes, body length had decreased by just 0.8%, from 73.2 to 72.6 cm. Chest width decreased by 3.7%, while shoulder width and sleeve length decreased by 3.2% and 3.8%, respectively. Overall, dimensional stability was reasonably good, particularly in length.
Tested size: L
| Measurement | New | After 1 wash | After 10 washes | % change after 10 washes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weight | 174,2 g | 183,5 g | 175,5 g | +0,7% |
| Body length | 73,2 cm | 74,3 cm | 72,6 cm | -0,8% |
| Chest width | 56,5 cm | 54,4 cm | 54,4 cm | -3,7% |
| Sleeve length | 23,4 cm | 23,4 cm | 22,5 cm | -3,8% |
| Shoulder width | 47 cm | 46 cm | 45,5 cm | -3,2% |
| Hem width | 56 cm | 55,4 cm | 57 cm | +1,8% |
| Average dimensional change | — | -1,08% | -1,96% | — |
Measurements are recorded to one decimal place, but should not be read as millimetre-level accuracy. Soft garments can shift slightly depending on how they are laid out and positioned.
Structural changes
| Characteristic | New | 1 wash | 10 washes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Collar distortion | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Twisting / skew | 0 | 3 | 3 |
| Pilling | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Scores describe the condition observed at each checkpoint, not the amount of change since the previous assessment.
The most significant problem was pronounced twisting, which developed after the first wash and remained evident after ten washes. The back hem also hangs slightly more than 1 cm lower than the front. The collar showed some minor distortion but remained reasonably well shaped, and no visible pilling was observed.
Appearance after 10 washes
The photographs below document the fabric, collar, side-seam twisting and stitching after ten washes. Several loose threads were visible protruding from the stitching in different places after ten washes, giving some of the seams an untidy appearance.
Fabric transparency
| Characteristic | New | 10 washes |
|---|---|---|
| Transparency | 1 | 1 |
The Levi’s Original Tee was slightly transparent in new condition, with the test card clearly visible beneath the fabric. After ten washes, transparency appeared largely unchanged, although the additional creasing makes a precise comparison difficult.
4. Traceability and sustainability
Levi’s provided only basic product information and declined to disclose further supply-chain details. No supporting documentation was provided.
Levi’s confirmed that the T-shirt is made in Pakistan and that the fabric weighs 190 GSM. However, the company declined to provide further product-specific information on cotton origin, fabric production, manufacturing facilities, certifications or finishing treatments, citing internal considerations and confidentiality requirements. The supply chain therefore remains largely undocumented from a consumer perspective.
Supply-chain traceability
No stages identified for mapping: Pakistan is disclosed as the country of manufacture, but the garment factory, cotton origin and locations of stages 2–4 have not been identified for this T-shirt.
Each stage scores 0 if unknown, 0.5 if identified by the brand, or 1 if the brand provided documentation that WTL reviewed and found to substantiate the stated location for this T-shirt or its production batch. Full method →
Source note
Levi’s confirmed the country of manufacture but did not disclose the garment factory or the other supply-chain stages. No supporting product- or batch-specific documentation was provided. The assessment is based on the information available to WTL and can be updated if additional information becomes available.
Product-specific sustainability evidence
Status terms refer to product-specific evidence available for review. “None documented” does not necessarily mean that the feature or practice is absent.
5. Value and verdict
At €44, the Levi’s Original Tee is not a cheap T-shirt. Its strengths include that it remained comfortable to wear, retained most of its original dimensions and showed no visible pilling after ten washes.
The main drawbacks are the pronounced twisting that appeared after the first wash, the noticeable loss of fabric softness and the lack of product-specific supply-chain documentation.
Overall, I find it a mixed T-shirt. Its comfort and relatively good dimensional stability are clear strengths, but the almost complete lack of product-level traceability and the substantial twisting are major shortcomings.