Introduction
Bamboo t-shirts seem to be making a rise on the market now, and Hayabusa leads the pack with their cool-looking designs.
Official Specs:
- 70% Bamboo, 30% cotton for unparalleled soft feel and comfort
- Water-based ink
- Red metallic foil accents on the front and back
- Flocking detail on the front and back
- Flat-finish collar and sleeves
- Pre-Washed and Pre-Shrunk
- Non-abrasive screen-printed care label
I've always been a fan of Japanese-inspired designs, and Hayabusa is an embodiment of that. From their brand name and their logo, to their choice of graphics and kanji, the Shouri line is looking pretty darn good! This is a great way to stand out from the crowd with something different from the usual skulls, fists and loud, angst ridden designs that seem to be all over other MMA brands (at least until everyone starts wearing them too).
The Shouri line comes in black, gray, and cream colours, each one featuring a different design on the front. The back has the same line of Kanji, against a slightly different backdrop. It makes me feel like collecting them all, since it's more than just a colour difference. Actually, I almost did, but they sold out of my sizes when I tried to get them.
To further distinguish between the shirts and add a touch of uniqueness, each shirt comes with different styles of detailing. For example, the cream one has a red metallic foil outline on the Hayabusa words across the front, and the red outline of the dragon-looking head has a velvet-like texture. Behind, the black Kanji words are also velvet-like, while the small Hayabusa logo on the bottom right has a red foil background. Compare this to the black t-shirt, which has the Hayabusa words across the front in red velvet, the falcon design in vinyl (I think), and so on. You get the idea.
These T-shirts have to be seen and felt to do them justice, it's too difficult to describe in words. The short description would simply be 'Awesome'! At least until you start washing them.
Form & Fit
Like their rashguards, these T-shirts have a slightly tapered cut to them, being wider across the chest. Wearing an S size, the shirt fits perfectly around my neck and shoulders, but cuts slightly baggy across the chest. Not a big deal, but makes me feel like I need to work out some more to fill up the shirt. Fortunately, the slight tapering prevents it from looking baggy overall, giving it a loose fit instead.
The T-shirt is longer than the usual Asian S, reaching down 1.5 hands past my hip. Considering that some US small can be quite baggy on me, I think this one does a pretty good job fitting on my smaller frame.
This is the only bamboo tee I have, so I don't really have a comparison, but generally it feels light and smooth. It's also quite cooling to wear, and does a slightly better job of ventilation than my cotton shirts. This shirt is extremely comfortable to wear, and is one of my favourite chill out tees.
Functionality
Not much to say here, it's a T-shirt, and its main functions have been covered earlier. Instead, I'd like to highlight the potential problems with caring for this tee.
First off, while the velvet flocking is a nice touch, it didn't stay for long, especially on the thinner strips in the cream design. This is despite turning the shirt inside-out before dumping it into the machine. You might want to handwash to increase the lifespan instead.
Next, the little falcon logo on the bottom right of the t-shirts comes off too easily as well. Since the falcon in the logo is essentially just lines, some of the thin strips of printed material came off immediately after the first wash.
These two things alone made the shirt a lot less likeable as I was disappointed with the durability issues. While the shirts still look pretty good, I feel a little ripped-off since the design elements only lasted a few outings before they started to fade in some way. Do note that this only affects the flocking elements, the inked colours do not fade at all. The fabric also remains comfortable and barely shows any signs of wear.
I'm not the handwash sort, so I ended up dumping it into the machine again after each use. Keep this in mind when you're trying to make your purchasing decision.
Affordability
Official US price for this is US $39.99 (SGD $52). It's a graphic tee, so it's up to you to decide how much you're willing to fork out for this.
Conclusion
If you like variety in your MMA branded lifestyle apparel, this is one piece you might want to grab for variety.
Disclaimer
All comments in the review are my own personal opinion. Prices provided in brackets are merely for reference and are based on exchange rates at the time of writing.
If you like this review and found it helpful, please post a comment or let the company or retailer know too. Should you decide to purchase them online, you might want to consult the online buying guide for advice.
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