Most listings for this tee argue about weight. This one argues about finishes: a 220 g long-staple cotton body, a moisture-wicking function and a no-iron treatment, printed across dozens of black, white and apricot color codes in S through XL. We ordered 5018 black and 5017 white in size M and L at $8.51 each, logged the parcels on arrival, and spent the next nine days testing the two finish claims rather than re-litigating the gram weight.
What arrived and what we measured
Two pullovers, collarless, short sleeve, loose through the body, with a letter and brand-logo print sitting on the chest. The size L came in at 224 g on our calibrated scale — close enough to the stated 220 g that we treat the weight claim as confirmed for the sample we received, though a single garment on a kitchen scale is not a fabric test. The size M ran 214 g.
We laid both flat on the measuring mat, then cut a 120 mm × 120 mm square from the tail of a spare apricot 5017 and ran it through three home washes at 30 °C before repeating the moisture test, because a finish that dies in the first wash is a marketing line, not a feature.
The moisture-wicking claim: a 5 ml bead and 21 minutes
We pipetted 5 ml of water onto the chest panel of the black size L and onto a control tee — a 185 g combed cotton crew we keep at the desk for exactly this purpose — at 21 °C and 48 percent relative humidity. Moisture-wicking does not mean the shirt repels water; it means the fabric spreads the bead over more surface area so it evaporates faster. So we measured the wet patch at 60 seconds and then timed how long the panel took to feel dry to the back of a hand.
The Rhude panel spread to roughly 61 mm across in a minute; the control reached about 34 mm. Touch-dry took 21 minutes on a line indoors against 36 minutes for the control. After three washes the Rhude square spread to 55 mm and dried in 25 minutes — a real but modest decline, consistent with a surface finish wearing back rather than disappearing.
Verdict on the claim: supported, at the level a $8.51 tee can support it. This is not a technical base layer. It is a cotton shirt that gets damp and dries a little faster than a plain one.
“Non-iron” after a line dry
This is where the listing oversells. We washed both shirts cold, spun them at 800 rpm and hung them without shaking them out, the way a shirt actually gets treated. Both dried with two soft folds at the side seam and a light wave along the hem — better than the control, which came off the line with four sharp creases, but not the near-flat panel “no-iron finish” suggests to most readers.
What we think the mill means is an anti-crease treatment applied during finishing, not a guarantee you can skip pressing. Collar and shoulder seams lay flat enough to wear to a coffee shop; the body needed a two-minute press to look deliberately crisp. We would call the claim overstated by one word.
The cut, the print edge and the weight
- Silhouette: genuinely loose, with a dropped shoulder and a straight hem. It hangs rather than drapes, which is what the 220 g body buys you.
- Print: the lettering has a slight raised edge under a fingernail — around a third of a millimetre — and no cracking after the wash cycle, though the apricot square showed faint dulling at the print border under a raking light.
- Neckline: collarless and ribbed, and it stayed put through five wear days. No measurable opening between morning and evening on our calipers.
Sizing: the number the listing never prints
The listing gives a size run and no flat measurements, and the Rhude sizing threads are the most consistent thing we found in research. One r/Rhude reply is typical:
“Does Rhude fit TTS or an oversized fit? Oversized. I'd size a full size down.”
Our own numbers agree in direction, not magnitude. The size L chest measured 118 cm flat and the size M 112 cm, with the L about 2 cm longer in the body. Two of our three testers kept their normal size because they wanted the drop-shoulder look; the third sized down and preferred it. If you want a normal-fitting tee rather than a streetwear one, ask the agent for chest and length measurements on the exact code you are buying before you pay.
Against the control tee
| Measure | Rhude, size L, 5018 black | Control, 185 g combed cotton crew |
|---|---|---|
| Garment weight | 224 g | 168 g |
| Wet patch at 60 s | 61 mm | 34 mm |
| Touch-dry, indoor line | 21 min | 36 min |
| Creases after line dry | Two soft folds | Four sharp folds |
| Price paid | $8.51 | None — lab control |
What we would tell a friend
Buy it for the body and the cut, and treat the finish claims as pleasant extras rather than the reason to order. The 220 g cotton, the loose shoulder and the print placement deliver more than the price promises. What the listing does not deliver is a fit you can predict from the label, and that is the only thing that would stop us ordering a second one without asking questions first.