Starting My Rugby Shirt Hunt
Okay so last week I decided I really wanted a rugby shirt. You know those thick cotton ones with the stripes? Yeah those. My old one got paint stains during DIY and looked trash. Instead of just googling randomly, I made a game plan:
- Checked my closet first: Dug through old stuff hoping maybe I had another one hiding. Found nada except gym tees.
- Measured my favorite top: Grabbed a comfy button-down and wrote down pit-to-pit and sleeve length so I wouldn’t mess up sizing.
- Set my budget: Max $70 cause I ain’t spending Gucci money for something I’ll wear to weekend brunch.
Online Window Shopping Fiasco
First I hit up that huge department store site everyone uses. Typed “women rugby shirt” and got 2,000 freaking results. Scrolled till my thumb hurt – mostly polyester junk or men’s sizes. Filtered by “cotton” and “under $70″… bam, only 3 options left and they looked like hospital scrubs. Gave up after 20 minutes.
Switched to a hipster boutique site my coworker raves about. Found ONE cute rugby shirt… then saw shipping costs more than the shirt itself. Nope nope nope.
5 Actual Stores That Came Through
After wasting two evenings, these spots actually had the goods:
- The Thrift Emperor: Went in person cause their online pics suck. Found 3 vintage rugby shirts in the men’s section for $12 each. Bought a navy/red stripe one.
- Sporty Warehouse: Thought it’d be all sneakers but their “retro collection” had proper rugby cuts. Tried sizing up for the oversized look.
- Fast Fashion Giant: Not proud but desperate. Grabbed a $20 polyester blend for theme parties. Feels cheap but the colors pop.
- Premium Basics Store: Holy grail thick cotton! Spent my max budget but the arm stripes don’t fade after washes.
- College Bookstore (online): Randomly searched my alma mater + “rugby shirt”. Actual team merch but shipping took forever.
Lessons From My Clothing Mission
Ended up with three shirts: thrift steal, fancy one, and beater party shirt. Pro tips:
- Always check men’s sections – better materials and classic fits
- Try sizes you normally wouldn’t – rugby shirts look cool oversized
- Cotton blends pill less – 100% cotton gets fuzzy fast
Honestly thought this would take one hour max. Spent like four days between online chaos and store trips. But hey, scored some gems that’ll last years!
