What Are the Differences Between T-Shirt Styles?

What else is there to a t-shirt other than short sleeves and a crew neck? A whole lot more, actually. Shoppers take many things into consideration when searching for their next favorite tee, from price to material to how the shirt fits their body. That’s why it’s important to offer a wide selection of styles to cater to as many people as possible. At Artist Shops, you can offer 10 distinctly different tees that all bring something unique to the table. This updated version of our T-Shirt Guide will help you learn the differences between t-shirt styles so you can effectively market them to your followers.

For more granular details on each style, read our FAQ. Also keep in mind that we’re always adding new apparel styles and products, so keep checking back for updates.


Each T-Shirt’s Elevator Pitch

If you’re too busy to closely dissect each tee piece by piece, this section gives you super-quick, high-level descriptions of all the t-shirt styles available for your Artist Shop. Learn what makes each style unique, then click on the hyperlinks to find more details about the experience they offer your customers.

  • Regular: It’s the most popular style across all Artist Shops. This basic everyday tee is soft, comfy, and form-fitting for a modern look.
  • Extra Soft: This tee is all about comfort. Its lightweight jersey material gives it a super-soft feel, and its relaxed fit makes it perfect for lounging around.
  • Classic: A sturdy tee with a boxier fit, this style holds its structure better than any other shirt and is available in sizes up to 5XL.
  • Triblend: This style’s blend of cotton, polyester, and rayon makes it the softest t-shirt you can offer in your shop.
  • Premium: This midweight t-shirt offers a much smoother, silkier feel and more structured fit than the Regular Tee.
  • Ringer: With contrasting neck and arm bands and a throwback fit, this jersey-knit tee caters to lovers of retro style.
  • Performance: This smooth tee with a relaxed fit stands up to the rigors of exercise with moisture-wicking fabric and an antimicrobial finish.
  • Champion®: For fans of athleisure style, this structured jersey tee features the iconic Champion® logo patch on the left sleeve.
  • Vintage Wash: Made from American–grown cotton, this midweight tee is garment-dyed to give it a retro look and feel.
  • Cut & Sew: This entire t-shirt is a canvas, allowing for flashy all-over prints and patterns. It’s available in Regular or French Terry material, the latter of which is softer and lends a more vintage look.

The Regular T-Shirt

Babs A. Dee's "Roller Skate Bouquet" on a Men's Regular and Women's Fitted T-Shirt
Babs A. Dee’s “Roller Skate Bouquet” on a Men’s Regular and Women’s Fitted T-Shirt

Why your customers want it: Sure, it’s basic, but it’s also the top-selling t-shirt style across all Artist Shops. It’s soft for everyday comfort and form-fitting for a modern silhouette. It’s also the most affordable style available, which makes it great for bulk purchases and gift shopping.

  • Also known as the…
    • Men’s Regular T-Shirt
    • Women’s Fitted T-Shirt
    • Unisex Regular T-Shirt
  • Lightweight and form-fitting
  • 100% combed ringspun cotton (heathers contain 10%–65% polyester)
  • Sizing: Men’s Small to 3XL | Women’s Small to 2XL | Unisex Small to 3XL

The Extra Soft T-Shirt

Pepe Rodríguez's "Hot and Cool Summer Beach Party Animal" on a Men's and Women's Extra Soft T-Shirt
Pepe Rodríguez’s “Hot and Cool Summer Beach Party Animal” on a Men’s and Women’s Extra Soft T-Shirt

Why your customers want it: If comfort is their highest priority, this style fits the criteria. It’s the most lightweight tee available and has a relaxed fit for those who prefer a little space in their clothes. It’s the perfect summertime shirt when you’re trying to stay cool and comfy.

  • Super soft and lightweight
  • Relaxed fit for comfort
  • 100% Airlume combed, ringspun cotton (heathers contain 1%–48% polyester)
  • Sizing: Men’s Small–3XL | Women’s Small–2XL

PRO TIP: When promoting women’s sizes, tell customers to size down if they want a more fitted look.


The Classic T-Shirt

Tamara Lance's "Unicorn Skull" on a Unisex Classic T-Shirt
Tamara Lance’s “Unicorn Skull” on a Unisex Classic T-Shirt

Why your customers want it: With thicker material and a boxier fit, this tee holds its structure more than any other style, which is great for layering. Unlike other tees on this list, it also features expanded unisex sizing up to 5XL, making your shop more size-inclusive while offering your customers more variety.

  • Relaxed, boxier fit
  • Thicker material for more structure
  • Ideal for layering
  • 100% combed cotton (heathers contain 10%–65% polyester)
  • Sizing: Unisex Small–5XL

The Triblend T-Shirt

Thiago Correa's "Praise the Sun" on a Men's and Women's Triblend T-Shirt
Thiago Correa’s “Praise the Sun” on a Men’s and Women’s Triblend T-Shirt

Why your customers want it: Once they go Triblend, they might not ever go back. This style’s three-fabric blend provides a broken-in softness and a dappled, vintage look to match its fitted silhouette. It doesn’t get any softer than a Triblend.

  • Classic broken-in softness (versus the lightweight jersey feel of the Extra Soft T-Shirt)
  • 50% polyester, 25% combed ring-spun cotton, 25% rayon
  • Sizing: Men’s Small–2XL | Women’s Small–2XL

The Premium T-Shirt

Running Dog's "Persona" on a Men's and Women's Premium T-Shirt
Running Dog’s “Persona” on a Men’s and Women’s Premium T-Shirt

Why your customers want it: It’s the highest quality tee available. It feels smooth to the touch and is made with ethically sourced material and manufacturing. Though not as thick as a Classic T-Shirt, this style’s midweight material provides a slightly more structured fit than a Regular T-Shirt. Plus, the print on the shirt processes on the fabric for a longer period of time, making your designs look super crisp.

  • Midweight for a more structured fit
  • Strong, durable material
  • Women’s tee has a scoop neckline and curved tails
  • Super smooth feel
  • 100% combed cotton (heathers contain 15% polyester)
  • Sizing: Men’s Small–3XL | Women’s X-Small–XL

The Ringer T-Shirt

Steven Rhode's "Normal is Boring" on a Unisex Ringer T-Shirt
Steven Rhode’s “Normal is Boring” on a Unisex Ringer T-Shirt

Why your customers want it: Its contrasting neck and sleeve bands give it a retro look reminiscent of ‘70s fashions. The tee’s jersey-knit blend is soft and has moisture-wicking properties to ensure all-day comfort.

  • Classic fit and retro look
  • 3/4″ contrasting neck and sleeve bands
  • Jersey-knit blend with moisture-wicking properties
  • 50% cotton, 50% polyester
  • Sizing: Unisex Small–2XL

The Performance T-Shirt

Redhorse's "Deeply Wild" on a Unisex Performance T-Shirt
Redhorse’s “Deeply Wild” on a Unisex Performance T-Shirt

Why your customers want it: It helps keep them cool and comfortable during rigorous physical activity. Its polyester microfiber material wicks away sweat, helps block harmful ultraviolet rays, and has an antimicrobial finish to fight odors. This style’s relaxed fit also won’t restrict movement, making it an essential for any activewear collection.

  • Relaxed fit for comfortable movement
  • 100% polyester microfiber
  • Moisture-wicking properties
  • Antimicrobial finish
  • Rated for 50+ Ultraviolet Protection Factor (UPF)
  • Sizing: Unisex Small–2XL

The Champion® T-Shirt

Ilustrata's "Cute Coffee x-Ray" on a Unisex Champion® T-Shirt
Ilustrata’s “Cute Coffee x-Ray” on a Unisex Champion® T-Shirt

Why your customers want it: Champion® is widely known for being a leader in athletic apparel and streetwear in the ‘90s. Although it never went away, the brand has experienced a resurgence in recent years with the rise of athleisure fashion. Customers who love rocking the brand will immediately notice the iconic Champion® logo patch on the shirt’s left sleeve. Match this tee with a pair of joggers and fly kicks, and you’ll assemble a look that’s both comfortable and trendy.

  • Trendy athleisure style
  • Iconic Champion® logo patch on the left sleeve
  • Midweight for a more structured fit
  • Soft jersey material
  • 100% ringspun cotton (heathers are 10%–40% polyester)
  • Sizing: Unisex Small–3XL

The Vintage Wash T-Shirt

Jack Teagle's Haunted on a Unisex Vintage Wash T-Shirt
Jack Teagle’s Haunted on a Unisex Vintage Wash T-Shirt

Why your customers want it: It looks and feels vintage, but it’s brand new. It’s made entirely of cotton sourced from American farms and has a more structured fit. This is another style option for those who appreciate a throwback aesthetic.

  • Garment-dyed for a vintage look and feel
  • Midweight for a more structured fit
  • 100% ringspun cotton sourced from American farms
  • Sizing: Unisex Small–3XL

The Cut & Sew T-Shirt

Rebecca Flaherty's "Watercolour Water Crystals" on a Unisex Cut & Sew Regular and French Terry T-Shirt
Rebecca Flaherty’s “Watercolour Water Crystals” on a Unisex Cut & Sew Regular and French Terry T-Shirt

Why your customers want it: All-over prints are in. The Cut & Sew T-Shirt enables you to cover the entire garment with your art instead of just the center of the shirt. The tee is printed and assembled piece by piece, allowing for wild all-over patterns and flashy oversized prints. Its spun polyester material has a different feel than any of the other tees, and makes the print look super vivid. For those who don’t like the polyester feel, there’s also a French Terry version of this style (the colors have a more faded, vintage look).

  • Regular Version:
    • 100% spun polyester
    •  Super vivid colors and prints
  • French Terry Version:
    • 85% premium polyester, 10% rayon, 5% spandex
    • Faded, vintage look
  • Sizing: Unisex X-Small–4XL

If you really want to understand the differences between t-shirt styles, it always helps to have the physical product in your hands. Order samples of your own tees at just the base cost and with free shipping!


This post is an updated version of our original T-Shirt Guide, and features some copy written by Carlyn Hill. The feature image of this post is also an iteration of the original post’s main illustration by Katie Lukes.

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