The Tsuba Dragon

I'm 168 so the M-170 is right at my edge and the shoulders are a touch wide for me.

Dragon print wraps around the back instead of just sitting on the front, so it looks like something when you turn around. Fabric is thicker than I expected for a print tee, which is nice at an outdoor con. Two washes in and the black hasn't gone grey.

Shoulders finally fit properly.

I went with L on the height grading and the shoulders sit where the chart says. The print is crisp across the back and has survived three washes without going chalky. The waist is the weak point: roomy on a narrow frame, so it hangs rather than follows.

Ordered white, and after a month of wear the print has not cracked at the shoulder seams.

L-180 fits my build; print still sharp.

Height grading is why I tried this, since standard sizes leave me swimming at the shoulders, and the S lands where it should. What holds it at four stars is the back print: it sits nearer one side seam than the other, so it reads slightly off-centre. The dragon linework itself is crisp, though.

Against a shirt I printed myself last year, the difference is alignment: the pattern runs square to the shoulder seam, no drift creeping toward the hem. Sleeve joins sit flat enough that I forget them. Sizing up for length left the shoulders broad, which is my frame, not the cut.

The dragon does not fight the fabric: fine lines stay fine, and the black option I chose keeps its depth after washing.

Lay-flat collar, tidy sleeve turnings.

Print is sharp on the black and the shoulders sit where I want. Gripe: sizing by height is an odd way to buy a shirt. I took the 170 at 172cm and the waist is loose on me. I would rather give my own numbers.

Design lands well on the black. A third colourway would be nice, since white and black is a short list, but black was the right call.

Cuff length suits me.

The numbers next to the letters in the size list confused me at first, so I measured him against them carefully and picked the black one. It hangs exactly how he likes and has already been worn twice.

Took a chance on the white and it looks far better on him than I imagined.