Remember “Thrift Shop,” that addictive, catchy tune where Macklemore rapped about wasting $50 on a t-shirt? We’d hate to see what he thought of this plain old white t-shirt by Italian menswear company Berluti, which comes in at a comfortable $650. Yes, $650, for a plain white tee. At least it it’s a silk t-shirt. And based on some quick research we did on Google, that’s not even close to the world’s most expensive t-shirt. But how does Berluti in any way attempt to justify such a hefty price tag? By weaving it out of a rare, fine, mulberry silk.
Mulberry silk is considered perhaps the finest silk in existence, traditionally harvested and made in China from silkworms on the leaves of mulberry trees. Mulberry silk is 100% pure white, hypoallergenic and odorless, containing a naturally hypoallergenic protein called sericin. It’s also some of the finest and most-refined, as well as most-durable, silk in existence. This makes it an excellent choice for everything from bedding to luxurious white t-shirts (apparently). It’s supposed to be stronger than steel by weight, too.
Sounds like very comfortable digs for a t-shirt. Turns out the Berluti t-shirt is only 30% mulberry silk, the rest being of made of regular cotton. (Though, we do hesitate to call it regular cotton; it’s probably some pretty fine cotton to be fair). If name brands and luxurious softness are what matters to you, it’s a stylish t-shirt, made in Italy, that you could rock virtually anywhere, anytime. But $650 for a t-shirt? We’ll probably stick to something more modest, thanks, but if you feel like splurging….we won’t stop you.
