Tag Archives: t-shirt

Raglan Tees: Beyond Baseball

You maRaglan Long Sleeve from SanMary have heard the term raglan used in the apparel industry, but do you really know what it refers to or how it got its name?  A colleague once referenced the raglan as a shirt that’s has contrasting colored sleeves and collar.  Although raglan does refer to the sleeves of the garment, it has little to do with the difference in colors.  Raglan garments could be all the same color or multiple colors with long sleeves or short sleeves; they could be anything from nylon jackets to collared sport shirts.

The term raglan simply refers to the distinguishing characteristic of the garment’s sleeve construction where it extends in one piece fully to the collar, leaving a diagonal seam from the underarm to the collar.  This is in contrast to regular t-shirt where a standard set in sleeve is generally a squarer look and the seam line runs up around the shoulder and back down into the armhole on the other side.

Raglan sleeves are often used in sportswear from sporty jackets through to baseball style t-shirts.  They may remind us of a sporty bomber jackets, however raglan sleeved garments also provide the soft appeal of a streamlined curved shoulder since the shape of the raglan sleeve allows the fabrics to fall closer to the natural shape of the shoulder curve.  The raglan shape is often teamed with a dropped under arm shape such as a batwing silhouette to allow for movement, especially in fabrics without stretch.

Raglan sleeves are commonly seen in non-formal fashions; it is popular in sports and exercise, from kids to adult sport jerseys.  However, you will also find this garment construction in the stylish scene among the trendy brands and popular fabric mixes.  As the raglan was named after FrizRoy James Henry Somerset, the 1st Baron Raglan, who is said to have worn a coat with this style of sleeve after the loos of his arm in the Battle of Waterloos in 1815, it is a style that has been worn for centuries and one that will probably be worn for centuries to come.  So check you closets as you probably already own a few raglan style garments yourself!

Raglan Shirts are available in a wide sort of options; from Men’s to Ladies to Kids (youth) and Long Sleeved option or Short Sleeved.