Design
Quality of Materials
Value for Money 
Craftsmanship 
Customer Service It’s Friday at the office—business casual day.
Do you see that one dude wearing a t-shirt, shorts, and flip-flops?
Are you that dude?
Ok, good. I hoped not.
But you know the guy. When he hears business-casual, he hears “casual-casual.” And then he complains that nobody takes him seriously in the office.
As a rule of thumb, if you’re not sure where the line is with business-casual, lean toward more business.
Buttercloth has designed a line of shirts that makes dressing for casual-Friday easy. Made with all-natural long fiber cotton, they claim it’s the “world’s softest shirt.”
I got the chance to try Buttercloth for myself. Yes, they’re soft. Are they the world’s softest, though?
Keep reading to see what I thought.
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What is Buttercloth?
Want to know what happens when someone devotes their life to learning a craft? When they take every risk to make their dream come true?
Just take a look at Buttercloth.
Founder and designer, Danh Tran was born in Vietnam and grew up working in his parents’ tailor shop. In 1994, his family moved to California and Tran followed his dream of becoming a fashion designer.
Further Reading: 7 Impressive California Clothing Brands to Watch in 2020
He started off designing clothes for Barbies at Mattel but eventually worked his way to lead designer for Affliction Clothing.
After selling his home and cashing in his retirement savings, Tran invested every last bit of scratch he had to get Buttercloth off the ground.
Buttercloth launched in 2017 and saw their first big boost in sales after their appearance on Shark Tank, the reality TV show where inventors and small business owners pitch established business veterans their products in exchange for funding.
Buttercloth claims to be the world’s softest shirt. They’ve developed their own proprietary fabric using pure long-fiber cotton, which is more durable and more comfortable than standard cotton.
The fabric is similar to what you might find in luxury bed sheets, though a special finish and details like collar stays lend structure that looks great in the boardroom.
As Tran says himself, Buttercloth shirts “look like Friday night, but feel like Sunday morning.”
Buttercloth on Shark Tank
In October 2018, Buttercloth made a deal with Robert Herjavec from Shark Tank to secure $250k to put into expanding their inventory.
After feeling Buttercloth’s signature fabric, Herjavec was convinced.
Buttercloth Review
After hearing over and over how comfortable Buttercloth’s shirts were, I wanted to see if they were the real deal.
To judge their design quality, I picked up three shirts:
- Long Sleeve in Warm Winter
- High Voltage Polo in Navy
- Short Sleeve in Black Diamond
So how’d they do? Did the Sharks pick another winner?
Warm Winter Long Sleeve
My first choice was Buttercloth’s long sleeve button-up in Warm Winter.
Buttercloth features a nice array of patterns and color options. While they have a few staples like solid light blue, I was drawn more to their unique patterns.
Warm Winter’s electric blue check pattern immediately stood out to me. It seemed like the perfect balance between professional and playful—a great choice for Friday at the office.
When you first put the shirt on, you fully understand what Buttercloth means when they say “world’s softest shirt.”
I can’t say it’s the world’s softest (just because I haven’t tried every shirt in the world yet), but it’s by far the softest dress shirt I own.
Because Buttercloth uses special long-fiber cotton, these shirts also have a lot of stretch in them. I couldn’t believe the long-sleeve was 100% cotton when I first tried it on. I had to double-check the tag and even investigated further on their website.
It’s really 100% cotton, but it doesn’t feel like any other cotton shirt I’ve tried.
What’s most impressive to me though is the fit. With many large nation-wide retailers, I find that standard sizes don’t fit my body well. They’re either too short or too wide in the stomach. If the shoulders fit, the arms don’t. You know, tall-guy problems.
I usually fall between a medium and a large, depending on who’s making the shirt. For this review, I ordered a medium.
Buttercloth’s button-up fit almost as if it was tailored to my body. It’s a slim-fit with narrow sleeves and a long torso. The back is split-cut so you don’t have to worry about your shirt riding up throughout the day.
The style accentuates my chest and shoulders and has a nice slimming effect, which I appreciate.
The only thing I didn’t like about the long-sleeve has to do with rolling the cuffs. I normally wear long-sleeve button-ups with two rolls in the cuff, sitting just below my elbow.
I loved that Buttercloth includes a contradictory pattern on the inside of their cuff, but I like to roll up my sleeves once more beyond the single cuff. Buttercloth’s fabric is one-sided, so the double-roll just doesn’t look good. I’ll be keeping the sleeves rolled down for the long sleeve.
High Voltage Polo
Buttercloth just recently added four polos to their collection, so I wanted to give one a try. I opted for the High Voltage in Navy.
The fit was excellent, again. The band around the arms fit snug without seeming tight or small—the perfect width for showing off my arms without looking like I was trying too hard.
The cut of the polo also has a slimming effect and the fabric lays flat against my chest, giving me that “just did twenty pushups” look without actually having to do twenty pushups.
I loved how lightweight this shirt felt, and it’s perfect for staying cool on hot days.
Black Diamond Short Sleeve
Short sleeve button-ups are my favorite items in my wardrobe. I couldn’t pass on the chance to try one from Buttercloth.
Usually, I go for a bit more color, but something about the Black Diamond spoke to me.
I’m glad I went all black. This shirt is one of my new favorites. I can see myself wearing this every week at the very least.
Built with the same long, slim torso and snug fit around the chest that all Buttercloth shirts feature, the Black Diamond had something else up its sleeve (pun so intended).
Too often, I find that short sleeve button-ups have wide sleeves and arm openings. A wide sleeve makes your arm look smaller, and in extreme cases, it can make you look like a kid.
Not the case with the Black Diamond. Even with the over-the-top-soft fabric, this shirt holds its shape well. Even after washing, the collar stayed pronounced and structured.
I tossed all of my shirts in the wash to see if they really were wrinkle-resistant. I washed on cold and tumbled without heat as per the instructions sent along in the package, and there was some minor shrinkage.
Buttercloth recommends dry-cleaning over home washing, and I have to agree with them. If you’re bent on washing at home, order a size up, but you’re better off taking these to a professional.
Customer Service
Buttercloth offers free shipping and returns within the US. However, they’re not currently shipping outside of the US, so if you’re elsewhere, you’ll have to wait to get your hands on the world’s softest shirt.
Many of the reviews (4.4 star average with over 100 reviewers if you’re wondering) mention that Buttercloth was quick to respond to emails and “actually pick up the phone when you call.”
In the same reviews, there were many mentions of going back and picking up a few more shirts, which is always promising. If people are enjoying your shirts enough to buy five more, you’ve got something good.
My Overall Thoughts on Buttercloth
What I Like
The fit was great, especially with the short sleeve. The Black Diamond Short Sleeve may be my favorite fitting shirt I’ve tried on to date.
The fabric is very comfortable. It’s hard to believe it’s 100% cotton with how much stretch these shirts give. But when you put it on for the first time, you really feel the quality.
Unique colors and contradicting cuffs and collars give Buttercloth a consistent aesthetic.
The built in collar-stays on the two button-ups kept the collars looking crisp even after washing.
What I Don’t Like
All three shirts shrunk a bit after washing, even following laundry directions. Knowing that, I would’ve likely gone a size larger for the long sleeve button-up. Better yet, I’d just take it to a dry-cleaner. The polo and short sleeve still fit great.
I always like to do a double roll if I’m wearing a casual long sleeve button up. With Buttercloth’s long sleeve, you can really only do a single cuff—the double roll doesn’t look good with the one-sided fabric.
The Verdict
I know what I’m wearing at the office every Friday.
Big straw hat, plastic flip-flops, and some random baggy t-shirt featuring an animal with a margarita in its paw/ flipper/ hoof.
Oh, wait, no—I own three of the world’s softest shirts, and they all fit me as if I’d taken them to a tailor.
With Buttercloth’s signature blend of super-soft and stretchy cotton, I have casual Friday on lock.
As Robert Herjavec of Shark Tank fame said, “amazing fabric technology combined with incredible design—two things that made Buttercloth a great investment.”
I couldn’t agree with him more.
Why not try for yourself what the world’s softest shirt feels like.
With shirts as soft as luxury bed sheets, it’s hard to believe the Buttercloth button-ups keep their shape as well as they do. These business-casual shirts are a perfect fit for Fridays at the office.
