+POS Shirts - First Impressions

[Mike Prince]

Once I use these a few times, I will post reviews in the appropriate section of the site.

Disclaimer - +POS sent me these free of charge to evaluate/review.

Dan Parsons from +POS sent me 2 shirts to review as a result of some comments about +POS in another thread:

• A Black 2XL (PML21, $24.95): http://www.pluspos.c...px?ProductID=63
  

• A Polo Blue XL (PML24, $14,95): http://www.pluspos.c...px?ProductID=59
  

I am not a professional reviewer; I am a (part-time) umpire so bear with me. I will say that in a previous career I managed a high-end golf shirt sewing plant (we made shirts for Lands’ End and Ralph Lauren as well as our own brand) so I know more than a little bit about how to put one of these together and what to look for. The pictures on the +POS site look exactly like what I received, so I will not add any here unless necessary.

What I am comparing these shirts to: I have (or have had) Smitty shirts in both XL and XXL, Dalco shirts in XXL, and one Ump-Attire Ultimate in XL. I think right now I have 6 or 7 Smittys, 2 Dalcos, and these 2 +POS shirts. I have Smitty shirts in the exact colors that Dan sent so I can do a pretty direct comparison. I am 6’4†and weigh 240-250 so XL or XXL is my usual sweet spot with most shirts.

Packaging - each shirt was neatly packed in a nice zip-loc bag, upon opening I got a nice whiff of either a cleaning chemical or fabric sizing (so wash them before you wear them). On the black shirt there was tailor's chalk outlines around the pocket, which to me is a good sign as it showed an effort by the person sewing it to line it up properly. I washed both shirts before I wore them. There is a large +POS label on the lower front of each shirt, there are no tags in the collar which is a plus.

Construction - I was impressed with the construction of both shirts. When I unpacked the blue one, I was reminded of the feeling I got when I received my Ump-Attire Ultimate - this thing is well-made and feels more like a dress shirt than an umpire shirt. It doesn’t feel like a $15 umpire shirt. The fabric to me feels exactly like the UA fabric (which may or may not be a good thing). The black shirt was a bit more robust from a fabric perspective – it was more the thickness and weight of one of the Smitty shirts but nicer. Both shirts had collars, pockets and sleeve bands that were well-sized to the shirts and weren’t bunched up. Collar seams were banded and seam ends were bar-tacked for strength. Placket tailoring was neat and clean. The black shirt had an extra semi-circle panel inside and under the collar, the blue shirt did not. If I had to rank the construction, the +POS and UA are on TOP, followed by the Smitty and then the Dalco. Fabric-wise, the Polo Blue +POS and U-A are the best feeling, then the Black +POS followed by Smiity and Dalco is last.

From here forward, the comments will be shirt-specific as they are different shirts and different sizing

PML21, Black 2XL

Fit – Dan asked me my sizes and I gave him what I usually wear without consulting his website first, and he sent me an XXL. Well, the website says they are cut full and they aren’t lying. The XXL black is the biggest shirt I have ever seen. I compared it to the XXL Dalco (which also runs a bit large) and this shirt is at least two inches wider through the chest and a full six inches longer. When worn without a CP, the sleeves come to my elbows. The good news is that I loved how it fit with my Douglas CP, it felt perfect and I had no worries of my shirt becoming untucked with the extra length.

Comfort – I wore this shirt on a warm, humid night. I was comfortable, and didn’t think once about the shirt during the game which in my opinion is a high compliment to pay to clothing or equipment. The large cut resulted in a nice loose fit but with a CP on I don’t think the shirt felt or looked too big. I don’t think I would wear this shirt on the bases due to the size, I would size down to an XL. I could wear an XL on the plate as there is a bit of stretch in the fabric.

Appearance – I like the look of the fabric, it does not look cheap and feels substantial. The black is quite a bit deeper than my (one season old) Smitty. The stripes were an exact match to the Smitty and what my partner was wearing. The collar was sized properly to the garment which is a problem on some shirts. The overall tailoring looks to be of high quality and enhances the look of the shirt. I found no loose threads or poor-quality seams throughout the shirt. I removed the shirt promptly from the dryer when I washed it and hung it up – as advertised, no wrinkles.

Dislikes – The buttons were a bit difficult to fasten, the buttonholes seemed just a bit undersized. I am used to the oversized buttons on the Smitty shirts and this could have contributed

Overall – I like this shirt a lot, it is a quality garment and next time I buy a shirt it will be this model (Grey w/ black trim) in XL. In my opinion a $2-$3 premium over a Smitty shirt is justified.

PML24, Polo Blue XL (has not been game-worn yet)

Fit – This shirt also runs big, but is not sized proportionally to it's larger, more expensive brother. The cut of this shirt is odd – the shoulders seem too wide and the sleeves are too snug, I don’t have big “guns†but these sleeves were snugger than I would like. So the shoulder/arm seam is beyond my shoulders and then the sleeves are too small. Sleeve length is not the issue, it is a circumference thing.

Comfort – as stated, this fabric seems to be a copy of the U-A Ultimate. It is very soft and has a silky, luxurious feel to. I can see this shirt being good for hot days. It also is cut long so it should stay tucked in. The body cut is nice and generous and the fabric drapes nicely. Other than the distracting sleeves, this shirt feels very nice when you put it on. I feel like this one will work for bases and plate (for me)

Appearance – Colors are very nice and there are no variations within or between the various panels. Collar lies nice and flat and there's no bulky seams in the placket. It looks like a much more expensive garment than it is. I have a brand new Smitty Columbia Blue and the two shirts are (EDIT: NOT) a close color and trim match, Polo Blue is sometimes hard to match your partner with. The appearance of the fabric on this shirt is much nicer than the Smitty; I just wonder if it is going to pick and pull like my U-A Ultimate did. The sleeves just don’t look right on this shirt.

Dislikes – sleeves, it reminds me of when I was a kid and my mom would buy me clothes from Marshalls with the “Irregular†label on them.

Overall – for $14.95, I’d take a chance on this shirt. I may buy another one just to see if the sleeves on this one are an anomaly. If so, this would seem to be a perfect shirt for hot weather games. I will wear it later this week (it is supposed to be 90 degrees so it will be a good test)

Will update this periodically as I wear these shirts over the next few weeks (partners permitting). If I missed anything, let me know and I will try to answer.

[slo8140]

I just sent the ones that Dan sent me to review to Jax on this board. I assume he will post a review soon. Both were XL. They were both cut similar to what Mike mentioned. Although they were too small for me, the sleeves were odd...long and narrow. I don't have guns so that was not the problem. If not for that I could have used the shirts on the bases. I usually wear an XXL for both plate and bases.

[Mike Prince]

On mine the black was cut proportional, sleeves were nice and roomy as well as long. The blue one was the weird one, just tried it on again to double check and while it is far from unwearable for me, it doesn't look right.

[Thunderheads]

Mike,

Are the blue and black shirts different 'styles' from +POS ?? Their numbers would indicate so?

ON EDIT:

Ok, I clicked on the links Mike posted and I see the difference now. The blue shirt is the older style shirt. The black is the newer version thus the price difference.

[slo8140]

On their each color has its own style number. They don't appear to offer different styles because they only havenone offering in each color.

[Mike Prince]

Jeff - my blue and black shirts are definitely different - fabric is different as well as the price point. Not sure why the blue shirt is $10 less than the black, there are a few different price points on their web page. As far as the other shirts, I'd probably contact them directly or wait to see if Dan comes back and looks at any of these reviews.

[Thunderheads]

Jeff - my blue and black shirts are definitely different - fabric is different as well as the price point. Not sure why the blue shirt is $10 less than the black, there are a few different price points on their web page. As far as the other shirts, I'd probably contact them directly or wait to see if Dan comes back and looks at any of these reviews.

Thanks Mike. When I went to the site ...you see that the black says "NEW FOR 2012" .....on the blue shirt, it doesn't say that ...AND, your findings support they're different

[sdix00]

My biggest concern with +POS is the inconsistency in fabric. I have the exact same concern with The Officials Choice. A true crapshoot ranging from really bad fabric and construction to really, really good fabric and construction.

I have the Black (New, new) version and it is my fave shirt by far. It is cut for a CP, Long in the tail so it doesn't escape the waistband, and a heavy fabric so it drapes/pulls straight down. But the heavy fabric breathes really well and does not hold heat in at all.

I was unfortunate to receive a couple Navy shirts from them that were completely different. I am convinced they were not the same material as either shirt in the OP. They felt like burlap sacks and were waaay too small and not stretchy at all. Just a horrible shirt. Dan offered me a refund and says he has addressed the issue with these shirts.

[NWA_UMP]

I'm not sure what he is doing. I looked at the navy which a different price point from black and the MLB powder and the description says it is a closeout. At $19.99 it's between the other price points. I wonder if $24.99 is the price for new stock and everything else is a closeout.

[Thunderheads]

I'm not sure what he is doing. I looked at the navy which a different price point from black and the MLB powder and the description says it is a closeout. At $19.99 it's between the other price points. I wonder if $24.99 is the price for new stock and everything else is a closeout.

that's what I'm thinking..............

[Mike Prince]

Like sdix00, the Black is my new favorite shirt and when I need another shirt I will order one of the other $25 shirts from +POS to see if it's the same fabric/construction as the black one.

Like I said earlier, hopefully Dan will chime in on this thread or someone will pick up the phone and call him to end the speculation. I am reviewing to help present a clear story, so hopefully he helps himself out and addresses this.

[Thunderheads]

Like sdix00, the Black is my new favorite shirt and when I need another shirt I will order one of the other $25 shirts from +POS to see if it's the same fabric/construction as the black one.

Like I said earlier, hopefully Dan will chime in on this thread or someone will pick up the phone and call him to end the speculation.

Why don't YOU call him Mike ?! :wave:

[Mike Prince]

Like sdix00, the Black is my new favorite shirt and when I need another shirt I will order one of the other $25 shirts from +POS to see if it's the same fabric/construction as the black one.

Like I said earlier, hopefully Dan will chime in on this thread or someone will pick up the phone and call him to end the speculation.

Why don't YOU call him Mike ?!

Because I'm not the one with the endless questions Jeff.

[Thunderheads]

Like sdix00, the Black is my new favorite shirt and when I need another shirt I will order one of the other $25 shirts from +POS to see if it's the same fabric/construction as the black one.

Like I said earlier, hopefully Dan will chime in on this thread or someone will pick up the phone and call him to end the speculation.

Why don't YOU call him Mike ?!

Because I'm not the one with the endless questions Jeff.

1 does not = 'endless'

[Mike Prince]

Like sdix00, the Black is my new favorite shirt and when I need another shirt I will order one of the other $25 shirts from +POS to see if it's the same fabric/construction as the black one.

Like I said earlier, hopefully Dan will chime in on this thread or someone will pick up the phone and call him to end the speculation.

Why don't YOU call him Mike ?!

Because I'm not the one with the endless questions Jeff.

1 does not = 'endless'

OK, because I am not the one with THE question. Sorry for offending you. I can answer a question based on what I have in my hands.

[Mike Prince]

OK, back on track here. I mentioned in my review of the Polo Blue shirt that the color did not match the Smitty "Columbia Blue". Both shirts are brand new and have never been worn, the +POS shirt has been washed one time. Here is a comparison, you can draw your own conclusions. I pretty much avoid wearing light blue so I don't have a good idea what other brands these may or may not match:

[Thunderheads]

OK, because I am not the one with THE question. Sorry for offending you. I can answer a question based on what I have in my hands.

Mike, you didn't offend me at all. Obviously you missed the purpose of my smiley/waving face , and that I was just messing with you in the first place.

[Welpe]

It's hard to tell from the picture, but I have an Ump Attire polo blue with me that I need to send back to them (sizing is still wonky) and Smitty shirt seems a bit darker than the UA shirt and the +POS shirt seems about even.

[johnnyg08]

I +POS black shirt is great...it's an XL and definitely sized for the plate. I washed it last night and will be wearing it on the plate tonight.

[Thunderheads]

It's hard to tell from the picture, but I have an Ump Attire polo blue with me that I need to send back to them (sizing is still wonky) and Smitty shirt seems a bit darker than the UA shirt and the +POS shirt seems about even.

Originally, Majestic and Honigs had the TRUE Polo Blue.

I got a Majestic or two late in the 2010 season. Then last year when Smitty's came out with one, I got theirs. I sold the Majestic because I didn't need it and before I sold it, I compared the two colors. They matched very well. And, my Smitty's matches my partners Honigs polo blue as well.

[Mike Prince]

It's hard to tell from the picture, but I have an Ump Attire polo blue with me that I need to send back to them (sizing is still wonky) and Smitty shirt seems a bit darker than the UA shirt and the +POS shirt seems about even.

Which to a point validates my guess that the fabric is very close if not the same as the UA. Thanks. I found the UA to run small and the +POS to run a bit large. To me the Smitty looks off when they are side by side.

[ukce1861]

To me the Smitty looks off when they are side by side.

Mike, it depends on what your standard is. Some manufacturers have a different color for the Polo Blue (Blue w/ Black Collar) versus the Powder Blue (Blue w/ Navy and White Collar); some have the same. I think the darker blue on the Polo Blue (like Honig's) looks better.

[Thunderheads]

Huge discussion from late in the season, 2010.....

http://midwestump.bl...lue-shirts.html

[Mike Prince]

Yeah like I said I don't wear it too often and as you can see the Smitty is brand new, I put in an order for it Friday morning (as an "in case that's all my partner has" shirt) and that afternoon I spoke to Dan. Plus they will both look a bit different worn with charcoals (vs. sitting on a hanger with photography).

[Welpe]

See my other post in this section about shirts...I don't know which way is up or down any more when it comes to these!

Forget it, let's all just go back to Elbeco and be done with it. :fuel: