The Fullcount 5222 initially existed in a bit of a no-mans-land for me. Its appeal just wasn’t obvious at first glance. It’s a tubular shirt, but it’s a modern construction that doesn’t have an irregular loopwheeled slub despite being priced higher than some well regarded ones at $130 (Sept. 2026). The size 42 is broad enough for me, but the tight sleeve hem (16.5 cm) and sub-70cm length felt claustrophobic at times. Those sleeves shrunk another 2.5 centimeters after the first wash. However, after 4 washes and 5 wears, the sleeve’s grip has softened, the center of the shirt still looks good across my chest and I’ve learned how to style the shorter length.
At first wear, I thought the 5222 was a smaller man’s shirt. Not necessarily by the measurements, but the design. The thick sleeve and collar hems collar are coupled with generous chest material. These hems emphasize arm muscles and keep the chest material from draping, implying greater volume. I’d seen similar shirts on Takuya Kimura in Long Vacation. Given that that’s not my body type I thought that this shirt may not be for me. Not that I shouldn’t review it or I didn’t like parts of it, but that it might not have been designed to fit my body type.
Despite those initial feelings about fit, the material here is really soft, the density of it is nice, and those tight hems that squeezed my biceps a bit too hard also kept the chest material from bunching up anywhere. That is definitely useful for folks like me with inverted sternums. For a more modern heavyweight shirt, this is darn near the most comfortable material I’ve touched.
Some of my negativity may have come from my review format. I review and wash batches of 4-ish shirts at any given time. This shirt was against the Samurai SJST-SC01 and the Whitesville T-Shirt 2-pack. Both those shirts are softer. The Samurai is made with a more special process and out of a more special material. The Whitesville is stretchier and less expensive. From the outset, the 5222 didn’t seem to offer a superlative. In fairness, at no point did it torture me like the SC01.
What’s special about the 5222, emerges with washes and time. Most shirts knock out the bulk of their life’s changes in 1 wash. It took 4 for the sleeves on the 5222 to loosen enough to be comfortable to me. With that sorted, I attacked its length. I tried the 5222 with a pair of sear-sucker trousers rather than jeans. The longer pant solved my length problem. Those thick hems kept the shirt from twisting while tucked. I looked and felt good. It took me about a month to get this version of the 5222, but now that I have I’m taken with it.
And, if you want to look like a 1950s tough with a Tee tucked into high waisted slacks, I haven’t found a better shirt to do that in.
The 5222 hasn’t shrunk much and the only visible sign of wear is one stitch that has stuck straight up on the left side of the shirt. That said, I’m cold-washing and line-drying this T-shirt. I bought it at full price and I will do everything in my power to extend its life.
I definitely recommend the Fullcount 5222. I think it can flatter multiple body types and its rigid construction should last a while. Especially if you want to show off your arms. It’s a heavyweight shirt that’s thick enough to wear on its own, and its almost as comfortable as a the current reigning softness champ, the Whitesville T-Shirt 2-Pack. It does have a break in period, but what’s 4 wears in the lifetime of a good shirt? If my feelings change over time I’ll definitely let you know, but I think this shirt is worth it.
