Buck Mason Curved Hem Tee vs the PILLAR Nick Tee
Men's Essentials
Two curved hem crewnecks at nearly the same price, so the choice is one variable: all cotton, or cotton with recovery in it. The Buck Mason Pima Curved Hem Tee is $48 and 100% pima cotton. The PILLAR Nick Tee is $45, 60% cotton with 35% rayon and 5% spandex, and that five percent pulls the hem and collar back.
PILLAR makes the Nick, so read it with that in mind. Every Buck Mason figure came off their own page the day this went up, and where they win is written down too.
The Pick
Buy the PILLAR Nick Tee, $45, the everyday lifestyle tee: slim fit, curved hem, breathable, for work and dinner. Buy the PILLAR Joey Tee, $45, the stretch lifestyle tee, if you tuck: tailored fit, straight hem, four way stretch. Stay with Buck Mason if all cotton and a year to decide are what you are buying.
What is the real difference between the two?
One has spandex in it and one does not. Buck Mason sells a 100% pima cotton curved hem tee at 140 GSM for $48. The PILLAR Nick Tee is $45 with 5% spandex, so the body and neckline recover.
| Buck Mason Pima Curved Hem Tee | PILLAR Nick Tee | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $48 | $45 |
| Fabric | 100% pima cotton | 60% cotton, 35% rayon, 5% spandex |
| Weight | 140 GSM, published | Lightweight, not published |
| Fit | Classic, curved hem | Slim, curved hem |
| Stretch | None claimed | 5% spandex |
| Sizes | XS to XXL | Small to XXXL |
| Add to bag | On their own site. |
Buck Mason figures read off their own page, 3 November 2026.
The curve is the same idea on both: extra length at side and back so the shirt reads finished untucked. Why that shape exists is its own story. What differs is the curve after thirty washes.
Is 100% cotton better than a cotton blend for an everyday tee?
For feel over years, yes. For shape over a season, no. All cotton keeps breaking in, but nothing in it pulls back, so the collar and hem let go. Spandex is what stops that.
Buck Mason
PILLAR Nick
Buck MasonImproves for years
Fibre
PILLAR NickSmooth from wear one, and stays
Buck MasonNothing pulls back
Recovery
PILLAR NickSpandex returns collar and hem
Buck Mason140 GSM, published
Weight
PILLAR NickLightweight, no figure given
Buck MasonA full year to send back
Returns
PILLAR NickThirty days on unworn items
Buck MasonFree shipping from $150
Shipping
PILLAR NickFree ground shipping over $75
Two wins each, and the weight line goes to them, because they publish a number and PILLAR does not. Buy one tee a year and wear it to paper, and all cotton wins. Own five and want them sharp next spring, and recovery does.
The Direct Swap
Nick Tee, $45, three ways
So which one should you buy?
Pick on what you want the shirt doing in six months. One ages into a favourite. The other holds day one.
Take this one if
Buck Mason Pima Curved Hem Tee, $48
You want cotton and nothing else, you care that a shirt is sewn in the United States, or you want a long window to decide. Made in Mohnton, Pennsylvania, weight on the page, returns a full year. They carry XS and we do not.
Take this one if
PILLAR Nick Tee, $45
You want that curved hem still reading as one next spring. Slim fit, breathable, six colorways, sizes to XXXL, free shipping over $75. The Joey Tee swaps in a straight hem if you tuck, and that one has its own page.
Two Shirts, Two Jobs
A Nick and a Tim, $91
One for the day, one for the session. Same size, one click, under two $48 tees.
Free ground shipping over $75. 30 day returns on unworn items.
If You Train In It
The stretch one and the training one
Buck Mason and PILLAR, answered
Is the Buck Mason curved hem tee worth $48?
For a plain all cotton tee that improves with age, yes: 140 GSM pima, curved hem, sewn in Pennsylvania, 365 day returns. What it does not buy is stretch, so the neck and hem relax. A blend at the same price holds shape longer.
What is a good alternative to Buck Mason with some stretch in it?
The PILLAR Nick Tee at $45: slim fit, curved hem, 60% cotton with 35% rayon and 5% spandex. Same job, untucked and finished looking, with the spandex holding the curve and collar. Sizes run to XXXL.
Does a 100% cotton t-shirt lose its shape faster than a blend?
Yes, in the places that show. Cotton stretches under load with no way back, so the collar opens and the hem widens across a season. Spandex at three to five percent returns both. The other quality markers matter.
Which PILLAR T-shirt is closest to a training shirt?
The Tim Tee at $46. It is 88% polyester and 12% spandex in a tailored athletic fit, moisture wicking, pre shrunk, and the fastest drying shirt PILLAR makes. The Nick and Joey are cotton blend lifestyle tees, breathable, but built for the day around it.
Do Buck Mason and PILLAR tees fit the same?
No. Buck Mason calls its curved hem tee a classic fit, which leaves more room than a slim cut. The Nick is slim and true to size. Stay at the same letter and expect it closer through chest and waist. Both sit in the roundup.
Athletic Meets Aesthetic
A curved hem that holds its shape
Six colorways, sizes past XXL.
pillarathletics.com
