Review: Party Shirt International Stretch Tech Button Down
In A Nutshell
Stumble out of bed and run headfirst into your closet. It is dark. You fumble your underpants, they’re inside out. You have five minutes before your friends pick you up. You’re about to go out for a late season ski tour and, let’s face it, when you’re ripping corn laps with a group of friends under a hot sun, your outfit matters. It just does. So, alone in the dark, you search for the perfect shirt. Does it exist?
Standard, gray, boring athletic-wear that touts some technology you don’t really understand just isn’t going to cut it for this mission. As you rifle through your unfolded mystery tees you feel a soft, silky material slide through your fingers. As you yank it out from the jumble of clothes you have no doubts that you’ll be the best-dressed skier on the mountain…
You have found it. The Stretch Tech Party Shirt. On the shoulders it goes, for whatever comes next.
Size Tested: Choose your own adventure (crop a large? Heck yes. Slide into an XS? Yep). My male counterparts find that the shirts run true to size.
Material: 95% Polyester, 5% Spandex
Features: Moisture-wicking, wrinkle-resistant
Born from a desire to push back against both the hardo culture that has taken over action sports, as well as the boring monotones that so frequently gobble up a clothes rack, Party Shirt International is here to help you change it up. The Party Shirt guys have skied, climbed, rambled, and you guessed it, partied all across this fine globe in these shirts. They believe you will be hard pressed to find a better shirt for doing all of the things you love: having an adventure and bringing up the vibe. And I can say pretty confidently that I agree with them. When you’re out for a rip in your PSI (Party Shirt International), people will stop and ask: “what is that and where can I get one?”
Party Shirt is here to help make the world a little less boring, one shirt at a time. And it’s a great option for wearing your irreverence and fun on your *ahem* sleeve.
Fit
Sizing these shirts truly is a choose your own adventure game. I wear an XS sometimes but that’s pretty basic and boring if you want my honest opinion. My favorite fit thus far has been to get a large and take matters into my own hands by cropping it to fit me. This offers a cool and custom baggy look that I get A LOT of compliments on. It also makes it easier to fit over a base layer so you can wear your party shirt all winter long. My male counterparts find that these shirts fit pretty true to size, with a bit more taper in the back than your normal short sleeve button down.
Performance
When it comes to Party Shirt International’s Stretch Tech Short Sleeve Button Down, performance and style are one and the same. It’s a simple equation, really. Wear a rad shirt, do rad stuff. The material is a synthetic blend that has just the right amount of breathability and stretch, as well as being durable enough to withstand years of outdoor activity.
Photo: Pep Fujas
PSI’s “Quick Wet Tech” is really the brand in a nutshell. Will this shirt dry quickly? Yes. Does PSI think that other outdoor brands take themselves too seriously with their over-the-top patents? Also yes. So – throw your Party Shirt on and don’t worry about sweating buckets as you slog uphill on a spring backcountry tour. Quick Wet!
Quite possibly the only shirt you’ll ever need?
I stand by this being the only shirt you need for your spring skiing endeavors. I mean, c’mon. Who doesn’t want a shirt that can transition straight from the slopes to apres events? And I can definitely confirm that it’s comfortable sleepwear… just saying. What all of this means is that you really never have to take your party shirt off. 24 hours a day PSI will have your back. Just ask the through hikers that have taken the shirt out on the PCT, hiking hundreds of miles and looking great throughout.
Choosing the perfect pattern for you
One of the beautiful things about the Party Shirt International Stretch Tech Tee is that it comes in a variety of flavors. Choosing a party shirt is kind of like figuring out what animal best represents your personality. Are you feeling like really channeling the inner skier year round? Check out the Frank Air. Are you looking for a more classic vibe? Look no further than the BBQ Dad. If you’re really getting nutty and want something psychedelic, maybe the Bamm Bamm or Stew Pickles will get you going. For turning heads, I strongly suggest going bananas with the Fishroom or Narcos shirts. Thank me later.
Expand Your PSI Collection
A shirt not enough for you? Well you’re in luck. PSI also offers leg shirts. I skinned up Mt. Baldy in head-to-toe Party Shirt International and can confirm that this is a great kit for most spring missions. Not only is it lightweight and perfect for a hot, sunny day in the mountains, you’re also going to be the brightest and most interesting skier on the mountain, guaranteed.
What would a perfect day in the PSI Stretch Tech Tee look like?
After waking up and stumbling around in the dark, you strapped on your PSI and your day has become freaking awesome. The ski with buddies concluded in a pond skim across a glacial blue pool, winter melting into spring. Soaked and stoked. Apres ski you played disc in the park and ended it all off with beers and dogs in the yard, summer on the horizon and plans for the next adventure already brewing. It might be a bike ride in the morning, or maybe an impromptu trip to Mammoth, either way your Party Shirt will be ready for it.
Matt Kestle
The Party Shirt International Stretch Tech Short Sleeve Button Down is a great option for a spring ski in the backcountry or at the resort. The Stretch Tech is a great enabler of the lasting principle “sun’s out guns out” and the variety of shirt flavors guarantees that you can share your personality with every other skier on the mountain. What’s nice about the PSI kit is that you not only bring the party to the slopes but also can roll right into apres without even taking your ski boots off.
