Vertx® has come out with two new shirts for 2023, the Vertx + Fieldcraft Recce Technical Shirt and the Flagstaff Shirt. Vertx provided me with both for evaluation in Spotter Up. I previously reviewed the Recce Technical Shirt. Let’s now take a look at the Flagstaff Shirt. The Flagstaff Shirt is designed to offer comfort, performance and versatility in warm-weather conditions, along with some of the low-profile “tactical” features Vertx has become known for.
About Vertx
Being tactical means not standing out. Vertx is a leader in discreet wear for the armed professional. Vertx was launched in 2009, when its parent company, the Fechheimer Brothers Company, founded in 1842 and owned by Berkshire Hathaway, Inc., was approached by an elite federal agency looking for comfortable low-profile pants with all of the functionality as the tactical pants they were wearing at the time but didn’t scream “shoot me first.” Working with professional end-users, the company developed the industry’s first tactical pant that combined the needed functionality with a low visual profile.
Leveraging its experience, Vertx subsequently expanded more into low-profile clothing over time, which eventually also brought them into bags and packs so their same customers could carry all the equipment they needed while remaining discreet.
Flagstaff Shirt
The Flagstaff Shirt is made from a blend of 84% polyester and 16% spandex. Polyester and spandex are two synthetic fabrics that are widely used in the clothing industry. They have different properties and advantages that make them suitable for different purposes. Polyester is a durable, wrinkle-resistant, and quick-drying fabric that can retain its shape and color well. Spandex is a stretchy and elastic fabric that can provide comfort and flexibility. They’re both moisture-wicking.
By combining polyester and spandex, you can get a fabric that has the benefits of both materials. The polyester and spandex blend gives the fabric 4-way stretch and moisture-wicking properties. In other words, the shirt fabric can adapt to your movements and help distribute moisture to keep you drier when you sweat.
The fabric used for the Flagstaff Shirt is lightweight and breathable for wear in hotter and more humid environments. Breathability can be a big issue with synthetic fabrics, depending upon the yarn and fabric structure, and how loose or tight the weave construction is. The larger the pores, the more breathable the fabric is. Synthetic fibers aren’t inherently breathable. The Flagstaff shirt has a very loose weave that’s exceptionally breathable.
The Flagstaff Shirt is a button-down shirt with modern styling and an athletic fit (roomier upper body with tapering to the waist). It’s comfortable and offers freedom of movement. It also gives the shirt a more tailored look. The shirt has a straight collar with semi-spread points. The collar has sewn channels/pockets on the underside for collar stays. It comes with removable collar stays to help maintain a crisp, professional appearance.
Although shirts with a boxier regular cut generally offer easier concealment, they can look sloppy. Printing can be an issue with more tailored shirts that are worn as cover garments, especially those made of lighter, more stretchy fabrics. Sizing, body type and what/how/where a person carries also plays a major role here.
The Flagstaff Shirt has a button placket with sewn-on buttons, although some dealer websites have mistakenly stated that it has a snap placket. There are two chest pockets — a buttoned on-seam drop-in pen/sunglasses pocket on the right chest and a large hidden zipper Napoleon pocket on the left chest. The pockets are made of made of soft, highly breathable mesh. The hidden zipper pocket easily holds a large smartphone and is especially useful for valuables or sensitive items. It has a self-healing YKK® polymer coil zipper with a discreet nylon zipper pull cord for easy access. Stress points on the shirt are double-stitched and bar-tacked for added strength and durability.
There are low-profile hem pockets on the bottom of the front placket that allow weights to be added to aid in clearing or to be used for stashing other small items. The two hem pockets coupled with the collar stay pockets together offer a total of four hidden mini stash pockets that allow you to preload items up to 2” long. The mini stash pockets may be employed for stashing handcuff keys and/or other small e&e tools when operating in hostile areas or non-permissive environments.
The Flagstaff Shirt has a curved hem that can be worn untucked without looking sloppy or unfinished. The length is designed allow the shirt to be worn as a cover garment, giving you easy access to your concealed gear. Although the shirt comes in regular length only, the length will work for most people. The arms are fully gusseted and cut at a 180-degree angle, to allow you to raise your arms without exposing your waistband or restricting your range of motion.
A shirt that’s worn as a cover garment needs sufficient length to give coverage when bending and during strenuous activity, without being so long as to restrict clearing of the garment when seated. A good way to check if the length of a cover garment is sufficient is to raise both of your arms over your head. If the garment rides up to a point that it exposes your gun or holster when you do this or it nearly does, the garment is likely too short in length.
The Flagstaff Shirt comes in both long sleeve and short sleeve versions, so you can choose the one that suits your preference and climate. The sleeve cuffs on the long sleeve version are adjustable with button closure. Vertx provide me with both the long sleeve and short sleeve versions for evaluation.
The Flagstaff Shirt comes in three colorways: Battleship Grey; Mainsail Blue; Carbide The colors are subdued so as not to stand out in most environments. The shirt is suitable for everyday casual and business casual settings, and it can be paired with jeans, khakis or slacks. The shirt is easy to care for. It can be machine washed and dried.
To Sum Up
The Flagstaff Shirt is a great option for anyone who wants a stylish and comfortable casual shirt that’s designed with functionality and warm weather performance in mind. It delivers a more polished, fashion-forward appearance without causing you to fall over from heatstroke. It exhibits a high level of quality and durability. The shirt is available in sizes S to 2XL. It has a MSRP of $96.99 for the long sleeve version and $86.99 for the short sleeve version.
The Flagstaff Shirt and all Vertx products are available online from Vertx or at authorized Vertx dealers.
Source
Vertx
Vertx.com
Material Disclosure
I received this product as a courtesy from the manufacturer so I could test it and give my honest feedback. I am not bound by any written, verbal or implied contract to give this product a good review. All opinions are my own and are based off my personal experience with the product.
*The views and opinions expressed on this website are solely those of the original authors and contributors. These views and opinions do not necessarily represent those of Spotter Up Magazine, the administrative staff, and/or any/all contributors to this site.