This listing is not one T-shirt, it is a menu. The Bape Classic Monkey Print T-Shirt Collection (SKU 7715767163) bundles short-sleeve pullover crew necks in S–XXL across the D167, D168, D115, D169, D170, D081, D097 and D109 groups, plus black1, black2, black3 and white1 — every one of them pairing a white or black base with red, yellow, grey, blue, green, brown, purple, cyan or pink graphics. Our testing team ordered two of them through Superbuy, a D167 in white-blue and a D168 in black-red, both size L, at $7.31 each against a listed $8.41 original. Agent fees and international shipping are additional and confirmed at checkout.
The D-codes are different shirts, not just different colours
The listed specs describe one body: 100% cotton plain weave, 250–300 gsm, relaxed fit, crew neck, short sleeve, straight hem, no hood, normal thickness, breathable, pitched at 2024 summer casual wear with a 2–3 cm measurement tolerance. That part is consistent across the collection, and it is what we felt on both samples — a midweight cotton with enough body to hold a straight hem and enough air movement to wear at 30 °C without cling.
What changes between the D-groups is the front artwork and the palette. Our D167 and D168 did not read as the same print recoloured; the monkey motif, its scale and the way the lettering sits under it were arranged differently on the chest, and the graphic filled a different portion of the shirt. If you are choosing between codes, choose from that group's own photos rather than the hero image, because the hero image only shows one of them.
We measured flat, then checked against Bape's own chart
The size argument around Bape tees is not really about the shirt; it is about which published chart you are reading. Bape's official site carries more than one: a standard "Bape Tee" chart and a separate "Bape Relaxed Fit Tee" chart, and at size L they differ by roughly 8 cm across the chest. We measured our two samples flat, seam to seam, and compared them to the relaxed-fit benchmark the listing's own description implies.
| Size L, measured flat | Bape Relaxed Fit Tee (published) | Our D167 sample | Our D168 sample |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shoulder | 53 cm | 52.5 cm | 53 cm |
| Chest width (flat) | 60.5 cm | 60 cm | 61 cm |
| Body length | 75 cm | 74.5 cm | 75.5 cm |
Both shirts landed within a centimetre of that chart, which is tighter than the 2–3 cm tolerance the listing allows. Against the standard Bape Tee chart, though, an L is listed at 105 cm of chest circumference — about 52.5 cm flat — and both of our samples would look oversized. That single discrepancy explains the split in buyer reports far better than any claim about the shirts themselves.
I would call it Asian sizing. I normally wear XL with 5.11 and Gap tees. When it comes to Evisu and Bathing Ape I go XXL. — buyer on r/bapeheads
Other owners in the same community say the opposite: true to size, size up only if you sit between two letters. A video reviewer around 180 cm and 88 kg found the XL too snug for his taste, which fits a shirt that is relaxed on paper but not voluminous in practice. Our advice is unglamorous and reliable: take your own best-fitting tee, measure it flat, and match the chest and length figures to the listing chart, not to the letter.
Print, odour and the fabric-change complaint
We rubbed the graphics dry with a white cloth and found no transfer; a damp rub along the edge of the red overprint picked up a trace of colour, so avoid pressing on the print while it is wet. Both shirts survived a cold wash inside out and a line dry with the motifs intact — consistent with the long-running owner consensus that screen prints on these tees last years provided they never see a tumble dryer, which is what cracks them.
On odour, our results were mixed and worth stating plainly. One garment smelled neutral out of the bag. The other carried a faint chemical note that faded after a night of airing. That is milder than the formaldehyde-like smell one retail buyer reported when unbagging a Bape tee; the same buyer also said the current fabric feels smoother and cooler than the coarser cotton of older runs, and we can see that point — our samples felt flat and lightly slick rather than dry and textured. Treat odour as batch luck, not a fixed property of the listing.
What we could not confirm
- Whether the D-codes stay stable across restocks, or whether the artwork inside a code shifts between batches.
- Fibre content beyond the listing's 100% cotton claim. We did not commission a lab test, so the gsm band is an attributed figure, not a measured one.
- One definitive sizing answer. Our two size-L samples matched the relaxed chart, but a single order of two shirts cannot settle a question buyers have been arguing over for years.
Before you order
- Measure a tee you already like, laid flat, chest and length only.
- Match those numbers to the agent listing chart and remember the stated 2–3 cm tolerance.
- Open the photos for your exact code, not the collection's first image.
- Request a QC photo of the variant you are shipped — print placement is the one thing a size chart cannot tell you.
- Wash cold, hang dry, keep it off the heat.
Styled plainly, these tees do what a graphic crew neck should: one loud chest print over denim, shorts or an open jacket, with the base colour doing the coordinating work. We score the collection 4.2 / 5 — good value and a genuinely consistent body, held back by the sizing fog and the batch-dependent smell.