By Tom Aldridge | June 2026
The Problem With Most Sports T-Shirts
I play padel three times a week. I also have a life outside of padel – work, friends, errands, the general business of being a person in the world – and for a long time I maintained a fairly strict separation between my court kit and my everyday clothes. Sports t-shirts went on for sport and came off immediately afterwards, because they looked like sports t-shirts: synthetic, branded, the kind of thing that reads as gym wear regardless of context.
What I wanted was a t-shirt that I could wear on court without feeling underdressed for the game, and wear off court without feeling like I had forgotten to change. A t-shirt that was genuinely good – good fabric, good fit, good enough to wear anywhere – that also happened to work for sport.
I had been moving towards organic cotton sportswear for a few months, having tried the Apres Padel top and the El Lobo shorts and found both to be significantly better than the synthetic alternatives I had been using. When I came across the Corcuera Tennis Club T-Shirt, it felt like the natural next step.
Why the Corcuera
The Corcuera Tennis Club T-Shirt appealed immediately for reasons that went beyond the fabric:
- Certified organic cotton at 155g/m2 – lighter than the El Lobo shorts fabric, which is exactly right for a t-shirt; breathable, soft, and comfortable in warm weather without being insubstantial
- Clean classic aesthetic – the tennis club branding is understated and genuinely stylish; it reads as a considered choice rather than a sports brand logo
- GM-free and not tested on animals – consistent with the ethical approach of the other Corcuera Padel Club pieces I had already been wearing
- Wash cool, hang dry – simple care instructions that extend the life of the fabric and keep the fit consistent
- Versatility – a t-shirt that works on court and off it, which was the specific thing I had been looking for
I found it in the Clothing Tops collection at ALTOE and ordered it alongside a second El Lobo short to complete the kit rotation.
On Court: Exactly Right
I wore it for the first time on a Tuesday evening session – two hours of doubles, warm enough that I was working hard throughout. The 155g/m2 organic cotton was noticeably lighter and more breathable than the Apres Padel top, which is itself better than any synthetic I have worn. In warm weather, the lighter weight makes a real difference – it moves air well and does not cling as you warm up.
The fit is relaxed without being loose. It does not restrict movement on any of the shots that padel demands, and it does not bunch or ride up during play. After two hours I was warm and slightly damp, as one is after two hours of padel, but the t-shirt had performed exactly as I needed it to.
Off Court: The Versatility Test
After the session I went directly to meet friends for dinner without going home to change. I was wearing the Corcuera t-shirt, the El Lobo shorts, and a pair of clean trainers. Nobody commented on my outfit in the way that people comment when you turn up somewhere in obvious gym wear. One friend asked where I had got the t-shirt. That was the versatility test passed.
I have since worn it to the supermarket, to a casual work meeting, to a weekend walk, and to a barbecue. It works in all of those contexts because it looks like a well-chosen t-shirt rather than a piece of sports kit. The tennis club branding is the key – it gives the t-shirt an identity that is sporty without being sportswear.
Three Months On: The Most-Worn Piece I Own
I have washed the Corcuera t-shirt approximately twenty times following the cool wash, hang dry instructions. It has not shrunk. It has not lost its shape. The organic cotton has softened slightly with washing in the way that good cotton does. The branding is as crisp as it was when it arrived.
It is, without question, the piece of clothing I reach for most often. On court days it is my court top. On non-court days it is frequently still what I am wearing. The line between sportswear and everyday wear has effectively disappeared for this t-shirt, which was exactly what I was looking for when I bought it.
I have ordered a second one in a different colourway. That is the most honest endorsement I can offer.
Shop the Corcuera Tennis Club T-Shirt
Find the Corcuera Tennis Club T-Shirt at ALTOE and browse our related collections:
Tom Aldridge is an architect, three-times-a-week padel player, and committed organic cotton convert based in Barcelona. He owns three Corcuera t-shirts and is not embarrassed about it.
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