Disclosure: HOMAGE sent us the four new items in this review for free, as part of ShowZone's affiliate partnership with them. The older pieces are ones I bought myself over the years. Links in this article are affiliate links, so ShowZone may earn a commission if you buy through them.
ShowZone is now officially partnered with HOMAGE (here’s the announcement), which makes this review a long time coming. Because I’ve been wearing their stuff since about 2008, here’s my honest take.
I've been wearing HOMAGE since about 2008, when I was a student at Ohio State in Columbus, the city where HOMAGE is based. I've bought from them ever since and never had a single complaint. So when HOMAGE sent ShowZone a box of their MLB The Show and Topps gear, I put the new pieces next to shirts, hoodies and hats I've owned for up to 15 years. Here's how they fit, how they feel and how they hold up.
The Short Version
- Sizing: consistent and true to size. I'm 6'5" and 220 pounds, I wear XL, and it fits every time.
- Shrink: they stay true to size through years of washing and drying.
- Quality: the hoodies are some of the softest I've owned anywhere. The tees are thin but very soft, and the prints hold up for years.
- Hats: my Topps hat still looks new after two years of wearing it several times a week.
- Price: on the higher side, but they last long enough that it's worth it, and the sales (like 3 tees for $95) are a steal.
- Where I've landed: I'm in my late 30s and don't wear as many graphic tees as I used to, so lately I've leaned into HOMAGE's Go-To line, which I like just as much.
What HOMAGE Sent
The box had four items: the MLB The Show 06 David Ortiz Cover tee (XL), the Topps Baseball "The Real One" hoodie (XL), the Topps Stadium Club wool snapback, and an MLB The Show Corbin Carroll tee. The Carroll tee is going to Jeremy, one of our lead Devs at ShowZone, so we'll add his take once he's worn it.
Every HOMAGE order I've ever placed has shown up in the same sealed HOMAGE poly mailer, so nothing gets damaged on the way. Inside, each item is bagged separately, and there's almost always a HOMAGE sticker. I have dozens of them on water bottles and my laptop. Years ago, they'd sometimes throw in a random pack of old baseball cards, like vintage Stadium Club, as a little extra. I'm not sure they still do that, but it was always fun.
Sizing and Fit
Sizing is the biggest question people have about HOMAGE, so here's the simple answer: it's consistent, and it's true to size.
Me | |
|---|---|
Height and weight | 6'5", 220 lbs |
Size I wear | XL in tees and hoodies |
How it fits | True to size, every time |
After washing | Stays true to size |
I've never had to second-guess a size, and I never keep the tags on in case something needs to go back. If you're between sizes, I'd go with your usual size in other brands.
The Tee: MLB The Show 06 David Ortiz Cover
HOMAGE is the official apparel partner of MLB The Show, and its MLB gear is officially licensed. The shirt even comes with an official MLB authentication sticker. This tee uses the cover art from MLB 06: The Show, which featured David Ortiz.
Up close, you can see how the print sits in the fabric rather than on top of it. That's why HOMAGE prints don't crack and peel the way cheap graphic tees do.
The collar is noticeably thicker than on my older HOMAGE tees. On a shirt I've had for 15 years, the collar is the part that's worn the most, so it's good to see that's been improved.
As always, it fits exactly the way I expected. The tees are on the thinner side, but they're very soft, and that's what you want in a graphic tee.
The Hoodie: Topps Baseball "The Real One"
HOMAGE's hoodies are the best thing they make, and I'd put them up against anyone's. This one is soft, square and clean, with a nice hood and drawstrings, and the graphic is the same in-the-fabric print as the tees.
Two honest notes. First, this hoodie came with a small mark on the waistband, probably from something rubbing on it in shipping. I've never had that happen before, so I'm treating it as a one-off. Second, after a lot of wear, my hoodies get a little pilling on the hood around the drawstrings. That's mostly my stubble rubbing there, but if you have a beard, expect it.
The Hat: Topps Stadium Club Wool Snapback
I bought my first HOMAGE Topps hat about two years ago, when the HOMAGE x Topps line launched, and I've been hooked since. As soon as the box was in the works, I knew I wanted another one.
It's a snapback, so it fits however you like. The HOMAGE "H" on the back is a nice touch. These hats get me more compliments than anything else I wear, especially at card shows, and when people ask where it's from, they get excited when I say HOMAGE. A lot of the Topps hats sell out for the same reason.
How HOMAGE Holds Up After Years of Wear
Instead of a single wash test, here's what years of real wear look like. These are pieces I bought myself.
A 10-15-year-old Columbus Clippers tee
I've had this tee for probably 10-15 years and have worn it well over 100 times, mostly to Columbus Clippers games. The wear shows up in two places: the collar has thinned a bit, and there's some slight cracking on the print, which looks like part of the design on the ship's sails. That's after more washes than I can count.
Next to the new Ortiz tee, you can see the old one has darkened a little over hundreds of wash-and-dry cycles, and the collar is more worn. For a shirt that old, it's holding up remarkably well, and it never shrank.
A lightweight hoodie I wear every week
This is one of HOMAGE's lightweight hoodies, a thinner version of their regular hoodie. I've had it for about two years and wear it at least once a week in the fall and spring, or on chilly mornings around the house. The print still looks new after all those washes. I'll definitely be buying more.
A two-year-old Topps hat
I wear this Topps logo hat several times a week, to card shows, ballgames and everywhere else, and I've never washed it. Unless I told you, you wouldn't know which of these two hats is the new one.
Shipping and Ordering
Ordering from HOMAGE has always been smooth for me. I live in Columbus, so my orders usually show up in a couple of days. That's faster than most people will see. HOMAGE offers free standard shipping on orders over $99, and in all my years of ordering I've never needed to contact customer service.
Is HOMAGE Worth It?
HOMAGE is on the pricier side: tees are usually $36 to $40 and hoodies about $76 before sales. But I never think twice about the price, because I know I'll have it for years. When it's on sale, it's a steal. HOMAGE's 3-tees-for-$95 graphic tee bundle lands just under the $99 free-shipping line, and hoodies regularly go on sale.
As I've gotten into my late 30s, I don't wear graphic tees as much as I used to, so most of my HOMAGE purchases lately have come from their Go-To line: plain tees and hoodies with the same soft fabric and fit. I own dozens of Go-To tees and wear them under hoodies and dress shirts, and they've become some of my favorite things HOMAGE makes.
Where to Start
If you're new to HOMAGE, start small: a Go-To hoodie, a couple of tees or the 3-for-$95 bundle. Wear them for a while, and I think you'll be back for more. For baseball and gaming fans, here's where I'd look:
- MLB The Show merch: every official MLB The Show shirt from HOMAGE
- HOMAGE x Topps: classic Topps card designs on tees, hoodies and hats
- Team gift guides: our picks for every MLB team, with gifts for kids and stocking stuffers
I've been buying HOMAGE for 17 years, and I can't recommend them enough.
