A few months ago, something tragic happened. I was making my quarterly trip to Uniqlo to grab a few closet staples, and as I wandered into the T-shirt section to pick up my favorite $14.99 white tee, I was shocked to find it had disappeared. Poof! It was gone without a trace. It was not the first time this had happened. Two years ago, the culprit was Banana Republic, which stopped manufacturing its Supima cotton white T-shirts.
The heart of my wardrobe is my white T-shirt drawer. I wear a white T-shirt almost every day: under my sweaters, with my favorite jeans (you can read about my journey to find them here), and paired with all my oversize button-downs. I like the collar to be high enough that it peeks over my cardigans and long enough to sit right above my hips. Ideally, a white T-shirt must be 100 percent cotton, but I have tried some that are made from hemp-and-linen blends. I find that these wrinkle too easily and the hems distort with washing. What I loved about the Uniqlo shirt was its perfectly boxy fit and sleeves, which weren’t too long but also weren’t cap sleeves. Most importantly, the price was right. I have heard the arguments for white T-shirts that are $70 to $200 (they last longer, the “quality,” the crisp white hue), but I wear white T-shirts too often to be scared about ruining one with stains, spills, or drips. (I do, it should be noted, have my white T-shirt-stain removal down to a science. Once a year or so, I host a pit-stain removal party with my whites and spend the afternoon with a Costco-size bottle of vinegar, baking soda, and hydrogen peroxide; I even made a video about my process.) Ultimately, though, I don’t want to have to be overly precious about my white T-shirt.
I tried to find a replacement by doing most of my shopping research in person, since feel and texture are so key — though I did end up ordering quite a few online. I also narrowed my search by keeping the price under $50. I ended up buying a total of 13 T-shirts, keeping a total of five, and returning the rest before my 30-day return window was up. Some of the shirts I knew right away were returns just based on the texture and feel. However, I tried on all of my nos and maybes at least five times and in different lighting and times of day to make sure I was certain that they weren’t the ones. I also compared their specs by meticulously studying the inside tag of each T-shirt, looking at where they were made, the brand of cotton, and any washing or drying guidelines. Below, the results.
The Ones I Returned
I found the material of this Cuts tee (it’s made from a blend of polyester, cotton, and spandex) to be extremely soft, but too stretchy. The poly blend, though, means it is wrinkle resistant (a positive), but overall it felt more like workout material and therefore wasn’t what I was looking for.
The Everlane Organic Cotton Box-Cut Tee comes in a nice bright white and is perhaps the most “classic” fit of the shirts I tried. It is made of 100 percent organic cotton, which means it’s breathable and soft. It also comes with or without a pocket, which is a nice touch. But ultimately it was just too long for what I was looking for.
I hadn’t realized when ordering it that this tee has a raw hem, inside-out detailing, and pre-cuffed short sleeves. Although this shirt was a nice bright white, I don’t think those details make it a great everyday tee for me.
This was my least favorite of the tees I tried. First off, the material is rough and scratchy and would take quite a few washes to soften. The second reason is the fit. The sleeves are too tight and short, and the fit is body-hugging. I struggled to move my arms around in this one. It was also more of a cream than a white.
Made from 100 percent organic cotton, this one was on the thicker end. I tested one of my black bras underneath and there were no transparency issues. But ultimately it was a no-go given that it wasn’t cropped and was more cream than white.
I had to give Uniqlo another shot even though I am not completely over its recent transgression. I tried the Uniqlo mini short-sleeve T-shirt but found it to be too fitted for what I wanted. This shirt is made from 96 percent cotton and 4 percent spandex and is very stretchy. The sleeves were cap style and therefore too short on my arms.
I really liked the texture of this T-shirt, and it had a great wide-boxy fit; it fell right below my hips. I wasn’t such a fan of its neckline (too wide) so I ultimately decided to return this one. Moreover, the sleeves were too tight on me.
For $10, this is truly a great affordable option. I found that it had a good boxy fit and the length was perfect — not too cropped. But even before I put it on, this shirt was starting to pill slightly, and that made me concerned about its longevity. Also, the single-needle cover-stitching at the hem made me nervous. I could see the potential for the hem to come undone after a few washes. I ultimately returned this one because of my quality concerns. Note: If you do go with this option, I recommend sizing down.
The Close Calls
The Madewell soft-fade boxy-crop tee was one of the lightest and softest tees I tried. In terms of fit, the length was perfect for me, falling to right below the waistband of my high-rise jeans. It’s made from tissue-light “Softfade Cotton,” and true to Madewell’s description, it does already feel broken in and prewashed. My only nitpicky complaints were that the collar was a little wider than I would have liked and the color more cream than white. I decided to keep this T-shirt because I have been wearing its long-sleeve counterpart all winter long, and it has held up incredibly well in the wash and hardly wrinkles.
This Cos shirt belongs in its own category; it’s one of the few white T-shirts you could get away with wearing in a corporate setting. This T-shirt is by far the thickest that I tried and is crafted from a premium heavyweight organic cotton jersey. I really appreciate how it wasn’t see-through at all. I’ll definitely be holding on to this one. I plan to throw a cashmere cardigan over my shoulders and wear it to the office. My only caveat is that due to its thickness, it may not be the right choice for an everyday T-shirt to throw on with jeans or shorts. I’ve been wearing it on some warmer days, and it is not very breathable.
This shirt ranks No. 1 for texture and feel. It’s made from 100 percent cotton and has a relaxed, easy fit. It is extremely comfortable and only slightly transparent. The sleeves, though, were just a little longer than I was hoping for. I ended up keeping this one because that texture was just so fresh and crisp. I also always like having a longer white T-shirt in my arsenal for styling with chunky knit sweaters.
The Runner-up
I have such a soft spot for Supima-cotton shirts, which is why the Buck Mason Pima Cotton Crew came in second. This T-shirt really has everything I was looking for: It is meticulously constructed and is by far the softest shirt I tried. It has already become one of my go-to white T-shirts and has maintained its original shape after a few spills and washes. The shirt is perfectly boxy, and I love how roomy the sleeves are and find the length perfect for my high-waisted jeans. At $45, this shirt felt more like an investment, and I don’t think I would be comfortable purchasing more than one. That’s why this shirt ultimately is not the winner. I did end up keeping it, though I have been considerably more precious when wearing it and nervous about spillage. (BM’s Slub Easy-Crew is actually the Strategist’s Best in Class white tee.)
The Winner
It was an extremely close call, but my winner is ten bucks and from Old Navy. In terms of construction, it is very very similar to some of the more expensive options. This shirt met all of my qualifications: boxy, wide sleeves that weren’t too short, comfortable, 100 percent cotton, and not too cropped. It’s extremely soft and comes in a perfect bright white. I have been wearing this T-shirt with all of my favorite midi skirts and cardigans. It is just the right width to fit comfortably under a cardigan, but it’s not too fitted. My only caveat is that it is semi-sheer, as are most white T-shirts. I’ve solved this issue by primarily wearing this nude bra.
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