A Very Extensive White T-Shirt Competition
Trying on YOUR favourite basics
A few weeks ago, Sherri entered ‘The Wardrobe Edit’ group chat and began one of the most popular threads we’ve had so far…
… in case you’re not a paid sub, the general gist was, ‘Can we talk about white tees?’. And the answer was a resounding ‘YES!’. 67 comments followed, left by readers all over the world chipping in with their white T-shirt favourites (and their top care tips, which were extremely helpful!), and it sparked an idea for a post. What if I were to buy and test some of *your* favourites in the ultimate white T-shirt smackdown? But first, a few caveats:
I like my T-shirts to be quite boxy in fit.
I’ve also learnt that 100% cotton is the way to my heart (as you’ll see from my findings below).
I have quite a long nape-to-waist measurement, so I like my t-shirts to be shorter in length so as not to emphasise that, and then I have the option not to tuck them if I so wish.
A few honourable mentions because I wasn’t able to buy them allllll:
Target, Old Navy, MUJI and Hanes came highly recommended for good budget versions.
This GAP T-shirt* cropped up a few times, as did the J.Crew Premium Weight T-Shirt*.
Madewell came up a lot, specifically their Ribbed Crew Neck*, Premium Standard Shrunken Tee* & Cotton Perfect Tee* (although there were a few disagreements on the sizing of the latter!). I have to say these three intrigue me - they look great.
A few extra things to note:
I washed all of these like I usually would - on a super quick, 30℃ wash, with my usual detergent - and allowed them all to air dry afterwards. I measured the neckline to hem before and after, and there were no major shrinkage episodes to note (nothing that was over 5mm).
For the pictures below, I’ve done two for you - one unposed on the left so you can see the true length and shape of the T-shirt and one more ‘styled’ shot on the right so you can see how I’d usually wear it.
I’m not too bothered about my bra or my nips showing. Here, I’ve just got on the Hanky Panky Bra*, which is pretty sheer, but hopefully, it gives you an idea of the thickness of the different tees.
Just for size reference, I’m a U.K size 12 all over, and my nape-to-waist measurement is 43cm, and my shoulder-to-shoulder measurement is 37cm.
LESET Margo T-Shirt* - £68 - Available in XS-XL (I wear a M) - 100% cotton
It’s pretty heavy, but there’s still quite a bit of movement in it, so it’s not super stiff.
There’s a slightly cropped feel to the body, which means that I don’t always feel the need to tuck it.
I love the boxy shape and the length of the arms. I love everything about it if you can’t already tell.
VERDICT: This is my one to beat. I LOVE it. And the high price point means I treat this thing like a queen, spot-cleaning with just straight-up dish soap whenever I wash it (and popping some around my collars, too, which can get orange). I’ve had it for a good six months, and it’s holding up very well. The directions say to handwash it, but I pop it on a 30 wash, and it’s grand; I just leave it to air dry where I can. But the fit and the fabric on this is THE ONE for me.
RE/DONE x Hanes Sheer T-Shirt* - £95 - Available in XS-L (I wear a M) - 100% cotton
This one has an almost tissue-like feel to the fabric. It’s very thin and light.
I like the cropped length and the slightly wider cut neck.
VERDICT: I’ve had this one for 18 months or so, and given that it’s so light, it’s great to layer with in the summer. The papery fabric gives it a vintage look, and I like that it’s a bit different from the other ones I own. It has some ease built in. For the price, though? I feel like there’s probably a great dupe out there (and maybe it’s this one?*)
COS Men’s Regular Lightweight Brushed Cotton T-Shirt* - £25 - Available in XS-XL (I wear a S) - 100% cotton
Oh, my word, this one is SO soft. Like stroking a little bunny rabbit. Heavenly.
It’s a nice weight - not too thin nor too thick,
It’s very long in the body, so there was a lot of fabric to tuck.
VERDICT: Now, I did order the COS Clean Cut Regular T-shirt*, which appears to be lost in the postal system somewhere, and given the soft feel and boxy cut of the men’s version, I have a feeling it could be pretty up there for me. But I liked this one too. I’m wondering if my two terms of sewing school have given me the skills I’d need to shorten it? I’m tempted!
UNIQLO Airism Cotton T-Shirt* - £14.90 - Available in XXS-XXL (I wear a M) - 70% cotton/30% elastomultiester
I’m not a huge fan of the side-split hem.
However I do like the thick ribbed neckline - it made a little different to the others.
Despite not being 100% cotton, it didn’t *feel* super stretchy.
VERDICT: UNIQLO came *heavily* recommended in the chat, and even though the ‘Airism’ range came out top, I should have known that I just love a T-shirt that’s 100% cotton (and I should have tried their Crew Neck Short-Sleeve T-Shirt* that *is* 100% cotton). However, that being said - this one is a good budget buy, and the boxy fit was up my street. Also, thanks to the composition, it didn’t really need ironing after washing!
UNIQLO Men’s Airism Cotton Oversized Crew-Neck T-Shirt* - £19.90 - Available in XS-3XL (I wear a S) - 53% cotton/30% polyester/17% elastomultiester
It’s big, it’s boxy, it’s oversized.
Despite its thickness - and let me tell you, it’s THICK - it tucks pretty well.
I like the design of the drop-shoulder sleeves.
VERDICT: Now, this isn’t a style of T-shirt that I’m hugely into right now, but if you’re in the market for an oversized number, then I’d say that you can’t go far wrong with this. Just make sure you go one size down from your usual. I can see why so many of you raved about it!
UNIQLO Airism Ultra-Stretch T-Shirt* - £19.90 - Available in XXS-XXL (I wear a M) - 77% polyester/23% elastane
Too tight and too thick.
It felt like wearing a wetsuit, and I was desperate to get it off.
VERDICT: Now, this one wasn’t recommended specifically; readers had alluded to UNIQLO T-shirts in general, and whilst I was making an order, I thought I might as well throw a tighter T-shirt into my basket to mix it up. However, this was a straight-up ‘NO’ from me, and I instantly wanted to get it off. If I were going to look for a tight tee, then I would pick…
SKIMS Cotton Jersey T-Shirt* - £48 - Available in XXS-4X (I wear a M) - 90% cotton/10% elastane
Although this one is far thinner than the UNIQLO, to me, there’s something more comfortable about it.
Very thin fabric.
I sometimes wear these to workout in.
VERDICT: I’ve owned the black and white version of this t-shirt for over a year now and even though they aren’t my favourite (nor do I feel they warrant the high price tag), I do get use out of them, especially for winter layering. They might be a little thin, but from a comfort perspective, I’d prefer that instead of something that felt compressive.
Colourful Standard Women’s Light Organic Tee* - £33 - Available in XS-XL (I wear a M) - 100% cotton
My first note was that it didn’t wow me.
The cut was a little tapered, which I am personally not a fan of, and the fabric was pretty thin compared to others that I was testing.
It also felt tight around the back of the sleeves - it might be worth sizing up.
VERDICT: I just actively didn’t like this one, even straight out of the box. The tapered waist gets a bit no from me when it comes to T-shirts, and it all just felt a bit flimsy. There are far better ones out there for the price.
Everlane The Box-Cut Tee (No Pocket)* - £27 - Available in XXS-3XL (I wear a M) - 100% cotton
The weight felt nice and breezy but a little thicker than your average.
I liked the length of the arm.
I liked the length of the body - it hits right on my hip bone, so I didn’t feel the need to tuck it in, necessarily.
VERDICT: A close runner-up behind my LESET Margo T-shirt, and you know how I feel about that! If you’re looking for a more affordable dupe, THIS IS IT! I would say that the LESET runs just a tad thicker. It also comes in the largest size range, in 21 different colours and with the option to add on a pocket if you fancy. I really, really rate it.
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Until next time,
Anna x
Hi Anna! What's your choice for layering under sweaters? I always want the white to peek out under a crew neck, but I struggle to find any that do. Thank you!
When I was going through your newsletter and scrolled past the image of the UNIQLO Men’s Airism Cotton Oversized Crew-Neck T-Shirt, I thought to myself how much I love that one! Until I read your description of it, I couldn't pin point why. It's because I absolutely adore a dropped sleeve. I only realized that about myself very recently. Such a small detail but it can make such a big difference in how you feel in your clothes. And now that's something that I can always look out for when I am on the hunt for a new t-shirt or even a knit sweater. It'll help me make sure that I feel just a little bit more "me"!