Le T-Shirt Parfait
9 years ago by
I thought my mission was simple: find the perfect t-shirt.
You know, the kind that’s cut just so? Not too starchy but not too draped, not a box cut but not clinging to my skin like I’m a leftover sausage wrapped up for the fridge either. The material is so important too, light and breathable (but not see-through) — and nice to the touch. In Australia, there’s a label that I’ve always turned to — Bassike, which I’m wearing as I type this — but not so easy to get here in New York.
Ok, so maybe the mission is a little more complex…
I need help, so I asked around at the Studio:
Me: So, where can I get the best cotton t-shirt? Where do you get yours?
Emily: (pulling at her amazing fit grey t-shirt) Vince! I think their t-shirts are so soft and mine haven’t deteriorated even though I wash them all the time — the quality’s still good.
Elle: I like the neckline of Hanes straight up. You know, I like it tight to the neck.
Brie: I have a really great henley from Uniqlo, but one of my favorites is a boy’s XS I got from Topshop and cut up.
Elle: Another one I like is an old American Apparel top, boys, that’s worn in…
Emily: ….Oh, yeah! I have an old men’s American Apparel one that I love, but it has a hole in it so I can’t really wear it out anymore.
So, maybe I should try the men’s section next time?
Where are all of the good cotton t-shirts for women? Help!
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Here in the US I love finding perfectly drapey tshirts from The Loft and Banana Republic! Good luck. Let us know :)
Warm Regards,
Alexandra
www. Little Wild Heart .com
Has anyone tried the cotton t-shirts from Everlane? I’ve had great luck with their sweaters but am not as happy with their rayon Ryan tees, which don’t look as good after washing. A basic is a basic and I think caring for a basic shouldn’t be too complicated. (IMHO)
yea, I have EVERLANE’s cotton u neck in white and grey. They’re not thick, but very nice shape to them. To me, all their tops are all cut large. I am small, but not a 12 year old, and the XXS is roomy. The silk shirts are the same way.
Got plenty of Everlanes in different colors and they are quite good for the price, though honestly – nothing special.
I would stay away from Everlane. THings shrink n look bad after washing. Esply the made in China stuff.
James Perse all the way.
Ahh Ruth, Thank you for the reminder! I have a fabulous jersey-cloth button down shirt from James Perse that I found at my local discount store. The color and fit are perfect. Thank you for the great suggestion!
J.Crew! Although they’re really thin and fragile. But if you can stock up when they’re on sale, it doesn’t hurt as much when you spot a hole in one of the underarms after only having it for a year.
Have lots of J crew vintage, so soft. I stay away from white t shirts tho, I have dogs.
I think the basic/classic tee is becoming a myth. I love JCrew but most of their soft white tees are sheer. I have a three quarter sleeve tee from Ann Taylor I loved it until I washed it. Sigh.
If you find one let us know please!
Je me rends compte que je n’ai pas spécialement d’obsession en matière de t-shirt ^^ je ne me suis jamais posée la question du t-shirt parfait. Je penche plutôt pour les coupes un peu larges, ils en font des sympas chez Zara :)
https://whiteandpinkpeony.wordpress.com/
Whyred t-shirts are really good
En français on dit un tee-shirt tunisien, pas un marocain :p
Aritzia! I found the perfect t shirt there
http://hashtagliz.com
they do not exist !
I am a big fan of Everlane…they have several styles. They are a great shirt for the price…nothing to die for but I like to be able to toss them when they start to look old without feeling guilty so Everlane works for me. Vince is certainly another great choice.
As a fellow Aussie and Bassike devotee I say why not just order from the official website? They ship internationally and the $US is in your favour.
Check out Mandula. So soft like butter. http://mandula.com/category/gallery-8
James Perse James Perse James Perse! Always wash them cold though….
james perse. look no further. everything is perfect about them.
A couple of years ago I found the perfect white t-shirt at h&m, which I did not know at the time, and only bought one. Fast forward and it quickly became my favorite shirt, it is even starting to get holes in it from all the wear. :( What a shame h&m doesn’t sell it anymore… Now I have the same dilemma.
The Banana Republic Timeless Tee is one of my faves. It’s a nice weight cotton and very flattering. But of course, they are becoming hard to find. Discontinued, changed or limited stock…. Recently I bought a Uniqlo men’s tee that I really like. And I like the American Apparel tri blend tees a lot.
I love the T by Alexander Wang options if you like a less fitted t shirt. The linen/silk blend ones are perfect and dress up so well.
Here in Europe (the Netherlands) we don’t have these brands, except for Alexander Wang. Any other options?
Huummmmm le t-shirt parfait….?
http://www.mlle-lovemuggen.com
My favorite T-shirt is the Uniqlo Men Packaged Dry Crew neck shirt that come in individual pouches. They also have a V neck option. The cotton is not see-through, and it holds its structure. The best part is that it is LONG enough. I typically find women tshirts too short. It is not too stiff, and looks good without being too clingy or too drapey. I am usually size S-M for women, and for the uniqlo packaged dry t-shirt I wear the mens size XS. It fits perfect on my shoulders, and doesn’t look sloppy. I’ve washed it multiple times now, and the material still holds up nicely.
I’ve tried American apparel, Everlane, Gap, H&M, Old Navy and Ann Taylor tshirts as well. They all look good BEFORE the first wash. After the first wash, they all shrank, or become weirdly misshapen. The only JCREW t-shirts that can go through multiple washes is their Painters Tee, or the Vintage Cotton options.
I have a men’s tee from T by Alexander Wang, and I have to say that it’s probably the most durable piece of clothing I’ve ever owned. It’s 5 years old now and has always subjected to the washer AND dryer and it’s in the same condition. I sleep in it, I work in it, I wear it with a pencil skirt…I really do love it!
Bonsoir, en France il y a cette marque marseillaise “Sugar”. Coupe impeccable, coton incroyable, allure chicissime ! J’ai un débardeur acheté il y a 21 ans et il n’a pas bougé. Il y a toutes sortes de modèles : tunisiens, manches longues, manches courtes, débardeurs…et des coloris différents chaque annee.
My perfect white t (which is now grey from all the washing) I found by chance at Carrefour. You may find yours in the most unexpected places.
What about writing home and asking your Mum to send you some T shirts by Bonds?
Americain Vintage!
Low cost stores sometimes have good t-shirts. Mango had some very good ones lately. I bought just one, and when I returned to the store for more, they had vanished.
FROM US SOON! – We are producing a range of perfectly cut Ts (because I knooow) – Italian cotton jersey – starting from high summer 15 and ongoing – will keep you posted and send you a few soon Neada. holladaylondon.com
Amazing inspo
http://www.OntoMyWardrobe.com
Joe Fresh has some really nice t’s in a light fabric which is not see-through (and great colours, I got white, pink and army green). I picked up some in linen and cotton. They’re inexpensive, and from past experience they wear well.
https://www.joefresh.com/us/Categories/Women/Knits-Tees/Slub-V-Neck-Tee/p/WS5K200009_100
https://www.joefresh.com/us/Categories/Women/Knits-Tees/Linen-Tee/p/WS5K200004_105
Les tee-shirts Schiesser. Ils restent beaux au fil des années et
qualité est exceptionnelle. Dommage que leur site ne soit pas très glamour..
Sophia
I like Banana Republic. Have several. Great fit and quality.
Has anyone tried Buck Mason?? They are made in America and relatively new. Known for their quality basics.
Happy Birthday!!!to you…Garance Dore!
Love your name, BTW!
I have some tees from Everlane that are very affordable and that I find to be good value for the money. I also just purchased one of their linen tees and am very pleased with the cut although I haven’t laundered it yet. One of my favorite t-shirts, however, is Skargorn because of the amazing heavy duty cotton that many of them are made with. They’re a little pricier and hard to find though!
My favorite basic T-shirts are from the Gap, and Old Navy. They’re really old now.
I had a feeling they might discontinue or change them so I stocked up. I mean stocked up! I bought loads of Black short sleeve crew neck t’s, and several green ones…my favorite color.
My fears were sound as it turns out. The Gap changed the basic T’s. A few years later. They weren’t as thick and were sloppier in the cut for my taste. That’s when I found Old Navy was carrying the better Basic T’s. They were cut well, and a really nice thickness. Several years past and I went back to Old Navy looking for the Basic T and found it too had changed to very thin ply, and baggier cut.
I found Eddie Bauer T’s then, but only bought a few. I should have bought more!
My collection of Gap and Old Navy original Basic T’s are running out. I’m down to 5 black T’s and 2 green ones! I wish I could find T’s like these again. Perhaps it’s time I took a look at Gap again. It’s been years, and years since I looked at their Basic T’s.
J Crew has the best tshirts!! And so many colors! Their 100% linen tees are my favorite – I’m addicted and have 8-10 of them.
I like COS tshirts, but the selection is not the greatest. JCrew has really good tshirts and I’ve been buying them online ever since JCrew decided to ship worldwide.
May i ask where the t-shirt in the photo is from? Thank you!
I am a crazy person when it comes to tees. If they are not comfortable, I cannot stand it. The best I found right now are the Ragdoll LA ones, you don’t feel them, so comfortable. I want to try Jungmaven and Vince. Sorry but a cheap tee, never worked for me, they always cut the neck too high.
Simona
Lake&Moon
Oh j’adooore Bassike, mais impossible à trouver en France. Mais sinon, je les préfère quand ils ne sont pas trop chers, genre Topshop ou American Vintage…
http://www.pardonmyobsession.com/
I discovered this French online t-shirt company with beautiful unknown street and fashion photography prints. The quality of the t-shirts is amazing.
http://www.mon-beau-tee-shirt-imprime.com/fr/
Uniqlo men’s Pima T-shirts – fantastic quality, fantastic price!
James Perse and J Crew vintage cotton.
Do you have Muji in the US? They do great cotton shirts, sold in packs of 2, in white, grey and black.
€15, amazing quality!
J. Crew. They have amazing metallic tees right now. Keep watching throughout the month. First they’ll be on sale….then they’ll do a one day 40% off sale on top of it. If you time it right, you can STOCK UP.
http://thedecohaus.com/
You may want to try the chillywhale.com white, v-neck t-shirt. Light cotton, slightly
lose fit. chillywhale.com/girls/happy <3
Men Tshirts from GAP !
You should try Qüina Basics, it is a new US brand of super soft cotton t-shirts made in Peru, 10 styles in black, white and grey, perfect fit but still loose, light and breathable but not see-through, the best part is that you can wash them many times and they don’t pill, shed or lose its color. Check the website http://www.quinabasics.com it was love at the first sight for me, I just bought a couple of them, they are all that you are looking for the perfect t-shirt
American Giant in San Francisco
I love tees from Madewell! The cotton is soft, colors like light grey, black or white, they do great V neck or sleeve less ones…and James Perse….