I tried 10 basic white tees (so you don't have to)
They're all (kind of) different!
This was one of those articles I’d been meaning to do for a long time and then when I finally got round to it, I thought ‘why did I start this?!’. I’ve had a sea of white tees in a pile on the floor of my bedroom for about 5 weeks now but it will feel so cathartic to get this post out into the world. Hope it feels useful and not just looking at the same tee 10 times.
I realised that since 2020, I haven’t had a decent white tee in my wardrobe that hadn’t completely faded or wasn’t too tight. I used to swear by a white tee in my wardrobe but, perhaps because I hadn’t found a good one, I had stopped wearing them altogether. I bought one last year (don’t worry, it’s included in this edit!) and it reminded me how easy they are in my wardrobe - so I decided to do a High Street edit (some bought, some borrowed, I will specify which in the captions).
I styled them all exactly the same so you can see the slight differences but this may have been where I went wrong?! Anyway…
1. Hush - Scoop Neck T-Shirt
£29: Hush
100% Organic Cotton. Borrowed a sample for this shoot and returned. I’m wearing a size M.
I had a Hush one around 6 years ago this exact shape which I loved…it was a light cotton slub so quite see-through but had a great slouch. It is too small now so I tried this in a size L. Weirdly I didn’t love it on me, I felt the fabric was slightly too thin (I could see my belly through it) and the low neckline not great on me (and you could see down to my stomach if I bent over). I can see some women owning this shape (and I used to!) but it didn’t feel like a yes for me.
2. Muji - Crew Neck Short Sleeve T‐shirt
£12.95: Muji
60% Cotton, 40% Polyester, Ribbed Knit collar: 55% Cotton, 40% Polyester, 5% Elastane. Borrowed for this shoot. I am wearing a size L.
I was surprised by the fabric composition of this, as it felt like 100% cotton. I really liked the shape, the neckline is much fatter than most tees which might not work to everyone’s taste but I liked it as a point of difference. It didn’t feel as soft as the Cos and the Ivy ones, more like a basic borrowed from your brother Fruit of The Loom style. But a great tee for the price (and would be nice if they went larger than an XL).
3. Ivy - Cotton White T-Shirt
£40: Ivy
100% GOTS certified organic cotton. Borrowed for this shoot. I am wearing a size 10.
A classic, ethically made tee which feels gorgeous on. This is reflected in the price. This is a size 10 and still oversized, at times it feels quite boxy and shapeless so I ended up turning up the sleeves a little bit of interest. As an aside: Slowette x Ivy is one of my new favourite striped tops (if it’s stripes you’re after):
4. Cos - 24/7 T-Shirt
£19: COS
100% Cotton
I bought a size M but wondering if I should have sized up, it snagged a little on my bra in these images but I like how it sits neatly under a blazer and cardigan (this was the one I wore to Lisbon last week). It’s really soft and light and not too clingy around the tummy area - despite some of these images, I’m going with how it felt, so this is recommended!
5. John Lewis - ANYDAY Crew Neck T-Shirt
£8: John Lewis
100% cotton. I’m wearing size M.
I’ve had this tee for a while, it’s neat and a great price point but it is feeling a bit tight now after a lot of washes (could be my body has grown, too). It’s more fitted - not quite a ‘body top’ but definitely more slimline than any others. Good for layering under things but not my favourite shape, it also has a pre rolled sleeved (and I like to roll my own sleeves as required).
6. Sezane - Martha T-shirt
£50, Sezane
50% Cotton, 50% Linen. Sezane is a B Corp company. Bought with a voucher, I currently work with Sezane but this isn’t sponsored content. I’m wearing size M.
Okay so this isn’t exactly white, but thought it was nice to include something a little different (I’d describe this colour as ‘butter’? But Sezane call it ‘cream’). I have this tee in khaki already and I really like it, it has a slub effect as it’s part linen and is a real throw on slouchy tee with a bit of opacity. At first, I thought ‘oh no, this is too sheer’, you can see the entire outline of my bra but after a while I was quite into it and love it as a summer tee - the colour is unexpected and perhaps better for my skin tone and it’s super comfortable. It is, however, the most expensive in this edit at £50.
7. Uniqlo - AIRism crew neck t-shirt
£14.90: Uniqlo £14.90
70% Cotton, 30% Elastomultiester. I’m wearing size M.
What on earth is elastomultiester?? I hear you ask. I thought the same, it’s basically lycra which is not ideal. However, this is one of tees I have bought in the past 6 months and really like it. It has a heaviness to it that I enjoy, it’s not see through and it falls in the same way every time and doesn’t crease much in a day’s wear. The side split means it drops easily if tucking it in. It has discoloured quite significantly (but that might be down to my carefree washing). I also really like the length of the sleeves, they hit (and almost go past) the elbow which makes me feel a little like a Backstreet Boy but I appreciate the coverage.
8. M&S - AUTOGRAPH T-Shirt
M&S £29.50 - 88% cotton, 12% elastane
This is a great, basic tee with a nice weight to it. M&S are part of the Better Cotton Initiative, too. The tee felt nice on but the fit, as you can see, is a bit off - it’s rather long so the fabric gathers quite a bit and for £29.50 I’d expect this to be 100% organic cotton.
9. GAP - Vintage Crew Neck T-Shirt
GAP £14 - 100% organically grown cotton
I wanted to include Gap as I’ve had this tee for around 6/7 years and it’s not looking its best but it’s a great shape and wonderfully soft. It’s still in stock and the fabric credentials are good, too! This is a size S and I would size up to a medium if I were to rebuy (which I might, but in another colour, I’m white tee overloaded now, but do I need another stripe? No!).
10. NEXT
£16, NEXT
95% Cotton, 5% Elastane. Borrowed for this shoot. I wore a size 12.
This is another heavyweight tee, almost has a thick airtex feel to it (in a good way!). I was really surprised by this tee, it feels great on, not see through, has a easy tuck to it but it does have a denim tag on the back which slightly spoils it as a front runner. I’m after simplicity.
Do we have a winner? For me it’s the Cos, Gap or Uniqlo - all offer something different for the price points, too. Next would’ve had it if it weren’t for that denim patch! Hope this helps offer some guidance through the myriad of white t-shirts on the market right now, see you next week!
According to the Better Cotton website, Hush, John Lewis, M&S, Gap and Next are all part of the Better Cotton Initiative.
So grateful for this edit Alex! White T’s are a staple in my wardrobe. Thank you x
I usually buy the clean cut t shirt from cos. Do you think the model you show us is better?