I Went Hunting for a Boxy White Tee

This Old Navy tee had the soft, lived-in feel of the vintage T-shirts I’ve collected over the years from my favorite thrift stores. Unfortunately, the short, boxy silhouette that I’ve come to love in arealvintage tee is where the Old Navy fell short: It’s not cropped, and while it has a boxier shape and drop-shoulder sleeves, I wanted them to end closer to my elbow.

Madewell’s Easy Crop Crewneck has a boxier fit and comes in an airy slub fabric. It scored points because it’s not overly cropped, ending right at my waist. But the sleeves were still too short for my liking. However, it did perform very well on extremely humid days when I was putzing around our yard, pulling weeds or picking up black walnut seeds.

This summer, Buck Mason introduced a few new T-shirts to its Toughknit collection, which is a range of pieces made from open-end cotton in the brand’s Mohnton, Pennsylvania, factory. I tested the Shrunken Pocket Tee, which reminded me of a clean-cut baby tee, and this Easy Tee, which I’d consider a boyfriend fit since it’s boxy and relaxed.The material is more substantial and heavier than my favorite from Organic Basics — it made the shirt more structured but not as versatile as the medium-weight I was looking for.

This 100 percent cotton tee from Free People has a very breathable slub texture that almost reminded me of pure linen while still feeling soft on my skin. My hang-up was the drapey silhouette, which didn’t feel as polished as the other tees on this list. Otherwise, I loved the relaxed construction of this T-shirt, which has raw edges and folded detailing on the sleeves. It was perfect for layering over a bathing suit or an exercise onesie, and I wore it on several 90-degree days and stayed plenty cool. But the wide cropped fit is clearly meant to lean more slouchy, so that’s why it didn’t make the cut.

Lululemon’s All Yours tee was also right on the money except for the fabric, which is a combination of organic cotton with a dash of Lycra for stretch. I was hoping to stick with all-cotton, so this wasn’t quite right, but the shape was super close to what I had envisioned, with the hemline ending below my belly button and with extra space through the torso.

The Belle Tee surprised me. I picked it up at my local Evereve store in this off-white shade (it was sold out of bright white, but it’s available online). This tee is definitely oversize and had the dropped shoulders I’d been searching for, plus intentionally longer sleeves that graze my elbows. It’s wide through the chest, but I love how the torso is still a fairly straight cut, so I don’t look like I’m swimming in the top. My only concern is that this one is on the heavier side, so it didn’t have quite the same feel as the light-to-mid-weight cotton of the Organic Basics tee.

The Boxy Crop Tee was another solid contender. Made from 100 percent cotton, it has a just-right oversize fit. The only thing I noticed is the sizing was slightly off. I sized down to an XS from my regular size small. I also tested the XXS, which fit well, but I stuck with the XS because it had a smidge more room though the torso, and the length still ended right at my waistband area. Compared to the Los Angeles Apparel tee below, the Madewell and the Sanctuary tees had smoother fabric with more structure and weight.

The Oversized Crop Tee from Los Angeles Apparel was basically a slam-dunk alternative to my Organic Basics tee. It checked all the boxes I had mentally listed for a wide cropped tee: cropped but not too cropped, a relaxed chest, dropped shoulders, and longer sleeves. The neckline is the only thing I’d critique simply because it’s a tad tighter than I’m used to, but I’m sure it would relax over time and with more regular machine washings. The cotton fabric is soft and lightweight, yet it feels durable. The cropped hip-length style work well with high-waisted jean shorts for happy hour or over my sports bra when I’m heading to a Pilates class.