Is an $88 White T-Shirt Worth It? We Tried 13 ‘Premium’ Tees.
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Many of our white whales are T-shirts — whether it’s an(even better) white T-shirt; theperfect black V-neck T-shirt; or aboxy, cropped T-shirt. And we’re always trying new ones, likeLeset’s Margo Teefrom Ella Emhoff’s T-shirt Master List orJamie-Lynn Sigler’s T-shirt from Amazon. Lately, we’ve been noticing more “premium” white T-shirts — with a mid-tier price between $50 and $100, made of “high-quality” cottons (like Supima or Peruvian), and thatfeelmore special than a garden-varietyUniqloorHanestee. Curious about whether they’re truly worth the higher cost, two of us (senior writerAmbar Pardillaand updates coordinatorNajwa Jamal) have been trying every premiumoptionwe could over the last two months. To narrow down the field, we only considered T-shirts that are 100 percent cotton with a crew neck — but we looked at various fits (oversize, slim, etc.). Here’s everything we tried. For reference: Ambar is about five-two and wearing a size medium (unless otherwise noted), and Najwa is about five-seven and in a size small.
Our top picks
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"It’s a dying breed of T-shirt: thicker, heavier, solid."
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Despite the "slim fit," it's not uncomfortably formfitting.
The one neither of us liked
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Ambar Pardilla:You know how disappointed you are when your favorite T-shirt shrinks in the dryer? That’s the feeling of RLT’s Soft Baby Tee. Here’s the fine print on RLT’s site: “Baby tees are made to fit snug — if you would like a more traditional t-shirt fit or are between sizes, we recommend sizing up.” I went up to a size large, and to call itsnugis generous; it’s so tight it’s uncomfortable. I had to perform no small feat of aerobatics to remove it. Absolutely not. I’m not the target audience for this.
Najwa Jamal:This is averytight, thin tee that errs on the short side, and not in a way I always enjoyed wearing — even for a “shrunken” baby tee. Definitely follow the suggestion to size up. It’s also the sheerest top on this list. With a nude mesh bra underneath (which typically gives me more than enough coverage under white tees and tanks), I was still afraid you could see too much. Aside from the too-tight bodice and sleeve openings, I mostly wish the construction of this tee felt sturdier for the $75 price tag. The side seams didn’t lie correctly on me, meaning they kept twisting forward towards my stomach, and I had to keep adjusting the shirt back to its center.
The just-okay ones
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AP:Agolde’s Adine Tee may be theboxy, cropped teefor you, but it’s not the boxy, cropped tee for me. It’s shorter than my favoriteEverlane Box-Cut Tee(which I size up to a large or sometimes extra-large in). If I lift my arms fully, my belly button’s out. Regrettable, as I did like the heft of the jersey cotton.
NJ:The Adine fits wide and boxy but is cut slightlycurvedrather than square, if that makes sense (see the rounded as opposed to straight hemline). This ranked among the generally good but not standout, which, when you’re fast approaching the $100 mark, isn’t enough to get me to want to purchase. The jersey cotton is soft and opaque, and the white-ash shade is bright without being stark. But it’s verging on cropped, which isn’t my preference. And the general shape isn’t one I find very flattering on me.
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AP:Compared to Agolde’s Adine Tee, Still Here’s Good Tee is slightly thinner. Not necessarily a bad thing, as it makes it airer. The Good Tee is closer to the boxy, cropped tee I want. If only it were boxier. I’m missing room through the torso. Still Here does recommend sizing up, and I should’ve followed the recommendation. (I should also note a small but important point: I got concealer out of the neck with a Tide-to-Go pen easily.)
NJ:Still Here’s Good is a small step up from the Adine. It’s as boxy in fit, but a bit more relaxed thanks to a longer and straighter hem and sleeves. While I liked this one a lot, it’s simply not a fit I prefer in my tees. But if you like a boxy look, this is a solidly well done option that’s not see-through.
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AP:By virtue of the Supima cotton it’s made of, Mother’s Lil Goodie Goodie is satisfying to run your fingers over — smooth, smooth, smooth. Otherwise, it’sfine.As far as fit goes, it’s a little slimmer on me — the bit of give in the fabric helps. I don’t think it did anything particularly good or bad for me.
NJ:This is another boxy-and-cute, but just not for $95 (or for me), white tee. I do love the way the Supima cotton feels on my skin and drapes: loose but semi-structured. But ultimately, it’s too short and left me wanting more of an impression. It was neither here nor there in fit, cut, or drape.
The ones we couldn’t agree on
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AP:I can’t remember the last time I tried a genuinely oversize T-shirt; not since the Alexa Chung–Alex Turner relationship at least. Perfectwhitetee’s Harley may not be your idea of theperfect white tee, but it’s a tee for someone who’s been on the record about not showing theircorporeal form. So I liked having it on when I didn’t want anything touching my body (especially in heat waves). I lost count of how many times I’ve worn it over the last few weeks. It was ideal for a ten-day vacation to the Dominican Republic, where the Caribbean humidity is merciless. All I wanted to have on was my Harley and beach pants. That said, it’s unapologetically casual in the same way manyLe Bon Shoppe teesare. There’s an insouciance to the dropped shoulders and sleeves, which can be folded then cuffed — the only mild annoyance is the floppy collar.
NJ:This may have been the least remarkable top of the bunch; it didn’t really do anything for me once on. It’s very relaxed and loose, which is lovely. But I’m not a fan of the way the hem hangs. I think in its attempt to be perfectly relaxed and lived in, the shirt is almosttooloose, in a way where it doesn’t have much of a shape at all and looks more stretched out than appropriate for the amount of times it’s been worn (and delicately washed).
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AP:The problem I had with Alex Mill’s Prospect Tee is the length of the sleeve, which cuts at the biggest part of my arm in a way that makes me uncomfortable. I wish there were a size between medium and large, as it was a little tight in the chest. But it’s the right length; you can tuck the hem into any waistband easily.
NJ:The Prospect scratches the mid- to high-range sweet spot; it’s a well-stitched and -cut top that doesn’t feel like highway robbery. Considering how fussy I am about lengths and fits, this one passed with flying colors. The cap sleeves are nice and loose and the bodice is straight but not tight, without drowning my figure either. It’s elongating, and it gets points for being tastefully sheer by a pinch. All in all a top I’ve enjoyed wearing on its own with miniskirts — but that isn’t the lightest on especially sweltering days. I think it will make for an great underknit layer in the winter thanks to its weight and high collar.
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AP:This is the kind of quality basic you go to Baserange for: It’s undyed and partly made with regenerative cotton. I’m not entirely convinced about the regenerative-recycled (80 percent–20 percent) cotton blend, however. Not that it’s scratchy, but it’s coarser — more than the Buck Mason Toughknit Easy Tee down below. And there’s alotof fabric. I played around with laying the fabric as it was on the modelhere, only for my work to come undone. Maybe better for someone taller than me.
NJ:This tee is notably stiff and feels almost starched, making for a top that can hold its shape. I’m known to enjoy a heftier top, and this one delivered without feeling overly heavy. I quite like how highly cut the crewneck is and how straight the T-shirt fits (my preference as a taller-torsoed person). Though it’s stiff, the cotton never feels rough or uncomfortable on the skin.
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AP:Re/Done Hanesis a line of T-shirts based on the Hanes archives. I don’t know if this is my idea of a vintage-inspired T-shirt. I imagine it’s like wearing a tee borrowed from my 13-year-old cousin. Had I known better, I would’ve tried a large instead of a medium. I kept tugging and pulling it down, making me feel older than my 30 years. (And holy sheer, I could see nearlyeverything— can you see my bra?) I noticed a couple of loose threads on it that a brand-new $95 T-shirt shouldn’t have, too.
NJ:Classicis in the name for a reason. This one feels closest to the single-stitch vintage tees I like to collect, likely thanks to the fact that it’s made of 30 percent recycled cotton. For the eye-watering price of $95, I didn’t want to love this shirt as much as I did. But alas, I adored it. The length was especially flattering, hitting the start of my hips, with shorter cap sleeves that slightly flare. The crewneck is high and thickly stitched, another nice touch. Plus the fit is straight and slim, but not too tight. I reached for this one very often when in search of a baby-tee fit without a baby-tee’s tight discomfort.
The very good one
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AP:The cotton Cou Cou used in the Classic Tee is rougher, especially in comparison to, say, the Perfectwhitetee Harley, but not quite like Baserange’s. Because of the thickness of the fabric (which I’d describe as mid-weight), it’s not necessarily for the average July day, but it should be just right in September. It does get brownie points for a size range of XXS to XXL (as most other T-shirts here are only available in XS to XL).
NJ:Cou Cou’s felt similarly stiff to Baserange’s tee (perhaps because both are made of undyed cotton). Even though this one fits more loosely, the cotton holds a clean and straight shape. The tee is cut into a slightly more relaxed, boxy shape than Baserange’s, with subtle drop shoulders. An overall reliable option for the price point.
The really great ones
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AP:There’s an ease to the Laura Margo that’s not in theMargo— a lot of that has to do with the different fabric in the Laura Margo. Leset describes its fabrication as “a lightweight, vintage-feel cotton” and the brand is not overselling this. (It will cost you $10 more; Laura Margo is $88 to the $78 Margo.) I couldn’t help thinking aboutGeena Davis’s T-shirt inThe Boroughs(a “tissue-thin, patina’d white tee” from Santa Fe Vintage, according to the show’s costume designer, Cristina Spiridakis) when I tried it on for the first time. It approximates the meaning ofthreadbare. The best thing about the Laura Margo, though, might be how soft it is — usually a tee needs a few washes to achieve this kind of feel. To get a fit like the model’s in the Margo (sold as “between fitted and relaxed”), I had to size up to a large, while the medium Laura Margo was more relaxed than fitted.
NJ:I don’t think Leset can ever really miss. The Margo tee ranks among my most worn tees from this list, layering well over bikinis or worn solo on days I didn’t want anything touching my skin. Its cotton is light and gauzy without being overly sheer (I’m comfortable with some amount of see-through), and the fit is loose throughout. Neither the sleeves, the wide and open — though not low — crewneck, nor the bodice ever felt constrictive in intense heat. An overall excellent option for those looking for a shirt that feels like nothing on. I was happy with the length, too. Though it has a slightly boxier fit than I’d like, its long-but-not-too-long hem balances things out.
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AP:Immediately upon opening the package that contained Leset’s Nando, I said to myself,This isn’t going to fit. How this tiny, itty-bitty T-shirt could get over my head is beyond me. Turns out it has the miraculous capabilities ofMister Fantastic, stretching to lengths I didn’t think possible. No matter if I was running down a flight of stairs or sitting in a desk chair, it molded to me perfectly. Under usual circumstances, I don’t wear anything this slim and fitted. But not once wearing it did I think I was wearing something tight. It definitely helped to go for the size L in lieu of M — if you’re body-hugging-shy like me, I’d recommend sizing up.
NJ:The Nando tee is the second-slimmest on this list — behind RLT’s Soft Baby tee, above — but in a good way. The baby ribbed fabric is formfitting with give, meaning no discomfort whatsoever. It’s stretchy with more full coverage through the bodice and arms. Just like the Laura, this tee fits incredibly easily once on. I’ve had no issue wearing it to travel. If anything, it makes cat napping on a train delightfully more comfortable since I know I’m covered where I need coverage.
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AP:The inner textile nerd in me appreciates the good old-fashioned American craftsmanship of Toughknit, which is knitted at the formerMohnton Knitting Mills— now known as the BM Knitting Mills under Buck Mason’s ownership — in Pennsylvania.Toughknitdoes bring to mind Wrangler jeans andMarlboropacks, but the cotton doesn’t feel roughspun. It’s a dying breed of T-shirt: thicker, heavier, solid.
NJ:Think of this one as Margo’s longer and thicker sister. It features very similar details, like a thin and wide crewneck and a boxy-ish, square cut with loose arm openings. But the open-end cotton makes for a heftier shirt (and this one’s washed to give it a more worn-in feel). I can blindly feel this one out of a pile because of its distinct texture. Despite the fact that it’s slightly thicker, it’s actually excellent in humidity because of how airy it drapes. And it’s a smidge more opaque than Leset’s, so you can layer just about any bra underneath with nary an issue.
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AP:I’m making the case for the $90 Sold Out the Iconically Soft Perfect Tee. It’s even softer than the Leset Laura Margo Tee. That’s in no small part because of the 100 percent Peruvian cotton, which is soft in a way a Kleenex is on your runny nose. I’m following the instructions of washing it inside out on a gentle cycle to be sure it stays that way for a long time. Other details, like the back seam and the wider-ribbed neckline, are special.
NJ:This easily felt like the most elevated tee of the bunch, thanks to the high, opaque collar contrasted against an ever-so-slightly sheer bodice. It strikes me as more of a top than just a plain T-shirt, and it fits oversize, loose, and drapey. It’s on the longer side overall, from sleeve length (among the longest ones, alongside Buck Mason’s) to bodice — and it paired well with myriad semisheer silk bottoms for evenings out when I wanted to feel light as can be.Wearing this tee feels like I have nothing on, but in a slinkier, jersier way than, say, Leset’s gauzy Margo.
Other (cheaper) white T-shirts we recommend
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