A Good T-Shirt Is Hard to Find

Old Navy’s fitted V-neck tee is a must-have. $5, oldnavy.com.

Everlane’s short-sleeve tee with chest pocket in a lightweight mercerized cotton for a sleek, refined finish. $22, Everlane.com.

Semi-fitted T-shirt with curved hem made from soft cotton jersey in a summery shade of coral. $25, madewell.com.

Eco-conscious Zady’s feminine v-neck T-shirt with just the right amount of drop and a slightly curved hemline. $36, zady.com.

Aritzia’s Rhetoric slim-fitting T-shirt in 100% organic cotton is lightweight enough for keeping cool or layering under light jackets. $45, artizia.com.

When the occasion demands a more sophisticated look, Aritzia’s pima cotton blend T-shirt offers a super-smooth fit with no side seams. $50, Aritzia.com.

James Perse T-shirts with fitted body, crew neck and curved bottom hem get good marks for comfort and style. $65, jamesperse.com.

The Saint James classic nautical shirt, a little oversized with sleeves that look great pushed up. $68, annmashburn.com.

A draped, lightweight jersey Wilt tee with wide trim along the shallow v-neckline. $88, shopbop.com.

DESPITE THE recent lack of cooperation from the weather gods, for the past month I’ve been obsessed about buying T-shirts. It’s the underpinning of my go-to daily summer uniform: a jacket and a white, black or striped tee paired with cropped jeans/pants or a skirt. That more or less covers me for a lunch date/meetings and (sans jacket) casual weekends. My requirements: a slightly fitted torso or a slightly slouchy one, a neckline that lies flat, a durable material that’s not see-through (must withstand the washing machine) and a price tag of less than $100, please.

Some history: If I had to rank my T-shirts in order of longevity and value, then that honor would go to a Gap navy-and-white striped short-sleeved crew neck that I’ve owned for the past seven or eight years. It’s a little pill-y, but I’m not quite ready to give it up. On the value end, my niece who was living with my husband and me for the summer after college left it at our house, and, sorry, Maggie, I kept it! Around the same time I bought a black James Perse T-shirt for about $35 (the price has gone up considerably) or so and was almost as pleased. In the meantime, I have bought plenty of T-shirts in all price ranges with not as much success. I was enamored with my Vince tee that I bought on sale two summers ago until it inexplicably got a hole in it several months later. I also loved my Saint James marinière, also purchased on sale, but it’s beginning to look, as the French say, “triste,” after only a few months of wear. And in spite of careful cold-water laundering, a Wolford sleeveless top that I paid big bucks for ($120) and don’t wear very often is starting to look frayed. (And I was so hopeful because their tights are simply the best!) My subsequent T-shirt buys at the Gap have been disappointing, too, with necklines that bulge and sub-par materials.

But not to be deterred, I’m on the hunt for new possibilities. My latest purchase is a $22 black, boxy Everlane Clean Edge Short-Sleeve T with side vents, chest pocket and a finished hem. I’m planning to wear it with slim white jeans and sandals. Last week’s Wall Street Journal story put white T-shirts from Aritzia and Anthony Thomas Melilla on my radar, although at $85, the latter is bumping up against my price limit. On the other end of the price spectrum, one of my most stylish friends is a fan of Old Navy tees — “they come in so many different colors and choices of neckline.” My well-informed New York City shopper has put me on to a site called Zady, a “sustainability-focused fashion company.” Like Everlane, it’s transparent about its sources, and the price point is reasonable.

The photos above show some of the T-shirts I’ve worn and liked and ones I intend to try. But, dear reader, we would love to hear what you think. Got a favorite brand? Share it with us by e-mailing info@mylittlebird.com.

— Janet Kelly
Janet Kelly is the editor of MyLittleBird.com. Read more about Janet here.
She last posted on the jewelry business of Lizzie and Kathryn  Fortunato.