There's Nothing Plain About These Women's White T-Shirts

The search is over.

For a lot of us, the perfect white T-shirt is a sartorial white whale. It is, in a word, classic. Because it can go with everything, one single white tee has the power to change your fashion fortunes forever.

Columbia Pictures / Via giphy.com

But these days, with every label staking claim to the “perfect white tee,” it’s never been more complicated to be so wonderfully basic.

So in the interest of all of humanity, we put on racks on racks of white T-shirts to find the ones that best fit the widest range of body types, look equally stylish beneath layers as they do worn on their own, and, of course, feel soft and comfortable, even after a few washes.

And yes, we know: Style is subjective! Plus, there’s everything from personal taste to body shape to local climate to take into account. But to us, the best white T-shirt is the ultimate style chameleon. In our search for the “perfect” white tee, we kept it simple, focusing on classically cut crewneck designs with minimal branding. And even though we tested some unisex options, we learned that T-shirts cut specifically for women provided a more flattering fit overall. Without further ado, below you’ll find two of the best white T-shirts for women.

Editor's Note: We're currently updating these picks! Check back soon for more.

Everlane Women’s Cotton Crew

BuzzFeed

Throughout our search, we realized that separating the “meh” from the “bury me in this shirt” came down to better details, and those details are what we got with Everlane’s Cotton Crew, our clear favorite in the $$ category. From fabric and construction to neckline and sleeve length, this shirt got high marks for all the ways it could be styled: untucked with a pair of jeans, tucked into a pair of high-waist pants, underneath a snug sweater — there’s nothing it can’t do!

BuzzFeed

Let it be known that the BuzzFeed office has its fair share of Everlane stans, and for good reason. The direct-to-consumer brand has built a devoted fanbase for its stylish, versatile basics, and it’s not afraid to share how much every article of clothing costs to make, and where that money goes — from materials to labor to transportation. Whether you’d consider Everlane “affordable” depends on your outlook on money, but its pricing is certainly lower than most other ethical retail brands (we see you, $40 tank tops).

One of the elements of this tee that all of our testers adored was its sleeve length. As we quickly found out while trying out a plethora of T-shirts, getting a consensus on sleeve length is tougher than it sounds. And while in fashion, like with pizza toppings, you can’t please everyone, all of our testers agreed that the sleeves on this Everlane shirt hit that sweet spot between too long and too short (no shade to a cap sleeve, but they’re divisive!). “TBH, they made my arms look toned,” one tester said. “They were tight enough to not be flopping around, but loose enough where it didn't feel like my armpit was being strangled.” Another seemingly small thing we love about this shirt is its collar — it has enough width that it lies flat, and it’s close-cut without sitting too high on the neck (because we love a mock neck, but we want it to be intentional).

BuzzFeed

Like our $ pick, this Everlane tee is made from Supima cotton, which is fairly thin, though not sheer. The brand uses a 40-single yarn for its women’s tees, which, in the textile word, means a tighter weave and a softer shirt. One of our testers noted that she wore dark bras underneath it without appreciable peek-age. While it’s not flimsy, it feels much more lightweight than our $ pick. Like, so soft that you kind of forget you’re wearing it. To get a little nitpicky (hey, that’s what we’re here for!), this shirt is constructed with more care than any of the ones in the $ category — stronger visible stitching, and the seams lie flatter, even after a machine dry, though we did still find that it shrank a bit.

This tee has a fitted look, which isn’t to say that it’s skintight. Everlane describes it as “boyish” and a “true gamine classic,” and come to think of it, we could totally see Audrey Hepburn rocking it while tooling around Rome. It looks great fully tucked in, and it also layers well with almost any kind of sweater. The layering potential is a huge selling point for this one, but our testers all said they felt comfortable wearing this one out on its own as well.

BuzzFeed

Some of our testers, along with some customer reviews, noted that because this tee has a slim, straight cut, people with larger chests — or those who prefer a more relaxed fit — should consider sizing up. If you’re looking for style and comfort and you’re willing to spend a little extra (just a little, really) for ethical fashion, this one might just be your forever(lane) favorite.

Get it from Everlane for $18.

Mott & Bow Marcy Fitted Crew

BuzzFeed

If you don’t know Mott & Bow, they make jeans. Really good jeans. So it makes sense they’d go ahead and make some of the best white tees in the game. We’ve used the word “soft” to describe ourpicks in both the $ and $$ categories, and we stand by that, but it has to be said: Our $$$ pick, Mott & Bow’s Marcy Fitted Crew, is next-level soft. Look, we’ve never personally felt the cheek of a baby angel, but…you get the idea. The combination of pima cotton and modal is some kind of fabric magic. This shirt is soft. Almost silky, a number of reviewers noted.

BuzzFeed

A quick sidebar about pima vs. Supima cotton: Supima is a kind of pima that’s grown in the US, so all Supima is pima, but not vice versa. Mott & Bow’s pima cotton comes from Peru and features the same extra-long fibers, making for a softer and stronger fabric that doesn’t require any extra chemical washes to soften it (which we didn’t know was a thing!). The addition of modal to the mix makes the tee stretchier than our other two picks, which helps it hold its shape better throughout the day; modal (which is a kind of rayon) is so soft and breathable, you’ll typically find it in underwear and pajamas.

That said, the fabric is thin — “a little sheer, but somehow it still worked?” according to one of our testers. To put this best: It looks intentionally thin, rather than thin because someone made a miscalculation. Despite how delicate this tee looks, our testers’ shirts suffered no ill effects when machine-washed with cold water and machine-dried. The seams and collar both stayed flat, and because the shirt is preshrunk, its fit was unaffected (and you won’t have to worry about it turning into a doll-sized shirt in the wash).

BuzzFeed

Our testers loved the stretchiness of the tee: “It really clung to all my curves,” one noted. We know that a curve-hugging style isn’t to everyone’s taste, but while this shirt is snug, it doesn’t feel tight. Across the board, our testers found this to be the most comfortable tee they tried across all price categories. Many reviewers commented that if you want the shirt to be snug as opposed to tight, you should size up. While none of our testers had a problem wearing their usual sizes, it’s definitely a matter of taste. Some reviewers also noted that the shirt runs a little long, which is great for people on the tall side or who have long torsos. Its length also makes it easy to tuck in (again, a matter of taste — fashion!).

Of course, $30 is more than a lot of people want to spend on a white T-shirt, which we totally respect. Our testers were definitely in that camp at the beginning of this experiment. When they tried this tee, though, a couple of them declared themselves converts: “I think from this experience I'm learning that I am a slob who thinks white T-shirts are meant to be cheap and crappy. This shirt has shown me a new way,” one said. Other tees we tested in this price tier gave us sticker shock, even after trying them on.

BuzzFeed

Hey, if we’re going to drop $30 on a basic tee, we want it to feel special. So if you’re someone who wears white T-shirts no matter the occasion and you’re looking to elevate your basic a bit, we can’t recommend this one highly enough. To quote one of our testers, “It’s like butter.” Need we say more?

Get it from Mott & Bow for $30.