Alternatively you can accentuate a svelte physique by going a size down in a heavier cotton. How should a white T-shirt fit?Ī tighter fit could prove flattering for musclier men, so you might consider buying lighter-weight cotton T-shirts that cling to the body better, à la James Dean. For extra softness and breathability, some brands have also delved into lyocell fabrics, which is especially popular for those more loungewear-centric styles. Unless you're shopping for a white T-shirt to work out or play sports in (in which case, a sweat-wicking polyester is probably best), you should ideally be looking for cotton, due to its light weight, breathability and ultra-durability. What's the best material for a white T-shirt? Here, we've outlined what exactly to look for in the perfect white T-shirt, along with a selection of the very best you can buy for every budget.
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It's easy to see why – going with absolutely everything, worn under a suit or with a pair of jeans in any colour, it is fashion's safest bet. The white T-shirt has been championed by everyone from Kurt Cobain to John Travolta's Danny Zuko and its staying power is second to none – Harry Styles, David Beckham and Robert Pattinson are all advocates of the humble white T-shirt. Whether a symbol of the working class (just look at the iconic photos of the workers constructing the Empire State Building) or rebellious teens (see James Dean in Rebel Without A Cause) it has long served as a men's fashion staple. Over time, its simplicity has been a blank canvas for portraying the age we live in. After all, what Chanel does, others will copy. Picked up later by the likes of Chanel in the 1920s, it soon became a fast-fashion staple. Starting life as an undergarment way back in the medieval period before eventually becoming a part of the British naval uniform, it wasn't until the turn of the 20th-century that brands such as Fruit Of The Loom began manufacturing white T-shirts in bulk. Once a Second World War uniform regulation, the white T-shirt has an illustrious history. Chances are, you already have a few more than one stowed away. Trends come and go, but throughout history, the humble white crewneck has never run its course as a menswear staple. Alan Henry, Wired’s service editor, who wears between an XXL and a 3XL, said the fit on the classic J.Crew in XXL was a little tight, but that the length on his 5-foot 7-inch frame was great.If there's one item in your wardrobe you can always count on, it's a white T-shirt. We tested the shirt in its standard cut, but it also comes in Slim and Tall, the latter of which adds 2 inches to both the body and sleeve length. The J.Crew shirt comes in sizes XS through XXL, which is a decent range, though we’d love to see that expand further.
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After this T-shirt was washed and dried, it shrank by 2 inches total-less shrinkage than with many other shirts we tested in this price range. Wirecutter’s deputy editor Jason Chen described it as “how a T-shirt should fit.” Chen, who wears a size M, also noted that the length of the shirt was perfect for tucking in, but it wasn’t so long that the shirt looked sloppy if he wore it untucked. The collar was just right, neither too narrow nor too wide.
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![and then there was light t shirt and then there was light t shirt](https://media.npr.org/assets/img/2020/07/10/gettyimages-1215627804_wide-e1c8747ada01a1969d8c6e565d89fb2426be1715.jpg)
Together we discovered a universally praised white T-shirt of exceptional quality, a more-versatile shirt with a boxier fit, a super-soft slim-cut tee, an affordable white T-shirt that comes in many sizes, and (my personal favorite) an off-white, high-quality (and pricey) splurge.Īcross all testers of different sizes, the J.Crew T-shirt’s seams hit the right spot on their shoulders, and its sleeves didn’t ride up. To evaluate quality, fit, and comfort, I inspected 128 of them online, tested 36 in person, and consulted a panel of diverse and stylish men, including Choire Sicha, former editor of The New York Times’s Style section Jesse Thorn, founder of Put This On Bruce Sturgell, founding editor of Chubstr Alan Henry, Wired’s service editor and Wirecutter deputy editor Jason Chen. These five are our favorites-high-quality, stylish shirts in a number of fits, at prices suited to most any budget. There are literally hundreds of white T-shirts out there. You can wear it solo, splash it with accessories, cover it with a sweater, or, if you’re the protagonist of a certain André Aciman novel, toss it on the dock when you go for an impromptu swim in Italy circa 1983.