The simplest things in life are often the hardest ones to find. I mean, you can get a cup of coffee literally anywhere but there’s a difference between some caffeine to hold you over and a latte that makes your morning, amirite?
Same goes for a staple of wardrobes everywhere—the white T-shirt. Like so much of the population, I’ve spent my fair share of time in a number of tees that merely met but never exceeded expectations. (Sigh.) So this fall, I decided to search for a white tee capable of passing a spark joy test—and I enlisted my fellow editors in the hunt. For weeks, we tried on dozens of options and finally narrowed the list down to the five below.
For Days Mid Mock LS, $38
Available in sizes XS to XXL
“I wear a white T-shirt pretty much every day, and I’ve been living in this long-sleeve version from For Days since it launched its new closed-loop, eco-friendly line of organic cotton shirts this summer. It’s loose-fitted but cropped—a surprisingly difficult combo to come by—and looks as good with a pair of high-waisted jeans and a leather jacket as it does leggings. Better still? If it ever stops looking so fresh and so clean, I can trade it in for a new one for $8—plus, they’ll recycle my old one into new shirts.” —Jordan Galloway, senior style editor
Wilfred Helaine T-shirt, $40
Available in sizes XXS to L
“I’m pretty much eternally stuck in the ’90s when it comes to my style, music taste, and affinity for rom-coms starring Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan. This is precisely why I’m obsessed with the Wilfred white T-shirt, which allows me to channel Cher Horowitz with its just-cropped-enough length, ribbed texture, and ringed neck. It’s perfect for layering under slip dresses, rocking with jeans…really it just looks classy with anything.” —Rachel Lapidos, associate beauty and fitness editor
Cotton Citizen Standard Tee, $65
Available in sizes XS to L
“This tee is the ideal comfy basic tee: It’s the type of soft, stretchy, loose-fitting number that you could wear all day, sleep in, and repeat (if that were a hygienically sound and socially acceptable thing to do). It’s not a crop, it’s not too sheer, and though there’s cotton in the blend, this supreme Supima is a far cry from the heavy, sweat-inducing Hanes numbers from your gym-class nightmares of years past. Basically, if you’re in the market for a trusty crew neck, this tee is the axis around which you can build an entire casual capsule collection.” —Alexis Gutter, senior lifestyle editor
Lou & Grey Softserve Cotton Boy Tee, $25
Available in sizes XXS to XL
“This crewneck is the epitome of classic white tees. The cotton-y soft fabric feels like wearing nothing at all, and the garment falls right below your waistline. So in other words, it’s a match made in heaven for any denim item in your wardrobe” —Kells McPhillips, editorial assistant
Everlane The Cotton Crew, $16
Available in sizes XXS to XL
“When you want to mindlessly buy or put on a T-shirt, this Everlane number is the one—it’s the Goldilocks of white tees. First of all, it’s wallet-friendly enough that you can buy one for every day of the week—it’s also what the default setting of any trusty and basic T-shirt should be. It’s a classic crewneck cut, the perfect length to be tucked into a high waisted skirt or worn loose with a pair of leggings, and the fabric won’t show your bra but still doesn’t feel suffocating.” —Tamim Alnuweiri, assistant style editor
To learn more about our team, here are 16 books we couldn’t put down recently—plus, office-favorite DIY acne remedies.
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