I have a thing for white t-shirts.
Not in a weird way. I just think a good white tee is hard to find. Too thin and everyone sees your bra or your chest hair. Too thick and you sweat through it anyway. Too cheap and it falls apart after three washes. Too expensive and you're scared to eat spaghetti in it.
So I did something slightly ridiculous. I bought five white t-shirts at five different prices. Wore each one at least ten times over three months. Washed them all on cold and hung them to dry. Same routine for every shirt.
Here's what happened.
The $25 shirt – Uniqlo U Crewneck
This is my go-to. Has been for years. I wanted it to win because it's cheap and I'm lazy.
The fabric is thick. Not like cardboard thick, but enough that nothing shows through. The collar kept its shape better than I expected. After ten washes, it still looks fine. A little softer, but not stretched out.
The problem? The white isn't bright white. It's more of an off-white. Almost creamy. Some people like that. I don't.
The $50 shirt – Everlane The Premium Weight Crew
I wanted to hate this because Everlane is everywhere. But it's good. Really good.
The fabric is heavier than the Uniqlo. Feels more substantial. The collar is tighter, which I like. After three months and maybe twelve washes, it still looks new. No pilling. No weird stretching. The white is actually white.
The only downside? It wrinkles. Not a lot, but enough that I noticed. I'd throw it on and see little creases across the chest. Fine after five minutes of body heat, but still annoying.
The $80 shirt – Buck Mason Pima Curved Hem
Softest one out of the box. Like wearing a cloud. I almost stopped testing right there.
But soft doesn't always mean good. After five washes, the fabric started to pill a little. Just tiny balls near the bottom hem. After ten washes, the collar got wavy. Not destroyed, but not crisp anymore.
The curved hem is nice if you wear your shirt untucked. I do. So that part worked for me.
The $120 shirt – James Perse Classic Crew
Okay. This one hurt to buy.
The fabric is thin. Really thin. Like I could see my skin through it in certain light. That might be fine for some people. It wasn't fine for me.
After three months, it stretched out in the shoulders. The collar got loose. The white stayed bright, but the shape was gone. I looked sloppy wearing it.
My girlfriend said "that shirt looks tired." That's when I knew.
The $150 shirt – Sunspel Cotton Crew
This is the one everyone talks about. Daniel Craig wore it in a James Bond movie. I figured it had to be amazing.
The fabric is nice. Light but not see-through. Soft but not fuzzy. The stitching is perfect. The collar is flawless.
But after ten wears? It's a white t-shirt. A really nice white t-shirt. But not $150 nice. Not for me anyway.
I spent the whole three months being careful with it. Too careful. I didn't wear it to cook. Didn't wear it to the park. Just sat around looking at myself in the mirror.
So here's where I landed
The Everlane is staying. That's the one I grab when I want to look put together. The Uniqlo is staying too. That's for groceries and cleaning the apartment and not thinking too hard.
The Buck Mason is on the fence. Feels nice but the pilling bothers me. Maybe I'll keep it for lazy Sundays.
The James Perse went into a donation bag this morning. Didn't even hesitate.
And the Sunspel? It's still in my closet. Clean. Folded neatly. I haven't worn it in three weeks. Every time I reach for it, I think about spaghetti sauce or sweat stains or something else ruining it. That's not how a t-shirt should feel.
So I'm done being precious about it. Next time I spill coffee on myself, maybe that shirt finally becomes a cleaning rag. Feels like the right ending for something that cost that much.
