This Is The Best White T-Shirt
Photos galore!
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by Carolyn Firestone
Why is that the simplest, most staple things in our closet are so often the hardest ones to find?
For instance, I own 17 white t-shirts. And I hate 16 of them.
And these are t-shirts I picked out and paid for, which means that somewhere out there are 847 other t-shirts I’ve tried on and hated even more.
But to really understand why the one t-shirt I love is better than the rest you kind of have to see it in the wild (“the wild” being a carefully staged photo of me in my bedroom mirror).
And so, here is a t-shirt I really do own/hate next to the one I own/love. Please let it be obvious to you which is which.
Here it is from the side:
And here is another t-shirt I own/hate next to the one I love just to show this isn’t just a one-off situation.
Now before I go any further with this, my favorite tee, the one on the right in all these photos, is not some $120, pay-for-the-label kinda deal. It’s called the Modern Slub Tee*. It’s from our beloved Z Supply. And It’s $39. And yes, it does have a tendency to sell out. But right now it’s in stock in all sizes, so let’s talk about it.
… Or maybe I should start by showing it to you on an actual model in photos taken by a professional photographer?
So cute with that taper, right?
Why is this t-shirt so much better than the others?
Allow me to break it down into bulletpoints, because if you’re like me, and don’t hold a fashion and design degree, it’s hard to really get the nuances of why something as basic as a plain white tee can turn us into the most Quasimodo-ish version of ourselves.
1. THE LENGTH: It covers every inch of midsection but hits riiiiight at the top of your pants, so you DON’T HAVE TO TUCK IT to look polished. And while it is long enough to tuck if you want to, it doesn’t create that extra bunch of fabric that makes it look lumpy under more fitted pants and skirts..
2. THE CUT: There’s a very subtle curve to the side seam so it goes slightly in and gives definition to the smallest section of your waist, making it incredibly skimming/slimming. This is also great if you have bigger boobs, because where a lot of t-shirts just go out at the chest and drop like a tent, this one tapers in ever so slightly so you feel nice n’ nipped.
See what I mean?
3. THE SLEEVE: The outer part of the sleeve almost goes up instead of down which means it doesn’t suction off the fleshiest part of your arm and make you look like a linebacker.
4. THE MATERIAL: This is a very soft, 100% cotton slub jersey so it feels lovely and hangs perfectly, keeping its shape but never looking stiff and square.
This is probably a good time to say this is not sponsored content. Z Supply did send me this t-shirt for free several years ago, but I’ve gone on to buy 3 more with my own money, not because they need replacing but because, like I said, I don’t want to wear any of my other t-shirts, and things (especially white things) do need a wash now and again.
In general, a good-fitting white tee is key to us looking chic on a daily basis in all kinds of outfits, starting with jeans and a tee … or a version of jeans and a tee that our Editor-in-Chief, Audie, actually wrote about as being her favorite uniform:
THE WHITE TEE AND JEANS
See how it’s just a white tee and jeans and boots, and you don’t even need to tuck, and you still look pretty “put-together?”
THE WHITE TEE AND MAXI SKIRT
This is for the days I’m deeply tired of dressing like a swamp creature and decide to make an effort (well, sort of, I am wearing a baseball cap to cover my unbrushed hair). But this slip skirt from Anthropologie* is actually the comfiest way of making your legs look 3 inches longer. And while my editor gave me a hard time for that freakish foot pose, I reallllly wanted to show you guys how the stripe on my shoe matches the skirt. It’s all a bit of fun, no?
I even tried to do that thing Sharon Stone did in 1998 when she wore a white button-down and maxi, slip skirt to the Oscars and decided to dress it all up by switching to pointed flats and a scarf:
THE WHITE TEE AND PANTS
Again, no tuck. No belt. Yes, these are the most smoothing “magic fabric” pants that we write about all the time on The Candidly because we each own 4 pairs, but there’s honestly almost no effort to this outfit and it looks totally thought through.
THE “FEMININE TOMBOY” WORK OUTFIT
I actually got in trouble (again) with my editor for not wearing a belt with this look, so much so she had Chat GPT (which she knows still freaks me out) give me one:
Okay, fiiiiine it is way better, so 3 points to my editor (but still not to Chat). And I do highly recommend this perfect black belt* which I should have been wearing. These pants are actually made of a brown and black print so they match everything, and they have elastic in the back so you can breathe at all times.
Also, I just want to mention how the neckline of this t-shirt is perfect for doing that Pinterest thing where just a sliver of a white peeks out of a cashmere sweater.
Please ignore the bagginess … unless you’re like me and absolutely require it 5 to 25 days of the month.
The White Tee And Mini Skirt
I saved the riskiest for last. My editor also said this looks dumb without a belt or a half tuck. But I really wanted to show you this stretchy, smoothing plaid skirt that possibly ended my fear of short, fitted skirts. I also wanted to show you that I learned a TikTok trick for tying a sweater round my shoulders and not looking like an asshole. Or maybe I do. We know what my editor thinks. But I’m gonna let you guys decide.
But either way, still get the t-shirt. It’s the one, my friends. The. One.
Carolyn is the Managing Editor of The Candidly. Her favorite thing to do is to write about her favorite things, especially when they have even the slightest chance of making someone else’s something (mood, relationship, travel plans, or toiletry kit) a little better. You can find more of her articles here.
At The Candidly, we try a lot of stuff so you don’t have to. We only recommend things we truly love, and that we think you’ll love, too. All products are chosen independently by our creative team, and all details reflect the price and availability of products at the time of publication. If you buy something we link to, The Candidly may earn a commission.
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