What Makes a Good White T-Shirt

A white t-shirt is the cheapest garment in most wardrobes and the hardest one to buy well. The differences between a good one and a bad one are invisible on a hanger and obvious after three washes.

Fabric weight

Weight is measured in grams per square metre. It is the single most useful number on a t-shirt listing, and it predicts almost everything else.

• Under 140gsm: thin, slightly transparent, comfortable in heat, will not last.
• 140 to 170gsm: the standard retail weight. Fine under a jacket, honest on its own.
• 170 to 200gsm: heavyweight. Holds its shape, drapes rather than clings, shows no undershirt.
• Over 200gsm: structural, closer to a sweatshirt. Good for a boxy fit, warm in summer.

For a white tee specifically, go heavier than you would in another colour. White shows everything underneath, and 170gsm is roughly the point where it stops.

Yarn and knit

Two shirts at the same weight can behave completely differently depending on how the yarn is spun.

• Combed cotton has short fibres removed, which reduces pilling and makes the surface smoother. Worth the small premium.
• Ring-spun cotton is spun to align fibres, giving a stronger, softer yarn. Most good basics are ring-spun and combed.
• Open-end cotton is cheaper, rougher and pills faster. Fine for a gym shirt, not for the one you wear to lunch.

You will rarely see "open-end" on a label. The tell is the price and the hand-feel: if it feels slightly fuzzy and stiff, it probably is.

The neckline

The collar is the first thing to fail. Look at three things:

1. Ribbed binding. A proper collar has a separate ribbed strip, not a folded-over hem.
2. Cover stitching. Two parallel rows of stitching where the collar meets the body keep it from stretching.
3. Width. A collar that is too narrow curls; too wide looks like underwear. Roughly 2cm of rib is the standard that ages best.

Pull the collar gently in the shop. If it does not spring back, it will be a wavy neckline by August.

Seams and hems

Turn the shirt inside out. What you want:

• Side seams with a clean overlock, no loose threads.
• A straight hem with a double row of stitching. A single row will twist.
• Shoulder seams taped or reinforced. On a heavier tee, this is what stops the shoulders from sagging.

If the shirt is tubular — no side seams at all — that is not a defect. Tubular knits are traditional and resist twisting, but they fit fewer body shapes well.

Fit, in one paragraph

The shoulder seam should sit at the edge of your shoulder, not below it. The sleeve should end mid-bicep. The body should skim the torso without pulling across the chest, and the hem should land at the hip bone or just below. If you want the oversized look, size up in a heavyweight fabric — sizing up in a thin one just makes a bigger, thinner shirt.

Washing, which is where they die

• Cold water, inside out, with like colours.
• No fabric softener. It coats the fibres and reduces absorbency.
• Tumble low or hang dry. High heat is what shrinks a cotton tee into a crop top.
• Never bleach a white tee to whiten it. Oxygen-based cleaner, occasionally, is the safe option.

A good white tee washed this way lasts three to five years of regular wear. A cheap one washed the same way lasts one.

How many you need

Three. One in rotation, one in the wash, one for the days you forgot. More than three and you will find the oldest one at the back of the drawer in a state you would not wear in public.

If you are building the rest of the wardrobe around it, the 30-piece checklist puts the tee in context, and how to judge garment quality covers the checks that apply to everything else.