Above: Mott & Bow Semi-Crop Noble Box Tee (c/o); Hudson Nico Jeans
Over the years, my work wardrobe has become more and more predictable. I mainly wear the same three items daily only slightly modified: white t-shirt, black jeans and flats or loafers. I’ve tried to spruce things up with a Rent the Runway Unlimited subscription or my shoe choice (like a colorful pair of Rothy’s or Birdies), but I more or less stick to the same.
Unsurprisingly, I’ve gathered quite a few white tees over the years and decided it was time to compare them to each other. Today, I’ll be reviewing:
- Amour Vert – Valentine Tee
- Mott & Bow – Semi-Crop Noble Box Tee
- Everlane – Relaxed Crew Neck (similar here)
- Everlane – Cotton V-Neck
- Alternative Apparel – Vintage Jersey T-Shirt
Mott & Bow Semi-Crop Noble Tee
First up! Mott & Bow is a denim & basics brand based out of NYC. They reached out to me last month to try a few pieces – I reviewed their jeans & sweater here.
Age: 1 month
Material: The cotton is a nice, mid-weight fabric that is reasonable opaque. This is my newest tee, so I’ll be updating this post with how the material wears over the next few months.
Fit: I’m wearing a size Small, which fits as expected. It’s definitely the shortest cut of the tees I own – not a problem at all, but I likely won’t be wearing it to work unless paired with very high rise jeans. I like the thicker band used for the neckline – it lays flat very nicely, and isn’t cut too high (my usual issue with traditional crew necks).
Quality: So far, so good. Again, I’ll be updating this post over the months.
Amour Vert Valentine Tee
Amour Vert is a San Francisco brand focused on ethical clothing production and makes social and work-appropriate clothing in natural fabrics like cotton, silk and Tencel. While most of my pieces from the brand are silk (more on that reviewed here), I decided to try out one of their basic cotton tees – specifically, the Valentine Pocket Box Cut Tee.
Age: 6 months
Material: The material is a nice weight – I’d call it light-medium weight, light enough to have a flow but thick enough to avoid transparency issues when worn with darker jean colors.
Fit: Like the Mott & Bow tee, the fit is looser, as expected from a box cut tee. I’m wearing a size Small, which holds consistent to most other brands I wear. It’s cut on the shorter side, though not as short as the Mott & Bow. This length works perfectly with medium and high rise jeans for me. However, if you have a longer torso (I run on the short side), I could see this being slightly inappropriate even for a casual workplace.
Quality: Overall, I’ve worn this consistently once a week since purchasing months ago, and the material has held up well. However, I’m starting to notice some thinner parts on the front, typically where it hits the waistband (and button) of my jeans.
Everlane Relaxed Crew Neck Tee (similar here)
This tee has a similar fit most of Everlane’s classic tees, but has a relaxed crew neckline which is “just right”. Unfortunately, they’ve discontinued this style – I am sad I didn’t stock up!
Age: 2 years
Material: The cotton is nice and lightweight – and can show your dark denim underneath if you wear your tee loose. That being said, I very much like the material overall.
Fit: I’m wearing a size Small, which fits as expected. The length is just right, hits just at the hips but is snug enough to not hang loose over my butt (an issue I have with some tees that are cut too relaxed).
Quality: Again, I’ve had no issue with the quality except for one thing: the material at the collar and hem tends to become twisted over time. I’ve noticed this with my other Everlane tees as well. For me, it’s not a huge dealbreaker (especially when compared to fit), but it could bother some more than others.
Everlane Cotton V Neck Tee
This was my first white t-shirt and the oldest of the bunch by far. I purchased this tee during Everlane’s early days circa 2013. I was very much into v-necks at the time (my tastes have shifted towards relaxed crew necks now). Though I don’t wear this one as much nowadays as others, I felt it would be useful to review because of its age and wear.
Age: 7 years (!)
Material: Same as above, a lighter weight cotton material.
Fit: This tee also has a semi-relaxed fit, which I like. However, for me, the v cut is a little low (especially in the looser size Small) for me to wear it comfortable to work.
Quality: Surprisingly, this tee has held up over the last 7 years, which is really kind of incredible, especially given the thinner material. My only issue with it has been related to the collar – similar to the relaxed crew above, the material has twisted over time.
Alternative Apparel Vintage Tee
This one is a bit different than the last three. Rather than being a pure cotton tee, it’s actually composed of a 50% cotton and 50% polyester blend.
Age: 6 months
Material: The material is ribbed, which makes it thicker than the tees above. However, I would still call it light-midweight as it’s still very breathable, especially when it stretches.
Fit: The fit is more form-fitting than the styles above, which I’m not a huge fan of. Because of the soft material, it’s not tight or restricting – but the shape is different than what I’m used to. It also runs on the longer side – normally, I’d try to wear it tucked in but the fitted nature makes it a bit wonky to wear that way.
Quality: So far, so good. There has been a little bit of pilling over the time I’ve worn it, but nothing super noticeable. Hasn’t shrunk in the wash or dryer.
Alternative Apparel (Honorable Mention)
The Ideal Eco T-Shirt is similar in material to the tee above, but has a looser fit that I prefer more. I don’t (yet) have this in white, hence the honorable mention. But I feel it’s worth pointing out as a solid contender!
Age: 2 years
Material: Like above, it’s almost a ribbed material that is thicker than the Everlane, Amour Vert and Mott & Bow tees. Unfortunately, it does show pilling because of that, after a year or so of wear. But it isn’t very noticeable except to myself.s
Fit: The size Small fits as expected. It’s a nice “relaxed” fit that doesn’t drown me – while it’s not fitted, it also doesn’t drop below my hips.
Quality: As mentioned above, there is some pilling involved with the material but it’s not nearly as bad as sweater pilling. Also has not shrunk in the water.
Verdict
Overall, I like all of these tees and feel they service different purposes and styles. If I really had to choose one, the Everlane Relaxed Crew would be my favorite due to the fit and the neckline.
Unfortunately, they are sold out so I will continue to wear a mix of the different styles above. Right now, I do enjoy the box-cut tee style – so the Amour Vert and Mott & Bow tees are in higher rotation versus my classic Everlane V Necks.
What’s your go-to white tee? Would love to hear in the comments!
