I Tried 14 of the Most Popular White Tees—This $12 One Was the Winner

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If I attempted to count the number of white T-shirts I’ve had in my lifetime, it would be an impossible feat. I’ll never forget my go-to outfit in high school: a loose white tee from H&M paired with light-wash skinny jeans with rips all over them (see image below.) I leaned on this outfit for literally all occasions, and I remember experiencing pure heartbreak when that trusty T-shirt started getting holes and pilling. Since then, I’ve been chasing the high of finding the absolute best white T-shirt. When you think about it, a plain white tee is quite possibly the most important thing you can have in your closet. They can be worn for every occasion—with your favorite sweats, over a pair of jeans, or even under your favorite blazer for the office.

Upon my extensive research, I found that I’m not alone in my relentless search for the perfect white tee. I watched hours of TikTok, scoured dozens of reviews on site after site, and even found myself diving deep into the depths of Reddit for intel. With so many divided opinions, I added the 14 most recommended shirts to my cart and decided to put them to the test.

I went on a true journey of trying different white tees with cult followings to see which was really the best, so buckle up. Between all 14 tees, the prices ranged from $10 to $54. I opted for my standard size small in all the T-shirts unless sizing recommendations or stock suggested otherwise. Here’s how it went:

My Requirements for a Perfect White Tee

When searching for a quality tee, these are my requirements:

• That the material is opaque (isn’t see-through)
• That the fabric isn’t too thick nor too thin; I get hot quite easily, so I don’t gravitate toward T-shirt materials that are too heavy
• A slight crop: I don’t love truly cropped T-shirts, but I like them to be at my waist (and not above or past it) so that I can easily tuck them into my jeans without too much extra fabric
• A crew neck that isn’t too loose: I don’t want the collar of my tees to look stretched out

My Review of the Internet’s 14 Most Popular White Tees

Reformation Classic Crew Tee

• High-quality look and feel
• Not see-through
• Thick yet breathable

$38

Available in sizes XS-XL

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I truly loved this T-shirt. Upon trying it on, my first impression was that you could immediately notice the high-quality look and feel of the material. Its material wasn’t at all see-through but wasn’t so thick that I felt I’d be dying to strip it off during the summer months. It has a relaxed fit that looks great both tucked and un-tucked. One of the best parts of this tee is it comes with a soft, broken-in feeling that makes you want to live in it. It pains me to say that I’ve fallen in love with a $38 dollar T-shirt, but I truly do think this one is worth its price.

Sizing: True to size

Uniqlo Mini Short-Sleeve T-Shirt

• Affordable
• Flattering cap-sleeve
• Stretchy material

$14.90

Available in sizes XXS-XXL

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Out of all the fitted tees I tried, this one was my favorite. It’s super stretchy and finely ribbed, and after trying it on and seeing how flattering it was, I went back to Uniqlo the next day to purchase it in another color. The sleeves are angled to have a bit more of a cap-sleeve effect, which I found to be very complementary. It’s hard to find a form-fitting tee that isn’t see-through, but this one passed that test.

Sizing: True to size

GAP Organic Cotton Vintage Shrunken T-Shirt

• Affordable
• Lightweight
• Perfect crop, sits right at my hips
• Relaxed fit

$12

Available in sizes XXS-XXL

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OK, this T-shirt genuinely surprised me. The material is lightweight and breathable, the sleeves are the perfect length at my mid-bicep, and the fit of the shirt is perfectly relaxed. When you factor in the price, fit, and overall look of this tee, dare I say, this might be my favorite overall (so much so that I went to the GAP and purchased it in two other colors). As I kept trying on more tees, I couldn’t help but compare them all to this one. I don’t shop at the GAP too often, but this tee alone is now convincing me to go back for other treasures I could be missing out on.

Sizing: True to size

Madewell Northside Vintage Tee

• Soft and comfortable
• Slightly see-through

$18

Available in sizes XXS-3X

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This tee wasn’t super memorable for me. (Which is saying a lot because I’m a long-time lover of Madewell.) It’s on the looser side but more fitted in the chest and arms, making the fit a little unflattering to me. It’s also on the longer side, which made the fit feel even more awkward. At $18, it’s just an OK T-shirt.

Sizing: True to size

Old Navy Vintage T-Shirt

• Opaque
• Awkward and boxy

$16.99

Available in sizes XS-4X

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Old Navy has always been one of my favorite places to get basics from; however, this T-shirt was a miss for me. So many of the details were just… awkward. The collar sat too high up on my neck, the hem was split on the sides, and the sleeves were long and boxy (and not in a chic way). The fit sort of reminded me of the free tees you got during your first week at college. While it looked decent when it was tucked, this one was a skip for me.

Sizing: I got my true size, and it was a little large. Size down one size for a relaxed fit, or stick with your true size for a more oversized fit.

J.Crew Classic-Fit Crewneck T-Shirt

• Extremely soft to the touch
• Lightweight for warmer months
• Comfortable to wear
• Very see-through
• Looks different on the brand’s site

$29.50

Available in sizes XXS-3X

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This shirt is extremely thin and very see-through. Based on those two factors alone, I don’t think I would recommend it to anyone. However, if you’re someone who does like a thin tee, this one is your gal. It’s made of 100 percent jersey cotton, so it has a really soft, gauzy feel that’s nice for the warmer months. Despite my qualms with the material, the fit wasn’t bad at all (no loose collar, hangs loosely off the body), so this one really just came down to my preference of material.

Sizing: True to size

Sézane Conrad T-Shirt

• High-quality look and feel
• Loose collar
• Awkward fit

$40

Available in sizes XXS-3X

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I was so excited to try out this Sézane tee, but truthfully, the fit fell flat for me. It’s a standard length, so it’s quite long, and the collar is wide and loose. The sleeves are also a bit long and on the tighter side, which led to an awkward fit. Looking back, all the models on the website have their sleeves rolled up, so it makes complete sense that I was thrown off by that detail. Comparing the rest of the tees, this one might have had the longest sleeves, which I didn’t love.

Sizing: True to size

Aritzia BestHug™ Ribbed T-Shirt

• Opaque
• Flattering
• Very thick
• Slightly restrictive

$25

Available in sizes XXS-2X

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This white T-shirt is thick. While that isn’t something I prefer, it was so opaque that I was actually impressed with it. I initially tried this shirt on with a colorful bra, and you couldn’t see it at all—a huge feat for a tee. It’s incredibly soft, and the fit of it is incredibly flattering. If you’re looking for a comfortable, form-fitting tee, this is it.

Sizing: True to size

Abercrombie Body-Skimming Tee

• Length sits right at hips
• Sits perfectly on the body
• Sleeves hit at upper bicep
• Holds up after washing

$19

Available in sizes XXS-2XL

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Approximately half of my wardrobe is from Abercrombie, so it makes sense that I already had this tee in my closet. It’s definitely one of my most worn tops; I probably wear it twice a week, and even though I’ve washed it a million and one times, it still looks brand new. Both the material and fit are absolutely perfect. The length sits right above my hips, which is ideal for wearing it tucked. It’s not tight but isn’t loose either, so the “body-skimming” description is on point. Despite being a thinner tee, the quality of the material is top-notch and isn’t very see-through. I’d definitely say it’s worth adding to your cart the next time you hit up an Abercrombie sale.

Sizing: True to size

Target Universal Thread Shrunken T-Shirt

• Extremely affordable
• Perfectly cropped
• Soft to the touch
• Slightly see-through

$10

Available in sizes XS-4X

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This was by far the best cropped tee on this list. It sat perfectly right below my belly button and is super soft. It’s loose and flowy, and the sleeves sit cropped but don’t feel like a cap-sleeve, which makes the overall fit basically perfect. The only downside is it is on the see-through side, but for $10, I think I can look past that. If you’re looking for affordable well-made basics, this is the one. There’s no harm in adding one to your cart next time you’re strolling around Target.

Sizing: True to size

COS Clean Cut T-Shirt

• High-quality look and feel
• Unique collar and hem
• Pricey (but worth it)

$45

Available in sizes XXS-XL

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This COS tee is one of the most viral tees on this list—the internet simply cannot stop raving about it. I was super excited to try it, but I didn’t think I was going to like it based on its boxy fit and standard length. Lo and behold, it ended up being one of my favorites on this list. Despite having “heavyweight” in the title, it actually doesn’t feel heavy at all. What makes this tee unique is its collar, which is made of a thicker ribbed material than the rest of the shirt, giving it a slightly distinguishable look. If you’re going to splurge on a T-shirt, let it be this one. It definitely lives up to the hype.

Sizing: True to size

Everlane Box Cut Tee

• Perfectly boxy
• Breathable lightweight material

$30

Available in sizes XXS-3X

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Everlane’s Box Cut Tee just celebrated its 10th birthday (HBD Box Cut Tee!), and 10 years later, it remains one of Everlane’s best sellers—and for good reason. Just like my Abercrombie tee, I can easily see this T-shirt fitting into my weekly rotation. It’s thin but not see-through and sits on the body with a relaxed and boxy fit, yet it’s not too bulky. This shirt is $30, which isn’t cheap, but they do offer a bundle of three of these tees for $60, which I think is well worth the coin.

Sizing: True to size, reviews say it shrinks in the wash, so size up if that’s a concern

Skims Soft Smoothing Seamless T-Shirt

• Extremely flattering and form-fitting
• Super stretchy
• Buttery smooth material
• Odd Sizing

$54

Available in sizes XXS-4X

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This is not your average white tee. Its nylon and spandex makeup makes it super stretchy and buttery-smooth. (If you’re familiar with Skims’s material, you know what I’m talking about.) While it’s different than the other tees on this list, it’s highly coveted and the smoothing fabric is raved about far and wide, so I had to try it. A Nordstrom employee told me to always size up one or two sizes when buying from Skims, so I got a medium instead of a small. It’s tight but by far the most flattering in this roundup, and I can 100 percent see myself wearing it on a date or on a night out with the gals. At $54, it’s the most expensive tee on this list, but it is definitely a game-changer in terms of how it fits on the body.

Sizing: Size up 1-2 sizes

Cuts Almost Friday Cropped Tee

• Soft and silky
• Sleeves hit at mid-bicep
• Crop sits right at belly-button

$46

Available in sizes XS-2XL

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This is another tee with a cult following—consider yourself lucky if you can find it in stock because it’s literally always sold out. Placing the order almost felt exclusive, the website kept offering me a membership and even the packaging the shirt came in was sleek. I was super curious about this “tee to end all tees.” After trying it on and feeling the fabric, I understood the hype. It’s on the thinner side, but immediately, what stuck out to me was just how soft it is: It was basically cool to the touch. The standard-length version of this tee was sold out, so I had to try the cropped version, which I actually really loved. It was loose, not clingy, the crop hit perfectly at my belly button. It’s so silky and comfortable that it makes its $46 price tag look a little better.

Sizing: True to size

My Final Verdict

My overall winners for this test were the Reformation, COS, Everlane, and GAP tees. As a bargain-lover, it pains me to say that three out of four of my top choices were $30 and over, but I do feel the quality of these tees reflected that and are worth it in terms of cost-per-wear.

Ultimately, dear reader, if I had to pick just one to recommend to you, it would be the Organic Cotton Vintage Shrunken T-Shirt from GAP. Its full price is $24, but I’ve never seen it not on sale for around $12. This is truly my perfect white tee, and I’m going to be stocking up so I have backups of it on deck.

GAP Organic Cotton Vintage Shrunken T-Shirt

$12

Everlane Box-Cut Tee

$30

Reformation Classic Crew Tee

$38

COS Clean Cut T-Shirt

$45

MEET THE AUTHOR

Bella Gil, Associate Commerce Editor

Because shopping is quite literally her full-time job, Bella is dedicated to making sure you spend your hard-earned money on products you’ll fall in love with. She spends her days testing, researching, and writing about a wide range of topics, from beauty products to rug cleaners and everything in between.

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