Three Thursday Things 07: Three tees, a remote worker’s quest for the perfect everyday t-shirt

After the pandemic began, I started wearing t-shirts every single day. After an exhaustive search and trying more than 20, these are the best three women’s tees I found.

I basically have a uniform (but not in a creepy Elizabeth Holmes way):👚 a tee on top, 👖denim on the bottom (shorts most days because 🔥☀️Tampa☀️🔥, but skirts or jeans, too), and👟Onitsuka Tigers Mexico 66(usually the slip-ons, because who has time for shoelaces?) I am pickiest about the tees, so here I share my top three brands and styles.

🥇For Days Recycled Cotton Vintage Tee, $32

For Days Recycled Cotton Vintage Tee in Linen

After purchasing no fewer than twenty other tees, I stumbled upon For Days’ website when I was looking for a way to ♻️ recycle clothing too worn to donate or sell. When you spend twenty bucks on their Take Back Bag, For Days credits your Closet Cash account $20 to apply to the purchase of your favorite new t-shirt (or anything they sell). What the hell, I figured. I’ll recycle some old clothes and try out a new tee. For Days stocks numerous styles, but I love the look of a vintage crewneck, so I chose the Recycled Cotton Vintage Tee in a bold red. That first one is still in great condition after 23 months of at least weekly wear and machine washing and drying. I’ve added about ten more to my wardrobe since.

Things to love:

1. The super flattering cut falls just a smidge below the top of my hip bones and is neither super clingy nor overly baggy.

2. The medium-weight, high-quality 80% organic cotton with 20% recycled cotton fabric. This is neither a flimsy tee, nor a super heavyweight one. The stitching is perfect. Even the label inside is perfect. (Stitched in to the tee instead of a tag.)

3. It’s made in a SMETA certified, AMFORI BSCI certified factory in Morocco, not in a sweatshop.

More recently, I also started wearing the slightly lighter weight Organic Cotton Daily Tee, too, and it’s been my most comfortable summer tee so far.

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🥈 RicherPoorer Women’s Relaxed Crop Tee, $40

RicherPoorer Women’s Relaxed Crop Tee in Morning Roast

The super flattering pigment dyed Women’s Relaxed Crop Tee from RicherPoorer is the priciest tee I own. Less versatile than the two others I’ve spotlighted, it’s still worth adding two or three to your wardrobe. The fit is boxy enough to wear on days I feel — shall we say, chunkier than usual? — but fitted enough to be attractive, and the fabric is just a tad lighter weight than the For Days Vintage Tee.

Like For Days, RicherPoorer’s specialty is casual wear with a focus on sustainability, though their website isn’t as specific about what that means to them.

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🥉 Madewell Northside Vintage Tee, $18.50 or 3 for $36

Madewell Northside Vintage Tee

Of the three tees I’ve mentioned, Madewell’s super soft Northside Vintage Tee pairs best with my “dressy” denim skirts and jeans and is the most fitted. Delicate and super soft, this tee has a timeless, classy look. It’s the lightest weight of this group of tees, so I was worried it wouldn’t last long, but my first gray one still looks great after about a year of weekly wear. Bonus — no annoying tag. The brand and size are inked just below the inside of the collar.

Some colors are on sale right now for $12.99 on Madewell’s website, and I’ve found them at Nordstrom Rack for as low as $10, so they can be budget-friendly if you can be flexible with the timing of your purchase.

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That’s a wrap for this week! Let me know if you have any favorite tees I should try!