I don’t know about you, but a good white tee is like a good friend. Find one you love and HOLD ON to it! Whether layered or worn on their own, a white tee is SUCH a staple and classic piece for the wardrobe that we find ourselves living in year around! Now, there’s onlyyyy are a few thousand options to sift through on the internet, so here at LIY we put 5 Crewneck and 6 V-Neck white tees to the test to let you know which are worth the purchase and which are sheer, uncomfy, and a pass! Keep on reading, because there are some real surprises in here that you don’t want to miss…SPOILER ALERT: a $6 tee won OVERALL.
For sizing reference, Erin is 5’4″ and wearing size Small and LIY Ambassador Sthefany is 5’2″ and wearing size Large. Here’s what we tested on the tees:
- Sheerness Scale: 1 being “THAT IS SEE THROUGH” to 5 being “I’m nice & covered”
- Overall Fit
- Overall Quality and feel
- Appearance
Pro Tip: Did you know that wearing bright white bras under white tees isn’t always the best? Real Simple magazine taught us that you are better off wearing deep burgundy/maroon shades under white tees because the color blends with the skin better — who knew? With that said, Erin is wearing the (oh so loved) Eby Bra [use code livinginyellow for 15% off – p.s. 7 women with different bra sizes tried it and shared our thoughts here] and Sthefany is in her go-to Victoria’s Secret bra!
V-Necks Tested
Athleta Avenue Tee [true to size]
Noteworthy: Winner, winner (insert your favorite food) dinner!! While this Athleta tee is on the pricier side, we loved the quality, cap sleeve, and sporty feel!
Nordstrom Everyday V-Neck T-Shirt [size up if in between]
Noteworthy: This tee was our favorite budget-friendly V-neck! It has a deeper V than some of the others we tried, is more fitted, and is a good everyday basic white tee!
Recreation Thread & Supply [true to size]
Noteworthy: This tee is SO soft and comfortable! It has a curved hemline, sewn cuffed sleeves, and the back is slightly longer!
Everlane Organic V-Neck Tee [size up]
Noteworthy: This tee was nothing special, unfortunately, and we would only wear it for layering but didn’t love it enough to wear on its own!
LOFT Everyday V-Neck Tee [true to size]
Noteworthy: This tee has a lower V and good overall comfort! Be sure to check the price, it’s usually on sale – YAY!
Old Navy Luxe V-Neck Tee [true to size]
Noteworthy: Think of this white tee as more of an ivory! It is not form-fitting and has a longer sleeve length! We also liked it better on the hanger, but would still purchase it because overall for the price, quality, and lack of sheerness – it was a goodie! Bonus: it’s usually on sale!
Crewnecks Tested
Target A New Day Relaxed T-Shirt [true to size]
Noteworthy: Our favorite tee and it’s $6, SHOUT IT AGAIN $6!!! It has a very lightweight feel, soft fabric, longer sleeves, and we liked the relax fit!
J.Crew Factory Vintage Slub Cotton Crewneck Tee [size up if in between]
Noteworthy: This tee has a good sleeve length and is more fitted! While Erin passed on this as a White Tee, she owns and loves this one in other colors! Also be sure to check the price because this baby is usually on sale!
Express Supersoft Crewneck Tee [true to size]
Noteworthy: This tee is smooth and sporty. It has dropped shoulder with line detail down back. However, it was not a top pick!
Everlane Organic Cotton Crew Tee [size up if in between]
Noteworthy: We were not a fan of this tee. It had a tighter fit, was very sheer, and felt like nothing special!
Nordstrom Everyday Cotton T-Shirt [size up]
Noteworthy: This tee from Nordstrom had the tightest fit of all of the crewnecks we tried! Ultimately it was not comfortable, making it a no!
