You know how they say diamonds are a girl's best friend? So is a chic white tee. (Madewell)
There are a few things everyone should have in their fashion arsenal: A well-worn pair of jeans, a good pair of black booties and a throw-on-and-go dress. But all of those are nothing without the classic white T-shirt. Hunting down a classic, comfortable and affordable white tee isn't as easy as you think. But once you find that "the one", life seems to just get ... better. While trolling one of the (many) shopping Facebook groups I'm a part of, someone had posted that they had actually found said perfect white tee: The Madewell Softfade Cotton Oversized Tee.
Excellent news: The tee also comes in black, for those days when you want to switch it up (or when your white tee is in the wash).
Some casual tees this high-quality can cost upwards of $40 — which seems pretty hard to justify when it's just a tee. This top-rated tee, though, is a total steal at $20 (down from $23). Plus, how many outfits can you make with this baby? So many that the cost per wear is basically zero.
First off, one can never have too many white tees in their closet, and there's truly never a bad time to buy a white T-shirt. This cotton one is designed with an oversized fit that hits right at the hip, making it tuckable. The result is an effortlessly cool, slouchy and universally flattering closet basic that you'll grab for years to come.
And, of course, the styling options are endless. Keep it casual with light-wash jeans and a pair of comfy sneakers or dress it up with a polished skirt and booties for a night out. I mean, reviewers even say that it's comfy enough to wear as a pajama top.
On top of its outfit versatility, Madewell shoppers cannot stop praising the fit and material of this "perfect" white tee, giving it an impressive average rating of 4.5 out of 5 stars.
"So frickin' comfortable," wrote one five-star reviewer. "I am forever in search of comfortable tees that are lightweight and don’t fit too tight. This is it. So soft and light. I have worn it, like, every day since getting it (don’t judge)." There will be no judging here!
"Love the already broken-in feel," explained another happy tee-lover. "[It has a] soft and silky feeling. It’s great to find a T-shirt that’s not cropped with a relaxed fit that’s not frumpy."
This reviewer also loves the oversized look sans frumpiness, before elaborating more on the sizing: "I am normally size medium in Madewell and took that size. It’s perfectly oversized without looking sloppy." They then go on to say that the "material is soft and not too thin."
While shoppers are major fans of the white tee, some note that the white option is on the sheerer side, with one noting that it's "a bit see-through." However, another five-star reviewer just pairs theirs with a nude bra (they even went back to buy three more).
A handful of shoppers also note that the tee is more lightweight than you would think. While one shopper said that it's "great for summer heat and layering," you may want to pause before wearing it by itself on a cold fall day.
The reviews quoted above reflect the most recent versions at the time of publication.
