In the last couple of years, I have gone through at least ten different black and white tee-shirts to find that perfect fit for my year-round capsule wardrobe. Who knew a great tee shirt would be such a hard find? From v-neck to crew-neck, cotton to blend, low cost to high – I was beginning to wonder if I was requiring too much.
The Misses
At first, I turned to Target to fill this gap, knowing their shirts would be a temporary fix. Up to this point, I found myself buying new black and white tee shirts every year due to the garment becoming misshapen, stained, or dingy. For my capsule wardrobe, I wanted a garment that would last with proper care. Something that would hold up under regular use.
I tried low price points, and they never lasted beyond a season, becoming dingy or holding onto stains. Then, I tried mid-price points and found tee shirts that did not stain and were not dingy after regular use. However, each shirt collar became an irregular neckline for which no amount of steaming would make lay flat after washing.
Finally, I tried a few high-end options. These were the most promising, but often sheer. Though a thinner fabric could work casually and would work with my Nubian Skin tee shirt bra, I was hoping to use my tee shirts for work too. Thus, making the shirt more versatile as a work option under a blazer alongside its obvious use in my day to day wardrobe.
The Perfect Tee-Shirt
Enter organic cotton. Before this search, I knew of organic cotton as an environmentally safer option to its counterpart (more on that here). However, until this search, I did not pay attention to the quality of an organic cotton garment. My organic cotton sheets from West Elm were definitely a game-changer for my sleep, so I shouldn’t have been surprised when an organic cotton tee shirt hit all the high marks. On the recommendation of a Youtuber, I tried one white and one black cotton tee shirt from Organic Basics. Organic Basics is a Danish company focused on sustainable practices and quality garments. Immediately upon touching one of the tee shirts I purchased, I knew I found what I was looking for.
Both tee shirts are soft to the touch but definitely thicker than any other shirt I purchased. In a crew neck tee shirt, I look for a lower neckline so as to add that feminine touch. Also, the shirt sleeves have to flatter my broad shoulders and not sit too high on my bicep. I have a shorter torso when compared to my legs, so I require the shirts to sit just past my hips. Plus, I need the shirts to wash well, resist staining, and hold their shape.
Ok, so maybe I was asking for a lot? But, I wanted these garments to last and stand the test of time. Aka “Perfect Tee Shirt.” Since the shirts arrived in early June, I have washed both tee shirts several times and the colors remain crisp. Their shape is intact. Neither has shrunken and their collars have not distorted. Consequently, the shirts are holding up so well that I plan to purchase a few long sleeve options from Organic Basics soon.
A Little Bit Of Bragging on Organic Basics
I had no hesitation in purchasing these tee shirts because I knew US customs would have no issue with a tee shirt. Before purchasing, I also accepted that it may take a while to receive my package. Well, Organic Basics sent my tee-shirt right away, and it was rejected by customs. I’m not sure why, but the company immediately reached out to me. They let me know that “this was not supposed to happen,” and they would refund my shipping, plus refunding me the cost of one shirt, and ship both to me right away. Well, the company did just that and I received my shirts three days after shipping. Yes, they took ownership of the mistake, reduced my cost to that of a single tee shirt, and still shipped express to the US. To say the least, I was impressed and have no hesitation in recommending or purchasing from the company again.
This is definitely a great investment if the tees are long lasting. Thanks for the recommendation.