One of my goals this year as part of #LessNewin2022 is to write more posts about items I already own and less reviews of new stuff. So today I’ll be doing a little roundup of my current shirt collection and how they’ve worn over the years. The following are my five most worn shirt brands:
Everlane Tee
Everlane was one of the first brands I reviewed on the blog and their tees were one of the first things I reviewed (in 2015!). All the tees from that original review have now been relegated to the rags pile or given away to friends (even Crossroads won’t take most of them). The collars eventually will wear out, making the tee look more sloppy than polished. Or some of them got holes in them. I did purchase some their crew tees in 2018 (in medium—they run TTS) which I loved. And though the collar on those have held up pretty well (and overall I think the quality is better), they ended up being too small (I think I’m a large in these now) so I never wear them anymore. I will still occasionally wear an old Everlane tee under a sweater but I generally do not wear them on its own during the summer. It’s been awhile since my last Everlane tee purchase so I can’t say how the quality is now. As for sizing I used to wear mostly smalls in Everlane since their items tend to be more oversized (though now I’m definitely a medium to large). Has anyone purchased an Everlane tee recently and what did you think?
Grana Tee
Back when I first started blogging, Grana was the Hong Kong cousin to Everlane. They both had a similar premise (ethical production and transparent pricing), and they had a similar level of quality. Actually I think Grana’s quality was a smidge better, but Everlane’s styling was far better (trendier/modern). And this holds true for their tees as well (you can see my original review of my Grana tees here). I wear a Grana shirt daily to sleep (a mens medium), which was a habit I started when I got pregnant and haven’t stopped. I also wear the women’s tees (also in medium—Grana usually runs TTS) under my sweaters the most often. If you’re looking for a classic tee, made with a nice tight weave that doesn’t wear out or get holes I would say go get it from Grana. BUT I also haven’t ordered anything from them in years so I can’t speak to how their quality of service or good are now (my first Grana tees review was back in 2016). I haven’t ordered anything because I’m getting great use of the tees I have from them and have no complaints. If you’re interested, this referral link will get you 10% off your first purchase (and I’d be interested to know what your experience is like with their service and the quality of their items).
Organic Basics Tee
I wear this tee most often as a tight undershirt when I’m wearing a more fitted top or sweater over it. I never wear it on it’s own since it’s a little too form-fitting and slightly sheer. But with it’s 5% elastane it’s my only tee that’s not 100% cotton. And sometimes you just need a stretchy tight tee (but granted it’s not often and this tee is not my go-to). I reviewed my Organic Basics tee (c/o) here.
Clare V Tee
I got this as a present awhile ago but tbh I never wear it because it’s one size too big (a large instead of a medium) and because it’s a graphic tee (and I usually prefer simple tees with no design). But I decided to include this in my round-up because I do wear it once in awhile and to let you all know that for $99 I don’t think it’s worth it. At least this tee with the words “liberte, egalite, maternite” benefits Every Mother Counts, a non-profit that works to make childbirth safer. But overall this is basically a plain white tee with a screen printed slogan.
Organic by John Patrick Tee
And last, but definitely not the least is my 15 year old Organic by John Patrick Tee that I purchased from Barney’s (that’s the one with the flashy print on the back). I love love love this tee and raved about it during my last ethical tee reviews round-up (that time focusing on just black shirts). This tee feels like a perfectly worn-in vintage shirt, super soft but not stretched out. There are a couple holes in the front that haven’t grown even through multiple washes. And the tags have all fallen out already but that’s fine because I plan to never sell it. I actually started collecting more Organic by John Patrick tees this past November with credit from the RealReal. I’ve been able to snag these tees from $12 (an all-time super discounted low) to $25 (the most I’ll pay for these tees used). They retail for $95, which I would never pay for even if these are my favorite tees. But they pop up often enough at the RealReal for much less than that, which I think is 100% worth it. You can find the current selection of Organic by John Patrick items on the RealReal here. As for sizing, I wear a small in these tees and I feel like they usually run a tad large.
Oh an honorable mention, I do like James Perse tees as well and find that the collar (and overall quality holds up). I just don’t include them in the full round-up here because I only have two with very wide collars that I never wear anymore (I favor crew necks now). As for sizing, I say they run a bit on the smaller side and I usually size up for their tees.
And that’s it. So I basically wear Grana tees at home and to sleep and wear Organic by John Patrick tees when going out. This probably means I could probably pare back my current tees collection to just those brands, which I’m definitely thinking about now that I’ve done this little round-up. What are some of your favorite tees and why?