It’s been awhile since I purchased t-shirts, thanks to buying so many Everlane shirts 5 years ago. However, many of those shirts have worn out or have become too small. So I had been on the hunt for a good classic tee when I found Yes Friends on a list of ethical brands.
Yes Friends is a UK company that specializes in organic cotton shirts, sweatshirts, and denim. Their products all are made from organic fair trade cotton in solar-powerd factories paying living wages. They’ve thought of all the ways they can be more sustainable and have followed through. With a “Great” rating on the Good On You App, I don’t think you could get a more ethical clothing company.
And for all the effort in making ethical clothing, you would think their prices would be up there with Rudy Jude or at least Everlane. But wow their tees clock in at $12.99 (even Everlane tees are $30 these days). Can they really make an ethical, organic cotton tee that affordable and still stay in business? I guess they can. Yes Friends says it costs them about $5 for a tee so I guess that’s enough of a margin. Plus they only have one style of tee for both men and women in a limited selection of colors, and they’re not constantly churning out new product that may or may not be a hit. They’re sticking with the classics and I think that’s the way to go.
Lucky for me I love the cut of their classic tee. I’ve been looking for a tee with a plain crew neck and slightly longer sleeves. I mean it’s not mind-blowing but it works. The tee is on the long side so I usually just tuck it in, though you could fold it in for a cropped look. I got both the black and white in a small. I’m usually a medium in most brands (size 6-8 on top), but after looking at their measurements I decided to go with a more fitted look. And I like it. It’s fitted without being tight. The white tee is thick enough that you can’t see a nude bra underneath. The organic cotton is thick with not a lot of stretch, sort of like the classic t-shirts from back in the day.
I’m thinking of ordering two more in the next size up (medium) for those days I want a looser fit. And of course I’ll update this review when I do.
Anyway these are hands-down my go-to shirts now. I’ve been wearing them as soon as they come out of the wash for the last 6 months or so and they still look great! No warping of the necklines or shrinkage. You don’t need to baby these tees and they’ll still keep looking great like all workhorses should.
P.S. The shipping is $9.95 (which is almost the cost of another shirt), but they’re shipping from the UK afterall. And you can’t expect them to absorb the cost of shipping if everything is fairly priced. (Also if any local friends are reading this and want to purchase some shirts from Yes Friends let me know and maybe we can split the shipping).