The 6 Best Affordable White T-Shirts for Women
Today, we’re talking about the best, full-length, basic white T-shirts for women.
A white T-shirt is one of the most versatile pieces of clothing in your wardrobe.
So, having a few fresh white tees to throw on can make getting dressed much easier.
When your personal style leans classic, you must strike an important balance.
The basic items that compose the foundation of your outfits need to do a lot of work.
Getting those foundational pieces right makes getting dressed a whole lot easier.
They should be better quality, fit well, and maintain their integrity wash after washing.
In many cases, spend a little more on these items. Buy the best you can afford.
But here’s the thing: prices right now are off the deep end.
I’m at the point in my life, and maybe you are too, where money is growing wings and flying out my front door.
So a simple white T-shirt costing $100 or $200 is offensive.
It’s also wild because almost all of the expensive T-shirt brands I have tried over the years are paper thin and terrible quality.
The bottom line? When it comes to white T-shirts, there is little correlation between price and quality.
A higher price point does not mean better quality.
In fact, it’s quite the opposite.
The Best White T-Shirts for Women
Today, I’m sharing recommendations for the best white T-shirts for women.
Qualifications for a top spot are affordability (these start at $10 and do not exceed $50), quality, durability, and, the sheer factor.
I ordered a crew and v-neck style white tee shirt from the blog’s most popular brands: Talbots, Old Navy, Everlane, J. Crew, J. Crew Factory Target, Banana Republic, Lands End, and Quince.
Then, I inspected each one for quality, tried them on for fit, and did a “sheer” test.
To be considered one of the best, the tee had to check all the boxes AND offer a range of inclusive sizes.
As usual, this post is not sponsored. I personally purchased each one of these and kept my five favorites.
Testing Out the Best White T-Shirts
To find the best white T-shirt for women, we bought over a dozen styles, examined each, tried them on for size and shape, and washed the winners.
These are all cotton blends (specifics are on the product page), available in an inclusive size range.
It was like we created our very own Good Housekeeping lab but in my office 😉
The Best T-Shirts That are Not See-Through
Amazon Essential
Amazon Essentials
Amazon
$19.002 for $19!
Amazon really kills it with affordable basics.
And this basic white crew neck is a great example of the kind of gems you can find in their massive assortment.
This top seller has almost 50,000 glowing reviews.
It has a lovely fit, washes well, not see-through.
Available in XS – XXL. This runs small.
Lands’ End
Lands’ End
$30.00It makes sense that Lands’ End would make one of the best white t-shirts.
Their focus on quality and practicality is at the heart of their brand.
I like this option because it has a bit of shape, but doesn’t cling, a nice sized sleeve (I hate when they cut your arm at an awkward spot) and a little more length that you can half tuck, full tuck or leave out.
They also wash and wear well.
Available in regular, petite, tall and plus sizes.
Banana Republic
SUPIMA® CREW-NECK T-SHIRT
Banana Republic
$50.00The SUPINA cotton crew is the most polished option on our list. It’s a wonderful, better quality, every day tee, worth the slightly higher price point.
Size up, I went with the Large.
Talbot’s
CLASSIC COTTON CREWNECK TEE
Talbots
$39.50If you are looking for a better white tee, with a longer short sleeve, the Talbot’s Classic Crewneck Tee is a winner.
Available in missy, petite, plus and plus petite!
I take a medium in Talbots.
Old Navy
Luxe Crew-Neck T-Shirt
Old Navy
$16.99The Old Navy Luxe Crew is a different kind of white T-shirt.
It has some drape and movement to it with a little bit of stretch.
It washes well and holds it shape.
I preferred the crew neck version of this to the v neck – which feels like the neckline is stretched out.
Available in regular from XS – 4X, petite and tall for $16.99 now with 40% off at checkout
J.Crew Factory
Girlfriend Tee
J. Crew Factory
$19.00Finally, I love this Girlfriend Tee from J.Crew Factory.
We’ve already featured it several times this season. It’s a great more casual feeling tee that still washes and wears well.
Available in XXS – 3X, one for $19 or 2 for $35.
Here are some options that didn’t make the cut and why:
Old Navy’s Everywear Tee – too sheer.
J Crew Vintage Cotton Crew Tee – pretty much the same as the J.Crew Factory Girlfriend tee.
Quince Crew and V-Neck Tees – I hated these, sheer and had a yellow undertone.
Everlane – this one is a bummer because I use to LOVE their tees, but the last few times I ordered them the quality wasn’t the same.
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Thank you for this post!! I love the white tee shirt and like you saw the prices go up and the quality go down. I can wait to check out your recommendations!!
Great Post.
I have also found LL Bean’s white t’s to be great – not sheer, V and crew neck, and a decent range of sizes. I have several and have found them to wash well and continue to look good for several seasons.
I have at least 8 Marine Layer T-shirts in my closet. Some are 5 years old. Good quality.
Why didn’t any V-necks make the cut?
In the post I offer a v-neck in both the Amazon and Lands’ End styles and I note that the Old Navy V neck didn’t “make the cut” because it looks stretched out.
I love this post every time you do it! So helpful. I’ve bought the Old Navy luxe tees in the past, they’re great, not too clingy and a little less casual. Thanks!
Thanks so much for your research! Truly appreciate it.
Do try the white Saturday tee shirt from LL Bean. I like the neck, which doesn’t gap. The shorter boxy fit works well and they last forever.
LL Bean has a non-sheer, good quality while T, but they may be on the short side for taller gals.
Perfect timing on your post! I was just thinking that I need some new white t-shirts for spring layering. Thanks for all you do! In addition, glad to hear I am not the only one that gets holes in t-shirts. I have been trying to figure this out for years.
I purchased the Amazon tees on your recommendation last year and they wore and washed great! I got v-neck in white and the pink that was so popular last year. Thanks for your research!
The JCrew Factory fine-ribbed tee is also surprisingly high quality, and the ribbing provides stretch as well as keeping sheerness at bay. I have several and they stand up to Atlanta heat and humidity.
Great but what about v necks? I’m a 36 D so the crew necks aren’t the best for me. Thoughts? Thank you for ll that you do for us!
Thanks for the post on white t-shirts – something that I tend to replace every 2 years! Also appreciate the info regarding change in quality of the Everlane Ts. Disappointing, isn’t it? Would you mind posting the country in which each of the ‘winners’ was manufactured? This makes a difference to me. Thanks!
My daughter introduced me to the Michael Stars “Lexy” tee. It is a really nice quality and I love the wider crew neckline. With the 15% discount you can get online, they ring in at $57 but they are worth it. I will be checking out your suggestions.
Would you consider updating this article again? I just bought the Amazon tshirt. The price is now lower, but the material has changed and the white is no longer opaque. It is very soft, and I like it in other colors. I suspect there will be similar changes with other brands.
Yes! I’ll update in the early new year, I’ve found several new options I like.