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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Another recommendation if any reader needs a size larger than 3X – Universal Standard makes awesome tees which I’ve tried and loved and (to me) are worth paying duties on (I live in the UK). They run around $50 so they’re not as bargainous as this fabulous list, but still not eye-wateringly expensive and the sizes run up to the equivalent of a US 38/40. I usually wear a US 26 and I find them true to size.
I always have a problem with t-shirts getting holes in the belly. I buy the correct size and it is not tight. I am an extra small or small. Any ideas to avoid this?
I do, too. I’ve read it is caused by leaning up against the counter and the skin getting caught between the counter and the button on your pants. I started wearing an apron when I am working in the kitchen and it seems to be helping. I haven’t noticed them on the new t shirts I bought last summer. (Inexpensive Kohls so they would definitely be a quality that would easily get those little holes.)
I’ve heard speculation that this is caused by the counter in the kitchen when doing dishes. Is it about that “height”?
I noticed this happening to me as well. Thought it was caused by my dogs claws when he would jump up on me. Which may have been the cause of a few tears….however she has since passed and there are some new tears. I have noticed that when I wear a spring jacket, the tshirt can be caught in the zipper as I zip it up and also possibly when you zip your jeans up when in a hurry. They are both in the same area.
I love my Landsend Tee Shirts. I have been buying them for years, I have them in many colors. They wash and dry like a dream. I have some that are about 10 years old, they hold up fantastic. I use a Shaklee product in my white wash loads to keep things white and the Landsend shirts stay white !
I have been pretty happy with the J. Crew tshirts I bought at the beginning of summer. I end up buying a lot of white tshirts because I always end up with odd stains… usually I don’t know where they even came from 🙂
I like Tasc, Zella, and Athleta tees for casual wear. They a little pricier, but the last FOREVER. Only problem is keeping the sythetique materials white.
I agree with the Landsend T shirt. I buy new ones only because after multiple years I feel like I want new ones. They wear like iron and always retain their shape. A great value for the money.
I also buy LL Bean, but in the men’s section. I find a better fit in the chest and and a longer sleeve more to my liking. I’m a US 36G by the way. I also love the Life is Good tees. They last me long time and still look great. Buy the 2 for $35 plain tees in crew or vee neck.
Great tip! Thanks!
Any ideas where to find plus size t-shirts with 3/4 sleeves? Thanks
Sure, this one at Nordstrom is available in a few colors on sale right now for under $30, Old Navy has this one in black and white with a sleeve slightly shorter than 3/4 for about $20.
Because it’s the summer and the pandemic, inventory is really limited right now, but check out Talbots in a few weeks when their early fall pieces hit too – they’ll have them as a basic.
Yes I agree my daughter and I had this very discussion about getting holes in our t shirts around the belly area then u have to throw them out. I finally figured it out when I wash dishes etc in the kitchen I lean against the counter and that’s what makes the holes. I find this to be true with Madewell t shirts and gap t shirts.
Is the first picture (the one before Lands End) the Madewell tee? I like the sleeve length on that one. Thanks
Terry
I feel huge in white….even with a cardigan on but I do love the look.
Another nasty culprit leaving those little holes in our favorite tees is (believe it or not) the seatbelt! You may be a fan of wearing a belt with your jeans & shorts, as I do, which causes the tee to rub against the buckle underneath the seatbelt.
A little front-tuck can be helpful to prevent this. I have lost many favorite t-shirts to those darn holes!!
Wow! So glad to read that others have had a problem with holes near the waistline. I thought I was the only one. I started wearing pull-on pants and have not had the problem. Got tired of tossing perfectly good tees.
Big thumbs up for the Lands End v necks and the Talbots tees of all necklines. I second your recommendation of Talbots three quarter sleeve tees. I like the boatneck best, but also have many v and crew necks. I have a few colors like red or powder blue, but every single year I buy one navy, one black, and a couple of white ones. Even though the older ones are ok, they lack that crispness that comes with a new tee. I wear my newer ones for going out somewhere, and put an x on the label with a marker to show last season’s, which I wear for a simple errand, a walk or around the house. 2xxs mean I clean in them. For about $100 total each season, because they are frequently on sale, you have plenty of nice tees, and you can see at a glance which ones have more wear.
I was glad to see that Everlane wasn’t listed this year. I bought one on your recommendation a year or so ago, and was very disappointed. It is unfortunate that brands don’t always hold up through the years.
I, too, have many Land’s End tees and have been buying them for years. They have constant sales. I also like Universal Standards’ tee-rex and v-rex. They drape beautifully! Although I shop a lot at Talbots, their tees are a little too clingy through my thicker middle for my taste.
Thank you for this!! I live white tees especially in the spring and summer and have had a tough time finding a good one! Now I know I have seen real good t’s too choose from.
Lands End also makes a 1/2 sleeve t shirt that I have coming as my arms are terrible. Lol
Are there any elbow length sleeves in a good white tee?
Thank you so much for your investigation into the white tee shirt! Sheer has been such an issue for me. I’m looking forward to shopping for one now!
Thank you for taking the time to do this and provide us with the best white tees. I have found it difficult to find a good tee for years that is a good price and not sheer. Thanks also for being honest and realistic about cost and quality! I love your help and knowledge with getting dressed and looking our best.
I got the Mae shirt from able and really like how it fits. I got the hummus and mahogany so can’t speak to the white but if it’s a similar thickness I think it would work! Plus I like their women supportive mission.
https://www.ableclothing.com/products/mae-drapey
Thank you for going to the trouble of ordering and trying on for us all these white tee shirts!! I really appreciate your recommendations!! Will be ordering white tee’s soon!!
I’m actually glad to hear your comment on Everlane. I ordered a white T from them on your recommendation a year or so ago and was very disappointed. I use it as a sleep T, but it was too sheer and thin to use as a daytime T-shirt.