Friday, July 10, 2009

The Plain White Tees

I'm not sure if it was born of simply finding what works for me or just sheer laziness, but this morning I realized that the outfit I was wearing had rapidly become a "uniform" for me.

Pencil skirt.

White tee shirt.

Statement-y necklace.

Heels.

Cardigan. (my office is freezing!)

It has all the elements to fit the mold for a summer uniform. It's dressy enough for the office and for an occasional meeting, but comfortable enough for drinks afterwards with non-work folk.

But for me, the key to making it look pretty instead of sloppy was the right tee shirt wardrobe. And believe you me! It took some work to finding the right ones. I tried on ones from J. Crew, Forever 21, American Apparel, Gap, etc. And what I found is that they are not all created equal. Some are so thin as to be see-though. Some are too long. Some are belly-button baring. Some are too thick, ok, whatever, you get the point.

So you can avoid the search yourself, see my top three picks below...

Lacoste













Definitely the priciest of the bunch and perhaps jumps outside the tee shirt category, but an essential, especially in prepster-dominated DC. Just please, keep your collar down.

American Apparel Deep V Neck


















My current obsession. The cotton is soft and thin from day one, and it's gotten better with washing. The deep V neck is slightly sexy, but not obscene. The sleeve is a little on the long side, making it slightly androgynous. Which is cool. Or at least that's what the American Apparel ads tell me.

Petit Bateau











An oldie but a goodie. I stocked up on these puppies when I lived in France and the exchange rate was favorable. Oh yeah, BEFORE THE EURO. That's right, I've had my stash of these since 1999. That shiz is durable. They are made from a thicker gauge cotton and the crew necks have a little rickrack trim that elevate it to work appropriate status. They are also fitted, but not tight. A key distinction.

So, go forth and clothe my good friends. White tees are staples, even if you haven't settled into a style rut like me...oops, I mean, uniform.

10 comments:

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CHICKDOWNTOWN.COM Brooke said...

Sounds like a solid "uniform" to me. There are so many ways you can play with all of those since they're all closet essentials. I've come to really love the V neck tees from American Eagle. They come in great colors and are super soft!

Jenn said...

This may be irrelevant to you now, but I found your site by looking for info on Giada de Laurentiis' nail polish color. She apparently told someone that she wears OPI's Bubble Bath. Thought I'd spread the word.

Anonymous said...

Thanks for your picks on tees! I need to stock up on some good ones, especially since I always manage to spill something on them and inevitably ruin one before its time!

CHICKDOWNTOWN.COM Sarah said...

I love that you wrote about this because I'm obessed with comfy tees! They are the best! I really love Kain tees.

Lynn said...

Mmm, have you tried Martin+Osa? they have fabulous soft T's perfect for layering and versatile enough for office to play time transitions. They also usually have great sales at the back of the store ala Banana Republic.

Anti-aging Sytropin said...

I collect Lacoste shirts cause they're extremely comfy and effortlessly chiq. It's becoming a uniform but hey, who cares?

Christen said...

Thank you for the tips! I am forever looking for the perfect tee. And so far I have been unsuccessful. But I will definitely try these out.

Thanks!
http://la-rue-neuve.blogspot.com/

chickdowntown.com Eliza said...

Oh thank you so much for this post! A huge part of my wardrobe consists of tees and v-necks in basic colors, and mine are all wearing out (or too tight, or hit my hips awkwardly, or whatever). You're absolutely right that you just have to find the right tee. Thanks for the tips!

temptu said...

Glad you write this review, Tees is very comfortable to wear.