Remember when clothes didn’t suck? The years were the late-90s and early-aughts. Jeans stretched a little, but were mostly cotton. Cashmere was soft and heavy and durable. Poly-blends were only sold at the giant teens stores on the lower level of the mall. And t-shirts were thick, not see-through, and wore like iron. Your first kid might go off to college before that jersey knit gave out.
But thanks to a change in American trade policy that allowed for the importation of more cheaply made clothing from overseas, most clothes suck now. And like most women of a certain age, that has left me wondering: Where did all the non-sheer jersey go? Here are two t-shirts that give you that old-school tee vibe
This Regular-Fit Heavy Striped Tee from COS showed up and I am almost squealed with joy. The fabric is a good thickness. The style is relaxed but not oversized (size guide fit right for me; if you shop Zara, take your Zara size). And, ready for this, the tee is 100% cotton and just $49.
I bought this neon accented stripe. Sure, I did not need another black-striped tee . . . until I did. I also picked up a navy stripe (which I did need) and a white. The tee comes in a half-dozen colors and does not disappoint.
Wearing this t-shirt makes me hope that someday clothes will be great again.
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I don’t remember any of my t-shirts (and I pretty much lived in t-shirts…hello baby ts!) from my teen years in the early 2000s ever being see through. And I was exclusively shopping in teen stores and with a limited budget. When did quality become such a luxury????
You might try Buck Mason also! Their Ts are extremely well-made — something about the way they stitch their collars, I don’t know, but they keep their shape better than any other shirt I own. 100% cotton and $45.
Are the cotton t’s from Everlane good quality? Gosh yeah… all my t shirts in high school/college were from Ross and Wet Seal and other cheap discount stores but they weren’t sheer and many of them lasted YEARS of partying and rough wear. Now my t shirts get holes in them and all I do is grocery shop 😭
I keep having the stitching on hems fall out almost immediately. Tshirts, athletic shirts, kids shirts, it seems the hems start to unravel and fall down on the first wear, regardless of the price.
Highly recommend American Giant t-shirts! The quality is great and they’ve held up to years of washings and dryings. They just have solid colors but they do have a lot of pretty options.
This tshirt is great. The material is pretty thick and the buttons on the side make it a little more interesting. It’s not super long but not cropped. I bought in one color (tan) and just went back and ordered it in blue. https://factory.jcrew.com/p/womens/categories/clothing/knits-and-tees/long-sleeve/striped-button-side-tee/BW846?display=standard&fit=Classic&color_name=antique-navy-ivory&colorProductCode=BW846
I love COS clothing but they only go to a L and its European sizing so no way I can wear …makes me so sad.