Top 5 of the week: tees under $50

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Pretty much all of these come in multiple colorways, do please do click through if you like the shirt but not the hue. This first one is from Everlane, and I like its boxy-but-not-too-boxy cut.

A seriously good, very slouchy tee.

This little number rings in at just under $20, and has a very flattering neckline.

Madewell’s Whisper Tee is paper-thin and so soft—just keep it out of the dryer and it will serve you well.

This deep-V tee from James Perse is a favorite of mine and usually costs well over $50, but I located it at Nordstrom Rack for a very nice price.

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30 Thoughts on Top 5 of the week: tees under $50
    Caroline
    2 Aug 2022
    12:37pm

    I’ve been in search of a good black and white striped tee or tank (nothing too delicate!) for months now. And the black must be black (not navy!) and the white must be white, not Heather gray! Suggestions appreciated!

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      Viajera
      2 Aug 2022
      2:58pm

      There is a company called la ligne that is all about stripes. Quite pricey though, if that bothers you. Happy hunting!

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        Rae
        3 Aug 2022
        12:53pm

        If it helps, I have a couple of La Ligne tees and they are my favorites. Lovely drapey fabric and great necklines. AYR also makes a nice tee, including stripes. I hang to dry but tees from both companies have held up well.

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      C.D.
      4 Aug 2022
      8:47am

      Try the striped tees at threedots.com. Lots of choices in sleeve length, neckline and colors — and as other commenters have said, they fit and wear well.

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    lee mic
    2 Aug 2022
    12:39pm

    Tshirts absolutely do not look good on anyone over 50! It’s the neckline (ugh!) and the soft drap that highlights your thicker shape no matter how fit you may be. Button down shirts, while less comfy, always look better. RIP tshirts. I miss ya.

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      JB
      3 Aug 2022
      7:55am

      I beg to differ. I like a good T and a button up/down.

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      Liz
      3 Aug 2022
      1:58pm

      Disagree! The coolest woman at a block party I went to last night was an old hippie lady in her 70s who looked fabulous in a red t-shirt and jeans. And I still remember an Air bnb host in LA who looked so awesomely LA in her rock band t-shirt and faded jeans. She was in her 60s.

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    Elisabeth
    2 Aug 2022
    2:00pm

    I recently applied myself to the task of finding a couple of GOOD t shirts, especially white ones. I ended up loving the Alex Mill Vintage Wash Crewneck, but it’s well over $50; the Madewell Northside Vintage tee; and the J Crew VintageCotton Crewneck. Typing this has made me realize that my t shirts and I are both Vintage 😀

    On me, I prefer a crewneck, even though I know that CW says v necks are more flattering to a GOACA.

    Am very interested in that Anthro super slouchy tee!

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      Viajera
      2 Aug 2022
      2:56pm

      Well, I didn’t know there was supposed to be a rule about that. I think you can pick either neckline – no one’s going to say anything. (Well mostly that is. Ha. ) … … … If a tee shirt lasts, I guess $50 isn’t that much, when we figure in the cost of good fabric, wages and so on. But if it were me paying that much, I’d expect it to be high quality and long-wearing.

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      cw
      2 Aug 2022
      4:02pm

      Elizabeth, I only wear crewnecks. It used to be I looked better in v-necks, but these days I’m 100% crews. Adaptable aging!

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      another Kim
      3 Aug 2022
      4:42pm

      I have that Alex Mill tee and love it. Very tempted to buy it in all the colors.

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      kimbersam
      3 Aug 2022
      1:09pm

      Love V-necks on others. I however have a bumpy (sticky-outtie) collar bone that is not cute. I like high round and bateau necks best. Also, I have that Anthro T and it is huge!

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    Viajera
    2 Aug 2022
    3:04pm

    My issue this time of year with tees is sort of the opposite – often the fabric is too heavy for me. I had it on my To Do list to find some linen ones, as Kim has suggested. However, I still haven’t gotten to it yet. The whole drapey thing would just be an added benefit to being comfortable. I am talking a lot today, who know I had this many thoughts about tee shirts. Now I am stopping!

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    cw
    2 Aug 2022
    2:00pm

    I unintentionally did a “comparison shopping” with white tee-shirts this summer because I had to replace several of the ones I already had (helloooo tomato sauce and coffee and salad dressing and chocolate). I purchased J.Crew vintage, Alex Mills, Gap organic and Everlane organic. The two I prefer––Everlane and Alex Mill. Those two brands have held their shape, are not too see through and don’t cling to any of my flabby bits. My biggest complaint?––the EFFING SCRATCHY TAG on the lower left seam of every single tee. The only one I would not purchase again is the J.Crew vintage––didn’t hold up, too see through and the neckline is gimpy. I also just machine wash my tees then hang to dry. Also, all of these tees were crew neck. As I type I am wearing the Everlane organic “100% My Body” tee––boxy, soft and fits really well.

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      Francine
      2 Aug 2022
      4:25pm

      Please, please try Men’s Hanes Black Label Ts. I swear, once you do, you will never buy anything else. They cost $9 at Target and can be washed, put in the dryer and worn a million times.

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        Gleaming the Cube
        7 Aug 2022
        1:52pm

        Just ordered one. I needed toothpaste anyway and my frustration of trying to buy toothpaste at the CVS– get an associate to unlock a case (In this economy, with this labor market)? for toothpaste? that also costs inexplicably $8 for one tube? I don’t think so, so here I am, ordering it online, or better said, 8 tubes to keep me going and keep me out of the CVS Of Horror on 96th Street.

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    Jen
    2 Aug 2022
    11:54am

    Speaking of necklines, does anyone have any suggestions for how to bring them back to life after they get wavy and/or stretched?

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      Viajera
      2 Aug 2022
      3:02pm

      In theory, maybe there is a way to add a stay tape (I fergit the correct name for this … it is a tape that can be put in a neckline) after the fact. Maybe ask at your dry cleaner. I’ve never tried it though. Hmm maybe someone here has.

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    Dina
    8 Aug 2022
    7:23am

    Buck Mason tees are exceptional – expensive-feeling/soft cottons and linens, and the perfect cut! I bought a few to try them out earlier this spring, and then promptly bought more – best of all, they don’t seem to shrink in the wash like the Madewell tees they replaced

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    Anne at Large
    11 Aug 2022
    12:57am

    Madewell whisper tees and J. Crew vintage tees are my nemesis (nemeses?) Perfect cuts and colors and they wear like tissue paper, I have never had shirts get so hole-filled so fast. No dryer, wash cold, and if I have to treat your tees like lingerie to get them to last I am clearly the wrong customer. Thinking about trying the Everlane if they aren’t too boxy.

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    Mimi A
    3 Aug 2022
    5:00pm

    My major requirement for a tee or polo shirt is that it have an elbow length sleeve. My 74-year old arms are thin and toned and I can get away with wearing sleeveless dresses, but when a sleeve is cut too short (translation: 3-4″ above the elbow) I might as well write “Note the crepey skin here” on my arm with a sharpie. The Lauren Ralph Lauren line has some nice, fitted, elbow length tees and I’ve found cute polos at Mango. The worst wearing tee I ever bought was by Splendid. It cost $84, lost its shape, shrank and pilled. One of the best was from Three Dots.

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    patty
    3 Aug 2022
    10:22am

    I got myself the most perfect tees this year from Old Navy. Short-sleeve Vintage Easy T-shirt. I’m 5’2′” and busty. The somewhat boxy fit suits me perfectly. They’re not too thin or thick. I bought several. And the pricing! Pretty much less than $20 now. Highly recommend!

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    Liz Kennedy
    2 Aug 2022
    6:29pm

    I know this comment has absolutely NOTHING to do with t-shirts but I was so excited I needed to share it. A while back Kim posted about a favorite Kosas lipstick in the hue Royal. Thanks to this blog I found a new shade I love.

    To be on point: I have a few of the J.Crew perfect fit tees from previous seasons and I love them.
    I can’t speak to the current line up at J.Crew because I have been so disappointed in the spring and summer offerings.

    Here’s the link but I suggest going to the store and checking it out for yourself. https://www.jcrew.com/m/womens/categories/clothing/t-shirts-and-tank-tops/short-sleeve/slim-perfect-t-shirt/MP981?display=standard&fit=Classic&color_name=midnight-burgundy&colorProductCode=BF355

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      C.D.
      3 Aug 2022
      9:25am

      Thanks so much for this link, Liz. These look great. I especially like the slightly longer sleeve, plus the slim cut and crew neck. I’m phasing out my V-neck tees, especially the really low ones, or any other necklines that expose a lot of skin, for both sun exposure and aging skin reasons.

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        liz
        4 Aug 2022
        10:48am

        Couldn’t agree more but I do continue to wear the v necks I have.

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    Tahe Z
    2 Aug 2022
    11:07am

    I have several Whisper tees from Madewell. They are the perfect thickness and they come in great colors. My only beef is that the neckline seems to get stretched out which is surprising for a V-neck. My head is big but not THAT big!

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      Betsy P
      2 Aug 2022
      2:00pm

      I wonder that as well and have always thought it has something to do with the piecing of the fabric at the neckline and the thickness. I hate a stretched out neckline which is one of the reasons I love 3 Dot T’s. The fabric is just thicker and holds up through anything.

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Kim France

I was born in Houston, Texas in 1964 and have lived in New York City since 1988. I had a long career in magazines, working at Sassy, Elle, New York, and Spin, and in 2000, I founded Lucky magazine, which I edited for ten years.

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