White t-shirt, black t-shirt: the basic we get wrong most often

Everyone has a white t-shirt. Almost no one has the right one. Too thin, too tight, transparent, yellowed after one summer. The basic is the simplest piece — and the most demanding. The general criteria are in our guide to the quality t-shirt; here, we get down to brass tacks.

The 5 traps of the white t-shirt

1. Transparency: hold it up to a window. If you can see your hand, skip it.
2. The collar: it should snap back into place when stretched.
3. Yellowing: no bleach, wash at 30°C, dry in the shade.
4. Length: below the belt, no more. Any longer and it looks like pajamas.
5. Shrinkage: thick cotton moves little. Thin cotton, a lot.

The men's white t-shirt

The men's white t-shirt goes with everything, provided it hangs straight. A thick jersey masks the torso without clinging to it. Our basic: boxy cut, Beauséjour rubber patch on the chest, nothing else.

The women's white t-shirt

The women's white t-shirt is best worn loose: tucked into pleated trousers, under a jacket, with raw denim. The women's basic t-shirt must remain opaque, even in white.

The black t-shirt: the other essential

The black t-shirt is more forgiving, but it fades. Wash it inside out, with dark colors, and forget the tumble dryer. The men's black t-shirt in thick cotton stays black much longer than thin cotton.

Solid, but not anonymous

A solid-color t-shirt isn't necessarily a t-shirt without identity. White, cream, gray, navy blue, black: our basics come in five colors, with the same cut as our printed ones.

Men's basics

Men's white boxy basic

Men's cream boxy basic

Men's gray boxy basic

Men's navy boxy basic

Men's black boxy basic

All men's basics →

Women's basics

Women's white boxy basic

Women's cream boxy basic

Women's gray boxy basic

Women's navy boxy basic

Women's black boxy basic

All women's basics →

How many should you have?

Two white, one black, one colored. Four well-made t-shirts make for a week without having to think.

Less, but better

According to ADEME, clothing carries a heavy weight in our carbon footprint. The most effective action remains buying less and wearing longer. A thick basic is exactly that. For the cut, see also our guide to the oversize t-shirt.