The best women's white T-shirts you can buy

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The best women's white T-shirts you can buy
  • The basic white T-shirt is the backbone of any wardrobe, but a good one can be shockingly difficult to find.
  • Our top pick, the Everlane Cotton Crew, manages to be affordable, stylish, and high quality, with the brand's signature attention to sustainability and detail.
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Like a good pair of jeans, the basic white T-shirt is the backbone of any well-rounded wardrobe. But, also like a good pair of jeans, the perfect white tee is nearly impossible to find. Why are these basics so hard for most brands to get right?

Find me someone who claims they haven't gone down the rabbit hole in search of a stylish, comfortable white T-shirt and I'll find you a liar. But with minimalism and elevated basics trending these days, it's becoming easier than ever to find a quality white tee to complete your outfit.

Whether you're looking for a boxy crewneck, a fitted baby tee, or a sleek V-neck, this list has got you covered. The most important things to consider when shopping for a white T-shirt are fit and fabric. You should know before you start to browse whether you want a tighter cut for layering or a slouchier silhouette.

Here are the best white T-shirts for women:

Keep scrolling to check out our top picks.

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Disclosure: This post is brought to you by the Insider Picks team. We highlight products and services you might find interesting. If you buy them, we get a small share of the revenue from the sale from our commerce partners. We frequently receive products free of charge from manufacturers to test. This does not drive our decision as to whether or not a product is featured or recommended. We operate independently from our advertising sales team. We welcome your feedback. Email us at insiderpicks@businessinsider.com.

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The best overall

The best overall
The Cotton Crew from Everlane is the standard white tee of your dreams, with a versatile silhouette constructed from lightweight Supima cotton fabric.

Everlane is King of Basics as far as direct-to-consumer brands go, so it's not a surprise that the brand has nailed the basic white T-shirt. The Cotton Crew is a standout from Everlane's T-shirt offerings.

It's a basic crew neck tee with a slim, but not tight, fit and short sleeves. Manufactured in Los Angeles, The Cotton Crew is made of 100% lightweight Supima cotton and retails for $18.

The care instructions for this shirt are simple: machine wash cold, tumble dry low. It's available in sizes XXS through XL. Thanks to Everlane's model of transparency, you can check out a profile of the factory where your T-shirt was made. We at Insider Picks love Everlane's white T-shirts, too.

"[A]all of our testers agreed that the sleeves on this Everlane shirt hit that sweet spot between too long and too short," according to BuzzFeed, which gave The Cotton Crew high marks for its versatility. It's also been featured by Refinery29 and PopSugar and has a 4.65 average rating based on 2,300 customer reviews.

"This t-shirt is the most comfortable material, not to mention the fit is perfect. Not too boxy and not too tight. I want all of them!" writes one shopper.

Pros: Slim, "gamine" fit, lightweight, made in Los Angeles

Cons: Some reviewers said the fabric is thinner than expected

The best v-neck

The best v-neck
The Madewell Whisper Cotton V-Neck Pocket Tee is an easy, breezy top that you'll want to pair with everything from denim shorts to blazers.

I live for a v-neck T-shirt. The Madewell Whisper Cotton V-Neck Pocket Tee is a slouchy-yet-polished iteration that looks good with absolutely everything from denim cut-offs to an oversized blazer.

I've owned many Madewell v-necks and can attest to their quality. They last through many washes (truly — I abused mine in the laundry room in my college dorm) and look fantastic on the body. This one has a bit of a longer cut for easy tucking and a cool, slightly oversized breast pocket. The size range is also decent, running from XXS to 3X.

Insider Picks reporter Remi Rosmarin loves this T-shirt for its low price and lightweight fabric,

"This is the perfect three season V neck T!!! Very soft and a nice light fabric that is super comfortable. The "V" is quite deep, so could be a problem for certain body shapes, but this one's going to a staple for me," writes one Nordstrom customer. The tee is highly rated on the retailer's site, with over 2,360 reviews.

"Thanks to the weight of the fabric, this shirt wasn't too see-through, and remained breathable," writes Refinery29's Michelle Li. Rank and Style also rates this one of the best v-neck tees on the market.

Pros: V-neck, breathable fabric, sizes run from XXS to 3X

Cons: V might be too low on some people

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The best thick T-shirt

The best thick T-shirt
The Uniqlo Women U Crew Short-Sleeve T-Shirt is made of weighty cotton, so you never have to worry about accidentally flashing anyone.

For a thicker material, you can't beat the 100% cotton Uniqlo Women U Crew Short-Sleeve T-Shirt. It's a basic tee with a high neckline and short, but not super short, sleeves.

The shirt boasts "perfectly balanced proportions" and a thicker, ribbed neckline for comfort and quality. The hems utilize a stitching technique that makes them more subtle and less prone to unravelling. It comes in XS to XL and is cut slightly longer at the back for a better overall drape.

"[T]he weight of this tee is so nice. it is heavier than a regular tee and wears really well. [D]efinitely recommend," writes one shopper. Overall, the U Crew has a nearly perfect average rating based on 100 reviews.

Creative director Meg Vasquez told The Strategist, "My forever issue with white tees is being able to see my bra through the shirt. The Uniqlo U tees are just thick enough that you can't see your bra through the white material without being so thick that you feel like you're wearing a weighted blanket." Elle also recommends the U Crew shirt.

Pros: Slightly thicker fabric, nice drape, affordable

Cons: Reviewers recommend sizing up

The best super soft T-shirt

The best super soft T-shirt
The Mott & Bow Marcy Fitted Crew is on the pricier side, but it's well worth the cost for the velvet soft pima cotton and modal blend.

I don't always advocate spending more than $20 for basics, but if you're looking to splurge on a white T-shirt that will last forever while looking and feeling great, consider the Mott & Bow Marcy Fitted Crew.

This is your basic white T-shirt with a few details that make it stand out. The fabric is an ultra-soft blend of pima cotton and modal. It's preshrunk for the perfect fit right from the box and is just the right length for tucking into a pair of jeans or trousers.

BuzzFeed describes this shirt as "next-level soft" and notes that "[t]he addition of modal to the mix makes the tee stretchier than our other two picks, which helps it hold its shape better throughout the day." Glamour commerce editor Tara Gonzalez likes the Marcy Fitted Crew because it's "not too boxy, not too cropped."

The top is highly rated on the Mott & Bow website, based on 189 reviews. One shopper writes, "I have 4 colors of the Fitted V-Neck. They wear so well and maintain their shape. Not too long but not too short as well."

Pros: Very soft pima cotton and modal blend, fitted, preshrunk

Cons: Pricey, runs small

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The best boxy T-shirt

The best boxy T-shirt
The Everlane Cotton Box-Cut Tee gives you a cozy, relaxed, vintage look with all the quality you've come to expect from the brand.

We told you Everlane was good at basics. So good, in fact, the brand earned two spots out of five on this list. The Cotton Box-Cut Tee is less of a fitted option than our overall pick, The Cotton Crew.

This one features a lower, less tight crew neckline and slightly longer sleeves, in keeping with the slouchier silhouette. It's made of 100% cotton and manufactured at a factory in Ho Chi Minh City. The fit is slightly cropped, making it a great pick for petites, but not so cropped that you need to be comfortable showing off your abs to wear it.

The Insider Picks team loves this T-shirt, and editor Sally Kaplan is a huge fan.

"This is seriously the perfect tee. Fitted enough but still loose and comfortable. I wish I had ten more of these," writes one shopper. Overall, the shirt has an average 4.67 rating based on 1300+ customer reviews.

Glamour senior editor Mattie Kahn is also a big fan: "It's a little cropped, so the silhouette looks more polished than its name suggests. And I like the price point; that makes it easier to buy in bulk." Bustle, Marie Claire, and WhoWhatWear editors are also fans.

Pros: Boxy fit, slightly cropped, good for petites, relatively affordable

Cons: Cropped silhouette might to too short for taller torsos

What else we considered

What else we considered
  • Re/Done Heritage Cotton 1950s Boxy Tee ($78): Re/Done tees came up time and time again in my research, but they are just so expensive, even compared with our priciest pick from Mott & Bow. However, if you're looking for a more upmarket version, give the brand's 1950s Boxy Tee a shot.
  • Urban Outfitters Little Brother Tee ($20): This tee was another frequent rec from experts. It didn't make the top five because the silhouette is slightly more shrunken-looking than some of the other similar styles, making it a less versatile option, and most sizes are currently sold out online.
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