Tee Shirts.

Tuesday 19 February 2013


You will probably have gathered by now, I like my clothes to look a little loved. By that I mean I like my jeans  in a distressed or antiqued finish and I like my tops and tees to look like they've had some good action with the washing machine.

So I obviously love all the expensive vintage wash tees found on some of the more pricey sites. I've been searching for good vintage wash tees in navy and cornflower blue. Cornflower blue sounds quite specific but it is a shade that I love. It works well on my skin tone and is summer skies personified. I liked this one from Splendid - perfect neckline, perfect cut, perfect shade of blue.

Imperfect price. I really don't want to spend £80 on a cornflower blue tee even if it is from Splendid, because it is only a tee after all and a very simple one at that.

So I'm delighted with my little number from Matalan which cost £6. It's a slightly paler blue but hey I can live with that if I'm saving over £70. 700 English pennies. Not to be sniffed at. 





The single review online says it is too thin and too big. I say it is just right and loose fit. It is a vintage cotton - hence the nice light weight and they've tried to achieve that softness that you would associate with an old tee which has been through a few washes and is now an old friend. Interestingly enough, Matalan have another tee (comes in marl grey) which they are labelling as the perfect tee and that is a different kettle of fish altogether - denser weave, heavier cotton, more fitted and a little bit smarter. It all depends on what you like.

And what I like as you can see is non clingy, scoop necked, plain tees. I think Ive been slowly building up a collection ....

Soft white Zara linen tee (old) with pocket

Unfortunately it seems to get shorter with each subsequent wash & there's nothing I can do about it.

Light navy Zara linen tee (old)

I liked the white, so I bought the blue.

Soft white Zara linen tee (no pocket)

And because I worried about the first one shrinking, I bought a back up.


Was actually looking for a grey marl tee but couldn't find one.

Grey marl Splendid tee

Then I found a grey marl one.


And this just happened to be next to the cornflower blue one and I did say I was looking for a navy tee!


And I'm sure you've all fallen asleep from that exciting colour palette so I thought I'd wake you up a bit with the last tee ....

      
 
Neon pink H&M Tee (old)

Can you tell I really like the pink one? Hence you get two extra pics.

Ta dah! Now doesn't that pink just make you smile? Doesn't it make you think of ice cream and summer sun? It's not all doom and gloom in my wardrobe! This pink H&M tee is my joint favourite tee (last seen here) - it holds top position with the grey Splendid one. And it only cost £3.99 which makes me really really smile :o) Especially when I think I saved another 700 English pennies not buying this one :



So do you have a particular fit or style of tee that you like? That you never thought about or realised till now?

-------------------------------

Just for info : 

I stand corrected - I saved 7000 English pennies actually and not 700 as Caroline was kind enough to let me know. Whoops :o)



51 comments

  1. You've elevated the collection of the humble tee to an art form! I had a really old Miss Selfridge tee the exact same colour pink as yours. I wore it as a singleton, as a newly wed, pregnant (x3) and long afterwards until it begged for a decent burial last year. I've never seen the same colour since - it's very flattering. To be honest I've not had much luck at all with the women's tees (now all reduced to be vests under my jumpers in Winter) but I scored a few brilliant ones in the men's department that serve my purpose (including a cornflower blue one for last Summer). I don't wear them much, preferring my shirts and blouses. But I will look out for slouchy ones like these for the Autumn that also work on me.

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    1. I don't actually wear t-shirts that much so I don't tend to spend a lot on them. I have slimmer fit ones but my tum likes the looser ones as they are a little more forgiving. To be honest, I don't really like tight fitting anything these days.

      I have to say - I love the pink. I wish I'd bought another one now as a backup.

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  2. You really know how to wear a tee! There's no way I could pull that off (not without doing an intensive course of Pilates for about a year and refusing all offers of chocolate and wine!) Love the cornflower blue and (amazed at myself!) I really, really like the pink one too.

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    1. You not a pink girl either? I don't have much that is pink but when I wear pink - it has to be a nice bright one. I'm not very good at soft pastel shades.

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  3. Ah, my favourite subject! We clearly like our basics... Love the neon H&M, I have a very similar American Vintage one, but it was £45, so definitely going to check out H&M!

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    1. I actually quite like the tees at H&M. There's so many styles - you just got to work out what suits your taste. I personally dislike any which have lycra in them and hug my tum but the few cotton ones I've had have been good. The grey blue one is a sturdier cotton than the washed styles but wears really well. Try and let me know how you get on.

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  4. Great find! I'm always so excited when I find a perfect T for cheap. Happens occasionally at H&M but it is pretty rare, I have to say. I thin kyou already know of my penchant for expensive A Wang ts:

    http://www.nomadicd.com/2011/09/buying-confidence.html

    But I also love the drapey ones from Cos:

    http://www.nomadicd.com/2012/07/cos.html

    And these super soft (almost velvety!) and very oversized ones from Urban Outfitters:

    http://www.nomadicd.com/2012/09/uo-t.html

    Also do love Zara's linen t-shirts, I have a few 3/4 sleeve ones that I absolutely adore. Your white pocketless one is perfection in my opinion. And yeah, I have a lot of t-shirts. What can I say. I'm a connoisseur ;)

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    1. You do love your tees and I like the fact that they all have the non cling factor about them We have an Urban Outfitters in Leeds - I don't go in that often - full of hip young things - might take a nosey tomorrow. I have a child free day tomorrow and I can do what I like :o)

      The Zara pocketless one was in the sale at £5.99 and is actually really sheer though you can't tell from the pictures. All I can say is a good t-shirt bra is essential. I've seen the 3/4 sleeve ones of yours and I was ecstatic when I saw them in store but the neckline was just a bit low on me. If I leant forward, you got more than you bargained for. I did see a picture of someone wearing a couple of these layered together and it looked really fab. Wouldn't have thought of doing it myself but having seen it, I've parked that one.

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    2. Those UO Ts are really wonderful, I think you'd love them. But they don't always have them in store, I say get one online and try it out. They do run huge though, so keep that in mind. I got an xs and I am most definitely not extra small. As for the 3/4 sleeve tees at Zara, I agree with you wholeheartedly about the neckline, unthinkable with a normal bra. I always wear this under them:

      http://www.gap.com/browse/product.do?cid=35469&vid=1&pid=134733022

      but any sort of sports bra or cami would work. I'm still on the hunt for a perfect t-shirt bra, I have never in my life had one that was invisible under soft jersey.

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  5. i love t-shirts! i think i have the black version of your white pocket-less zara one, and the neckline has stretched to ridiculous and indecent proportions! i only wear it to bed now...

    i like white t-shirts best but owing to the hot weather in singapore, i'm paranoid about the neckline and underarms developing perspiration stains. still, i don't seem to buy them in any other colour. it's a pity that it's hard to find ones that aren't too sheer so i'm hoping my current batch of four white t-shirts last a few years more. mine are all from massimo dutti, bought in bulk during a sale a few years back. so far so good!

    i'm of the opinion t-shirts are best in cotton or linen-knit...i don't understand the point of silk t-shirts or other precious fabrics...t-shirts, like jeans, should not ever be worn like a precious item!

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    1. I will see how this pocketless one fairs. The other linen tees have kept their shape reasonably well so far and their necklines are the perfect scoop - not too low. Most of my tees are in cotton and linen and I like them quite cheap so that I don't have to be precious with them.

      One colour which I don't have is black - now that one I find quite challenging to wear.

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  6. I am LOVING that cornflower blue tee Sue, and I'm not a big blue fan, but I have decided to embrace it this spring. These all look amazing on you, no one does casual chic like you can Sue!!

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    1. I really like these mid blues - you get the wrong shade of pale blue and it looks dirty but this cornflower blue always looks bright. Roll on summer!

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  7. Great t-shirt collection. I never really look at Matalan but I really like the one you mention here, the colour is lovely on you. I really like the J Crew vintage ones on NAP but I think they are expensive for a plain old tee - I'm going to have a look at Matalan & H&M now. I did get some similar ones from Gap but they seem to only run them for one season :( x

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    1. P.S - I really like those jeans too - just the right level of distressing :) x

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    2. I was looking at the J Crew ones initially - they have some lovely colours. I nearly picked up a couple in the sale but they were mainly v-neck and I don't like them as much. The Matalan ones were just laid out on a display table as I was heading out of the store and meant that I had to head to the changing rooms instead. Matalan actually do some really good basics and their finish on basic jersey stuff is good and ridiculously well priced. If you want cheap basics but don't do Primark - you could do worse than picking up a few bits from here.

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  8. Oh blimey I bought the H&M sweatshirt (when will it arrive exactly?) and now I am off to the matalan website having always been a jeans and t-shirt girl. I do love my Baukjen ones now they are nice and long great for layering x

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    1. They're not the fastest for delivery I have to say. Hope it arrives soon.

      I'm not sure how long the Matalan tees would be for you but they give me adequate coverage from behind and allow me to do a bit of a tuck at the front. I like the loose cut which is just that little bit more forgiving.

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  9. I like my tees to look a little distressed as well, which is why I like grey marls so much, and the linen tees from Zara!

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  10. My inner pendant is itching to tell you in the nicest way 700 English pennies is £7 you save 7000 pennies! Even better bargain huh!

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    1. Whoops - I stand corrected. I saved 7000 English pennies - that's even better!

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  11. i like my tees distressed too, and quite fussy with the material. it's quite hard to get the tee trifecta - cut + colour + fabric so i tend to stockpile when i find a good one. if i can't find the perfect shade i would buy them in white and give them a home dye job! love COS and Zara for not overly expensive versions at the moment. love the cornflower blue one!

    steph / absolutely-fuzzy.com

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    1. Ooh Stephanie - I just added a new word to my vocabulary - trifecta! I like it. I've not tried Cos for any of the tee shirts but hopefully I might get to stop past one on Saturday and see what their new offerings are. It's one store which I like the designs of but need to see in person first to gauge the fit.

      And I've never thought of dying my own tees to get the right colour besides I'm a disaster on the home dying front.

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  12. Hooray for t-shirts and jeans. My uniform of choice!
    My closet is full of the same shape and color tees, and I'm constantly replenishing... navy, white, grey, scoop or v neck, baggiesh fit. I recently bought a neon pink Madewell that looks like a fish out of water hanging in between all of the navy and white and grey. It will be fun to wear this spring, once this winter weather clears out!

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    1. Sounds like we have the same tee collection in cut and colour. And your neon pink one is like mine - shakes it all up a bit. I'm here advocating tees and it was so cold today, I think I turned blue. Come on Summer!

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  13. Hi Sue! Thanks for showing these, I will definitely pop into my local Matalan and check these out, the blue one really looks a great fit and good quality too! Loving your neon pink one as well! xx

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    1. Do take a look - they may not always be the most fashion led but they have a good range of basics which I'm happy to give wardrobe space to. And their kids clothes (boys) are really good too. I've started purchasing from them for boyswear as the designs are quite funky - it's so easy to find fun and lovely girls clothes but mums who have boys get a little short changed.

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  14. These do all look fab. I am not normally a lover of these kind of tops but those shown here do look worth a proper look me thinks. x

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    1. Thanks Amanda. They are basically just plain tees for knocking about in the summer - I guess it's finding a cut and style which works for you. I have a short neck so prefer scoop necks rather than crew necks. I have a less than firm tummy so I wear them a little loose for camouflaging the wobbles. Whatever works.

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  15. Loving the pink one the best - the colour is stunning on you and in fact that whole outfit with the converse and boyfriend jeans is simply sublime on you. You ROCK it girl! xx

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    1. Hi Avril - thank you. I do love my pink tee. Drat - should have bought a backup! See you on Saturday.

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  16. I just discovered Matalan today - what a revelation! I got some gorgeous polo shirts with silk collars - really cute, and long skirts - great quality. They didn't have many sizes left in your t-shirts so you did good! The pink one is gorgeous - I still want that pink Zara sweatshirt.

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    1. I know you'll get the pink sweatshirt - it's only a matter of time. Matalan is a bit of fun isn't it? It's like you say, it looks like the most boring flat space ever but dig a bit deeper and they have the odd little gem. You did a good haul didn't you?

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  17. I haven't tried Matalan but I will give it a whirl. I have to say I like the Linen tees from Zara and Gap do a good tee too. x

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    1. I don't actually have any Gap ones, I'm not sure why and they are an obvious place for tee shirts. The linen Zara ones I really like but can be hit and miss from season to season. They tweak the styling a bit each time and sometimes they fit beautifully and sometimes it's a real don't go there situation.

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  18. You're too stylish! And a mom of two no less. I have a dog, and I'm already a disaster - I can only imagine what I would look like with kids. That being said, I can envision five years from now being decked out in a spit-stained boyfriend tee and waddling around in grandma jeans from BHS :-P

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    1. Amanda, you are the one in Church's loafers and have the most beautiful collection of clothes - you are no way a disaster. I love your look. And the five years from now look - that is my current look! You just can't see the spit-stains from a distance :o)

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  19. Weirdly enough I have grown fond of mega-slouchy bat-sleeved tees. Do those even count as tees? I bought two when they had a brief moment and now I can't seem to find them anymore, but I will wear these two threadbare. When it comes to ACTUAL tees I have found some I quite like at Selected, but only in dark colors. For some reason I have yet to find the perfect white tee :)

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    1. They count as tees. And white tees are very hard to get right. I tried on a couple of James Perse ones yesterday (I had a shopping day all by myself) and it was basically same material, same cut, same size. The black one looked great but the white was just not quite there. It's hard to put your finger on it. FInding the perfect white tee is a lot like trying to find the perfect grey tee. Nigh on impossible.

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  20. Cornflower blue is my hands down favourite colour, confirmed when I see how pretty it looks on you. The neckline is so flattering. I used to love crew necks but now I dislike my neck I am realising those scoopy ones are so much prettier on. I do love the quality of Splendid though I have learned not to spend a lot on light coloured t's and especially white. Within a few washes with Cy's dirty socks they are sad and grey. That pink is glorious.

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    1. I wouldn't spend a lot on the white ones either - they lose their whiteness after a few washes no matter how careful you are. I hear it's better to keep replacing the white ones anyway - more shopping!

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  21. I've always loved cornflower blue. No idea why I hardly wear the color these days. I'm still waiting for Alexander Wang grey tee to go on sale but I probably will wait a century. Guess I just need to bite the bullet.

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    1. Go for it - you won't be happy till you get it!

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  22. I love the zara T's,just perfect with jeans
    J
    http://lifelovesand.blogspot.ie/

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  23. Just found your blog-amazing! I am a petite London mummy and (whispers) I buy my well-loved tees from H&M kids. They are loose, a light cotton and look amazing. I have had SO many people ask where they're from. Love the Zara ones though!

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    1. Thank you! And another petite lady - cool. I shall add H&M to my list for tees - not that I need anymore! Funnily enough, I did have a look online but wasn't sure what size in the girls to purchase so I think I will have to do further investigating in store. Thanks for popping past.

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Susie So So