Most T-shirts today are affordable and widely available, which makes them accessible to people with various budgets. Unfortunately, most of the cheaper T-shirts are not made with quality that will last. This article is about the best quality options, and I’ll talk about what makes some better than others.
Most everyday-wear T-shirts are made of 100% cotton. But 100% cotton alone isn’t enough to indicate the best quality, it should be organic cotton. Organic cotton is more environmentally friendly, as it’s grown without pesticides, which results in longer and more durable fibers. This high-quality cotton also goes through more time-consuming manufacturing processes, and the final product will last longer than a stadard 100% cotton t-shirt. Cheaper cotton often involves hidden human costs, such as forced labor in regions like China’s Xinjiang Province. Around 80% of China’s cotton trade originates from Xinjiang, a region known for human rights abuses, so I would suggest avoiding Chinese cotton entirely. When considering the origins of cotton, prioritize those from Japan, the USA, Egypt, and Zimbabwe.
Loopwheel machine. Source: Merz B. Schwanen
A T-shirt has a simple construction, but those of higher quality have even less details because the difference is in the fabric - they are made on Loopwheel machines. Loopwheel is a fabric production method invented by Giuseppe Negra in 1926. It involves knitting cotton yarns around cylinders at a very slow pace, creating fabric without side seams. Each machine can only produce one size of garment due to the size of its cylinder, and it takes one hour to produce one meter of fabric. When mass production became dominant, high-speed machines replaced Loopwheel machines, with the last ones manufactured in the 1970s. The remaining, still-operating Loopwheel machines are now in Japan and Germany. This is also why a T-shirt made this way will cost more than a regular T-shirt. You can find great-quality T-shirts that are not made on Loopwheel machines, but since this is a post about the best quality, I will primarily focus on those made on Loopwheel machines. If you search for these, you will always find the best quality.
But if you're looking for a more elegant option that pairs well with tailoring, I suggest trying knitted T-shirts. These are made with the same knitting techniques as knitted sweaters, but with lighter and thinner fabrics that are perfect for warmer months. They still have that nice knitted texture, which makes them a lot more elegant, and usually feature thicker, more distinct ribbing around the neck, as well as at the sleeves and on the bottom.
The last step when choosing a white T-shirt is about the fit. We all have different body types and varying preferences in what we feel comfortable in. I, for example, prefer a more slim-fitting T-shirt, which I wear tucked in most of the time to achieve that old-school look, while others might prefer to wear it much looser and longer. So, when it comes to finding the perfect white T-shirt for yourself, consider that fit is the most important factor. Understand that even if you buy a tee that is number one on all 'best T-shirt' lists, it might not be the best fit for you. Learn to accept when something doesn’t fit the way you want and continue searching for the fit you desire. There are always more great options, and you should keep this in mind for all types of clothing.
