PLAIN WHITE TEES
From Carmy's signature Merz b. Schwanen tee to the minimalism of The Row, explore the best white T-shirts on SSENSE and elsewhere.
Everyone is searching for the perfect white T-shirt. Truth be told, no matter how many already hang in our closets, it never feels like enough. It remains one of a wardrobe's simplest yet most elusive staples. This quest for the ideal tee is a shared obsession, one that bridges the everyday shopper and the designer alike. Consider how back in 2006, Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen founded The Row with a single, foundational mission: to design the perfect white T-shirt.
For some, true peace of mind lies in a three-pack of Hanes tees delivered via Amazon in under twenty-four hours, inexpensive enough that a stray food stain won't ruin your day. For others, the holy grail is an investment piece rivaling the cost of an iPad Mini, meticulously ironed for special occasions.
There are those who obsess over the granular nuances of craft: the authentic single-stitch hem of a '80s/'90s tour merch by JJJJound, or a heavy-gauge tee knitted on vintage circular loopwheel machines in Japan's Wakayama Prefecture, purchased without a second thought to the price tag.
Indeed, the criteria for what makes a T-shirt "perfect" is entirely to the wearer. Perhaps there is no singular white T-shirt that suits everyone. But once you understand what you are seeking, you might just find yours.
Featured in this image: vowels Off-White Faded Collegiate T-shirt, Merz b. Schwanen White 215 Loopwheeled Classic Fit T-shirt, and visvim Off-White Jumbo S/S "V" Crash T-shirt.
FOR THE RETROPHILE
Is it loopwheeled? Garment-dyed? Finished with a '90s single-stitch hem or a self-fabric neckband? On a white tee, true aficionados spot the quiet distinctions embedded within the weave.
Loopwheeling, a mid-century technique using vintage circular machines, slowly knits seamless fabric without tension, trapping air for a soft, exceptionally durable hand feel. Yielding just one meter per hour, it is a study in slow craft. When the internet obsessively decoded Jeremy Allen White's tee in The Bear, the telltale clue was its seamless tubular body. The shirt in question, from German label Merz b. Schwanen, is the 215 Loopwheeled Classic Fit T-shirt woven on vintage loopwheelers, featuring a lean yet resilient collar that feels effortlessly precise.
Then comes garment dyeing, an inverted process where the tee is constructed before it is dyed. Unlike standard piece dyeing, which colors rolls of fabric first for a uniform look, garment dyeing flips the sequence. The result is a relaxed, pre-washed softness paired with subtle tonal depth. On heavyweight cotton, it offers a great combination of structural weight and low stiffness.
- Hyunji Nam / SSENSE