If my mother has taught me anything, it is how to collect. My father is always laughing at her because the minute she buys more than two of anything it is her newest insta-collection. We have collections of wooden ducks, wooden fish, roosters (which she claims is my fathers), McCoy pottery, RedWing pottery...the list continues. Woman is a white collar hoarder if you ask me. But apart from embodying excess in the fundamental sense, what my mother's numerous collections have taught me is that when you like something, why not just stick with it? She applies this mentality to wooden animal decoys, I apply it to my closet. Enter my collection of t-shirts. I have crew necks, v-necks, deeper v-necks, round necks, silk blends, cotton blends, modal! Oversize, tunic length, awkward hits just above the jean could be a boarder line tummy top if you raise your hands too quickly length (thank you three dot), french brands, English brands, NYC brands, Cali brands...needless to say my collection is epically extensive. It all began when I discovered Petit Bateau my sophomore year of high school. I scooped up ten of the crew neck tees in black, grey, white and pink and that's what I wore all year. If I was going to a party, on went the Petit Bateau black tee, my big Urban Outfitter earrings, impossibly low Sevens and a pair of eBay purchased Prada pumps. If I was going to school, light pink tee, a little higher James jeans and my converse tennies.
My sizes may have gotten bigger, and my jeans THANKFULLY have gotten higher, but my collection of tees remains, forever, essential to my closet. However, a few years back designers caught on to the innate love women have for their t-shirts and all of a sudden there were designer tees! For an impressionable girl of 16 just coming into her style the ever expanding t-shirt section at Bloomingdales was a danger zone. I think my mother would be happy to hear me finally admit that perhaps my pocketbook was prone to open too quickly at any soft, black v-neck I could justify as 'practical'.
A few too many t-shirts later and I was shipped up too Door County Wisconsin to waitress and ultimately 'learn the value of a dollar'. The real tragedy was not the job, I waitressed at a burger joint that served food on a toy train; rather it was the redefinition of retail therapy. My shopping habit was relegated to Walmart. CRINGE! How could my mother ever think that in my most pivotal years of development I should be forced to peruse the racks of Walmart! I could literally feel my closet wane between racks of MaryKate and Ashley's teen line and hunting gear. But somewhere in that abyss of polyester, a beacon of hope in the men's section: The Hanes Tee. So soft, so perfectly cut, so perfectly long! So CHEAP, so effortlessly cool. I scooped up ten packs of five right there.
My love affair with the Hanes Tee is ongoing. And like I said before, I love me a collection, so of course I have about fifty of them (no lie...but its a little more justifiable because I split my time between four places). My favorite are the Men's Comfort Soft size small, after a few washes they shrink up a bit and fit perfectly. If you are feeling DIY-ish, cut the neck out for a deeper V that rivals the tee's Erin Wasson did for RVCA a few seasons ago (which, of course, I own). You will be happy to know that the new tee connoisseur himself, Alexander Wang, declared his T-Collection tees inspired by that just slept in feel of a men's cotton t-shirt.
Of course I am still a sucker for a designer tee, but I have gotten better about figuring out when to spend the money and when to take a pass. My favorite t-shirts to splurge on are Harlow for undeniably sexy V-necks, James Perse for incredible fit, and J-crew for the absolute perfect cotton tee. I am lusting after the v-neck tee from MiH denim, and I will always be prone to give in to Alexander Wang's impossibly soft tees, although I have started washing them instead of dry cleaning and find it makes all the difference.
Anywho, I send you out on your quest for the perfect tee, hopefully a bit more informed. As always the best starting spot is the men's section at Walmart (or Target if you are feeling classy). Time for me to get dressed!
