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The rumors are true. This past year, we’ve been on the hunt for the world’s best T-shirt in order to decide once and for all: what really is the world’s best T-shirt?
The world’s best T-shirt shouldn’t only be the most comfortable. In order to be considered the best of the best, the world’s best T-shirt needs to also be versatile, affordable and potentially most importantly, durable. Because who wants to spend $50 on a T-shirt when it’s going to get some holes at the neckline in just three washes? No one.
So, what really is the best T-shirt? Join us on our hunt and find out for yourself.
Pauly D from Jersey Shore really said it best: it’s T-shirt time. If you’ve been following along, you’ll know that we’ve dedicated the past couple of months to trying out and reviewing a number of different T-shirts across various brands to discover what exactly is the world’s most perfect tee.
Sounds easy, but trust us: it’s been a pretty hard job. We feel as close as we can be considered to T-shirt experts at this point.
Every brand says they have the best T-shirt. But which of them is actually right?
If you’re new here, in this series, we will be rating various tees using the four categories listed below:
- Comfort
- Versatility
- Affordability
- Durability
Ratings will be set on a scale between 1 and 5 to accurately depict each tee’s qualities.
Ready? Then let’s pick the J.Crew Slim Washed Jersey Pocket Tee’s brain apart.
J.Crew Slim Washed Jersey Pocket Tee
The Slim Washed Jersey Pocket Tee is a J.Crew cult classic. For real, if you consider yourself a true J.Crew fan but you’ve never purchased one of these pocket tees, you’re an imposter.
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This design exemplifies everything you can imagine when it comes to a modern pocket tee. It’s made with cotton (that’s responsibly grown, might we add), has that popularized slim-fit, relatively shorter sleeves than average and rib trimming at the neck.
When throwing on this T-shirt, you’ll notice a lighter material than most with a fit that feels closer to your body. It’s a style that’s been in for quite some time now hence why it’s become such a popular pick-up in the past couple of years
But, is this classic tee really the classic we think it is?
Comfort
3/5 👕
You’ve heard it before: comfort is key. While the J.Crew Slim Washed Jersey Pocket Tee is comfortable in all of the technical ways, there are some issues that are holding us back ever so slightly.
To start, yes, this pocket tee is comfortable. It uses super thin cotton that feels like a soft blanket on the skin which is surely something we can get behind. It isn’t heavy in the slightest, making it an excellent T-shirt to wear in warmer weather so you don’t sweat as much. But, at the same time these qualities make for a comfortable tee, they can also make for an uncomfortable tee.
It’s without question that thinner tees hug the skin a little more than some users might like. With that said, a few washes will make this puppy even tighter. If you’re fine with showing off the curvature or your body, we see no issue. But, if you are a little bit more uncomfortable with showing your body off, we can see you pulling this one at the fabric multiple times throughout the day which is never a good look (or feel).
That said, we can’t give the J.Crew Slim Washed Jersey Pocket Tee a perfect rating for comfort, so we’re going to have to knock it a few points with a solid 3 out of 5 T-shirts.
Versatility
4.5/5 👕
When talking about versatility, the J.Crew Slim Washed Jersey Pocket Tee is hard to beat. With a slew of candy-colored pigments to choose from including shades of pink, bright blue and mint green, there is truly a color for everyone under the sun. Not to mention your average white, black, tan and more. That said, the slogan for this T-shirt should be, “Colors? We got ’em.”
In terms of size, we did mention that these are slightly huggier than your average tee. This is something some will love and others will hate and there’s nowhere to stand in between — it more or less depends on your T-shirt preference. For some body types, it might bunch numerous times throughout the day which will become annoying, so just keep that in mind if this is an issue you’ve had with tees before.
One thing we love dearly about this shirt? You can wear it both solo and underneath cold-weather favorites. It makes for a lovely warm-weather tee that feels perfect wearing by itself with your short shorts and a dirty pair of Converse, but also is a solid tee to wear under your coolest fall flannel. The pocket adds just enough low-key flair to make sense for both scenarios, too.
Here, both fabric and cut can lean both casual and semi-formal which is great news. Style this under a sweatshirt or jean jacket in chillier weather, wear it solo with drinks and a black pair of pants in warmer weather or walk around the house in just this pocket tee and your undies. It makes for a great companion in most scenarios. That all said? We have to give this tee 4.5 out of 5 T-shirts for versatility. Almost perfect!
Affordability
5/5 👕
When it comes to pricing, the J.Crew Slim Washed Jersey Pocket Tee has hit the nail on the head completely.
As we mentioned last time, most folks are going to cap a plain, solid-colored shirt at around $25. Luckily for us, this pocket tee starts at just $16.50 for some colors and maxes out at $19.99 for others. That’s beyond affordable as far as good T-shirts go.
With an unbeatable price like this, props to you, J.Crew. A solid 5 out of 5 T-shirts!
Durability
2.8/5 👕
Not to say this is where it all comes crumbling down, but there are some issues in terms of durability.
We’re going to keep it real with you — this shirt will 100% change its size after just one wash. No one wants to hear it, but we have to be honest. This is something that tends to happen with extra-thin, slim-fit shirts like this one. The material shrinks down quickly and won’t wear the same as it did before washing ever again, so you’re just going to have to get used to the size it becomes after your initial wear.
The shirt itself holds up for the most part after the first wash, so you can expect it to stay the same size from then on out. But, after a year of persistent wear, our site director Tim Werth mentions that his go-to J.Crew pocket tee is starting to lose its definition around the collar. No pilling, though, which is good!
Although this shirt is visually handsome, a massive shrink after wash is a huge Debbie Downer. That said, we’re going to have to give durability 2.8 out of 5 T-shirts.
Final Score
3.8/5 👕
We’re giving the J.Crew Slim Washed Jersey Pocket Tee 4 out of 5 stars. This classic pocket tee is really one of the most affordable and good-looking slim-fit tees on the market, but it sadly does have some issues you’ll have to consider when purchasing in terms of durability and fit.
But, should you buy it? Why the hell not? It’s extremely affordable and makes for a solid shirt to wear solo and underneath any open button-down shirt. If it shrinks beyond a wearable size, you don’t have to worry much about it given the price. Consider it as a hand-me-down if that’s the case.
To end it all off, is the J.Crew Slim Washed Jersey Pocket Tee the world’s best tee? Sadly, it’s not, but that doesn’t mean we don’t love it. Stay tuned to learn the best of the best and create your own opinion on the J.Crew Slim Washed Jersey Pocket Tee using the link below.