Finding Good T-Shirts - My Top Tips
I think I've finally cracked it
A few weeks ago I posted a stack of t-shirts I’d accumulated on my Instagram story, sharing that I was so excited I’d finally managed to start a solid collection after struggling with how and where to find good ones for years. I couldn’t believe how many people messaged me asking me to share my tips and recommendations so I thought what better place to share than in a newsletter. So lets get to it…
Finding the perfect t-shirt is difficult, in more recent years I’ve switched from wanting the biggest style possible, to preferring more of a ‘girlfriend’ fit. One that stops around my hips and doesn’t drown me, I personally feel like this fit goes nicer with all of my baggy pants, but don’t get me wrong, sometimes there is nothing better than a huge t-shirt and huge pants. It’s always good to have options.
Here are the 5 ways I have hunted down some of my favourite tee’s!
Check what t-shirts your favourite higher end brands have available
Most designer or higher end brands create t-shirts to go alongside their usual collections, but the price is often significantly cheaper in comparison to the other pieces. It may still be upwards of £50+ but if you’re looking for the perfect tee or to treat yourself, it’s worth taking a browse. Ganni are often my go to for this, they make quite a few t-shirts per collection and they always have such fun graphics. Here are a few favourites from a couple of brands I love…
Gentlefullness / Story MFG - £80 / £80
Vintage Vintage Vintage
I know theres nothing more frustrating than when you love someones t-shirt and then you find out it’s vintage, meaning you’ll probably never find another one. It’s also frustrating going to every vintage or second hand store and hunting through racks and racks of shitty t-shirts in the hopes of finding one you’ll actually wear. To combat this frustration, I’ve stopped going in with the aim of finding the perfect t-shirt and just been trying to enjoy the process of looking through them and considering options I wouldn’t class as ‘perfect’ because you never know until you try!
The Men’s sale section of Goodhood, End, Mr Porter etc are always a winner!
The men’s section is where it’s at for good t-shirts, they usually fit boxier and have way more variety. I usually check the sale when the discount hit’s the 40% mark and refine my results by brands I love to & price low-high. There’s definitely hit’s and misses but I’ve found some absolute gems this way. Like the ones below…
Pop Trading Company - £33 / Dime - £24 / Saturdays NYC - £22 / Pop Trading Company - £22
Ebay!
If you’re looking for a real bargain then eBay is one of my favourite places to find t-shirts! It is pretty hard to navigate the overwhelming amount of options, but it’s all about refining your search.
I like to first of all search phrases like ‘novelty graphic t-shirt’ / ‘men’s vintage tshirt’ and ‘vintage graphic t-shirt’. Then I refine it by ‘newly listed’ or ‘lowest price’ - which usually cuts out most of the sellers who are just drop-shipping from Aliexpress. You may still have to skip a few pages but then you should have some legit results of people flogging their old weird tee’s!
Band / Restaurant / Cafe Merch
Band merchandise is of course one of the most classic forms of ‘good t-shirt’, sometimes the worse the design - the better the shirt. Other ways to find similar tee’s are merch by restaurants, cafe’s or coffee companies. Keep an eye out whenever you go to eat or drink at a place you love the vibe of! They might have their own tee’s. In the meantime, here are a few I found…
Edwin x Dark Arts Coffee - £50
Bao Noodle Shop - £22
Clairo Tour Tee - $35
Hope this helps you find some good t-shirts to add to your collection! <3