Don’t Buy Women’s T-Shirts – Buy Men’s Shirts and Sew Them
I’ve been a “capsule wardrobe” since, hmmm, childhood, back when it was just called “not having a lot of clothes.” I’ve always loved T-shirts and jeans, and in the summer I switch to T-shirts and skirts. So it’s time to stock up.
Luckily, T-shirts are cheap, durable, and most importantly, don’t require fussy washing or ironing. (I love the look of the crisp white blouse, but if the tag says “Hand wash cold, dry flat, gently breathe out teenage fairies, cool iron,” the blouse stays in the closet. My wedding dress was no problem. )
But there is a problem with cheap women’s T-shirts: they are not worn as well as men’s. Women’s T-shirts are usually made of thinner material – so much better for a wet t-shirt competition? Because we are afraid that the tighter weave will make us look bulky? I don’t know – and I, for example, prefer the thicker and softer material of men’s shirts.
But men’s shirts, even if they are about the right size, look strange on women: the arms are too loose, the hem is too long, and they don’t even press lightly against the waist. Of course, I don’t want all of my shirts to be corset, but I would like them to fit the normal contours of my body without puddles of excess material around the waist and hips. Bad-fitting T-shirts make me depressed: T-shirts that are too baggy and sweatpants are too close to the kind of clothes you could help your grandmother in when she is in a nursing home. They look … unintentional and invalid, as if you are just trying to peel the minimum placket of clothing clean and decently covered.
And women’s shirts wear out faster, probably because of the thinner fabric. My husband and I sometimes buy orchestral T-shirts at the same concert; its last in years, my shit in six months. So I recently got the idea to buy the least expensive yet comfortable men’s shirts I can find and make them fit better. For my summer uniform of patterned skirt + white top + sandals, that meant a small white unisex tee from a local chain store priced at three for $ 10. The fit was predictable: the little ones still gaped around the biceps, the fabric folded into bunches at the hips, and you’ll never notice there is a waist under the column of fabric from neck to hem.
I drove them to a local refit on New York’s Lower East Side, where they’ll get it all done, no kidding, in about nine minutes. The guy pinned the sides, marked the hem and pinched the sleeves, and voila, ten minutes later I had three well-fitting white T-shirts for the summer. It cost me $ 20, so the total cost of the shirt was about $ 23.
Now, if you want to make your own shirts and save twenty dollars, go for it (I have neither the skills nor the equipment for home sewing). The lady at Instructables has a niceYouTube tutorial she calls From Boxy to Foxy , and at least from the comments, it looks like her referrals are right on the money. One note: T-shirt, which I bought, came up to the collar, and, judging by its video, it seems that the only thing that really has to be right from the start.
So if, like me, you want the simplest – yet flattering – capsule wardrobe, head to your local major box store and stock up on men’s shirts. They’re cheap, sturdy, and super cute with little backs. No hand washing or teenage fairies required.