What’s the most crucial item in your wardrobe?
A T-shirt. But we’re not talking that white, plain-pocket T your dad used to wear under his button-down. T-shirts have become as jazzy as jeans-studded, cropped, slashed, silk-screened, beaded and cut out of the finest cloths.
Why?
Comfort is king, says Sonya Schroeder, vice president of marketing for the trend-tracking agency Youth Intelligence. Generation X and Y lead stressful lives and seek a measure of solace through clothes. Pajama-like drawstring pants, distressed denim that is made to feel as cushy as your favorite old pair of Levi’s and super snuggly T’s all fit the bill.
“But young people also seek individuality,” she says. “And women want to dress in something more fashiony than last year’s cargos.”
Roll comfort, chic and singularity together and what do you get?
The designer T. And you can find one to fit your personality, whether it’s your basic Banana Republic cotton T, or Blake boutique’s cashmere version by Dries van Noten ($335). Custo Barcelona goes a different direction with colorful hippie
deluxe T’s.
“The T-shirt is a medium for designers to give a quick message about who they are,” says Marilyn Blaszka of Chicago’s Blake. “It becomes iconic and can be anything from a political statement to a personal expression.”
T-shirts, like clothes in general, are becoming more decorated, says Joan Kaner, senior vice president and fashion director of Neiman Marcus, where T-shirts like Chloe’s “I Love You” design have sold out.
“It’s a backlash to the simplicity pervading clothes a few seasons ago,” she says.
Quite often the ornate T’s are retro in feel, echoing bygone eras and youth movements, whether the punk-edged ’70s or the
disco ’80s.
“There’s a real ’80s resurgence in full swing and the T’s reflect that,” says trend analyst Schroeder. “And brand names are very important, so we’re seeing knockoffs of those Chloe T’s.”
There are also whole companies based around the T, like Three Dots, Juicy Couture and Petit Bateau.
On the more glam side, Michael Stars features glitzy iron-ons with a rock edge, and then there’s C. Ronson’s little reworked concert T’s that sell for $80 to $90 at Barneys New York in New York.
But most designers’ T’s tend to be on the simpler side, meant to complement and play off many of the embellished clothes of the season.
“The T-shirt is about contradiction,” says Blaszka, who carries a Rohka T-shirt printed with a ponyskin pattern. “You can take a T and turn it into something it isn’t. It can be upscale or you can play it against something upscale, and yet it keeps you feeling casual all the while. It’s what modern dressing is all about.”
ROAD-TESTING THE TOPS
In a summer where T-shirt styles, colors, fabrics and details span the spectrum, where do you shop for your basic black all-cotton T? In a highly unscientific sampling of four popular brands, fashion writer Marisa Fox tried out some fairly classic options.
THE GAP’S FAVORITE T
Price: $14.50.
Feel: Buttery soft.
Look: Like a little boy’s T with high crewneck, short but not cap sleeves, and a generous length below the waist.
Fit: Like an undershirt. Snug around the bust and everywhere else.
After one wash: Ever so slightly faded and shrunken.
BANANA REPUBLIC BOY’S T (for women)
Price: $18.
Feel: Thicker cotton but still very soft.
Look: Like a boy’s T with rolled collar, making it look a bit more deluxe than the Gap’s and more presentable for work.
Fit: Generous, so you may want to downsize.
After one wash: It really holds up. No fading or shrinking (and a friend’s 2-year-old T still looks brand new).
CLUB MONACO’S CLASSIC MUSCLE T
Price: $25.
Feel: Thick, crisp cotton, but the least soft.
Look: Cropped like a girl’s French T.
Fit: The most form-fitted, from its slim body to its tight cap sleeves to its cinched-in cropped waist. It’s the perfect length for pants and skirts (grazing just below navel) and the chic-est cut.
After one wash: No fading or misshaping.
J. CREW’S SCOOPNECK T
Price: $16.
Feel: Velvety smooth but so thin it’s almost flimsy.
Look: Low-cut scoop neck with capped sleeves.
Fit: Flattering around the bust but a little too roomy and lengthy down below, making it a tad too sloppy for the office.
After one wash: Loses its shape and fades slightly.
THE TOP PICK: Banana Republic’s has the greatest versatility and resilience. (And if you want the ultimate form fit, add a little bit of Lycra: Banana Republic’s Baby T for women is a good bet.)
