My Holy Grail White T-Shirt Costs $15

By Maxine Builder  

I can’t sit here and say that the Uniqlo Mini T-Shirt is the best women’s white T-shirt. (We have a guide if you’re looking for that.) But I can say that of the dozen or so white T-shirts in my dresser drawer, and the many more that I’ve tried as a particularly persnickety shopping editor over the past seven years, the Uniqlo Mini T-Shirt is the one I’m most likely to be wearing on any given occasion.

Uniqlo has long been my source for unobtrusive basics, and it’s a brand that comes up over and over when we’re debating the best white T-shirts. But not all of its pieces are created equal—and let me assure you that if I had known this shirt was called the Mini when I first spotted it in the SoHo flagship store, I probably would’ve left it on the shelf. I am a woman who, at 5-foot-8, attributes most of her height to her torso, rather than her legs, so I’m wary of going too short with my shirts. But “mini” is not the same as cropped. The Mini is tailored, hitting right at the top of my high-waisted pants. It’s fitted, without exposing too much skin.

The advantage of this slimmer cut is that it looks particularly neat. There’s certainly a time and a place for a relaxed tee—Buck Mason’s Slub Easy Crew is one of my favorites for that look—but without proper styling, it can veer into looking sloppy. Tees with a more “classic” fit, such as the Asket white T-shirt or even the Everlane Slim Crew, can pucker and wrinkle around my curves. That leaves me pulling at the fabric throughout the day, trying to make sure it’s straight. The best white T-shirt should be truly basic and nearly forgettable—something that never needs readjusting and doesn’t require a Pinterest board of inspiration to make it work. And the Uniqlo Mini T-Shirt is just that, a blank canvas that I can style with anything in my closet for just about any situation. Paired with my Aritzia Effortless Pants, I’m ready to go to the office and meet with my boss’s boss. With my Levi’s 501s, I’m sporting the insouciant look of Jane Birkin while running errands (or, at least, that’s what I’m going for). For a date with my husband or dinner with friends, I’ll throw on a satin midi skirt and some jewelry and feel cute. When I wear it with bootcut leggings and a pair of Sauconys after that night out, I look surprisingly put-together. I’ve even worn it to Pilates classes and had no issues with it riding up as I flop around on the reformer.

The fabric contains 4% spandex, which isn’t for everyone. Four of my colleagues tested this tee on my recommendation, and one described it as a bit clingy, while another said it felt a bit stretched out. But I’ve found that the fabric keeps its shape without feeling constricting, even after dozens of washes (though I only ever hang-dry it). The ribbed fabric is hefty enough that my bra doesn’t peek through when I wear the shirt on its own, and I’ve found that it’s meaningfully thicker than the cotton of the Buck Mason Pima Boxy Crew that our style team recommends. But it’s still much thinner than other Uniqlo tees I’ve tried, like the uber-dense Uniqlo U T-shirts. This all means I can easily layer the Mini T-Shirt underneath sweaters and cardigans, almost like an undershirt, and I don’t feel like I’m baring anything when I take that outer layer off. This tee is so breathable and comfortable that it’s my go-to base layer on red-eye flights, with a J.Crew cashmere crewneck and Adidas track pants. Then I’m ready to pair it with anything else in my luggage after I land.

The only T-shirt that has come close to dethroning the Uniqlo Mini tee in my daily rotation is Buck Mason’s Heirloom Rib short-sleeve. It’s also fitted, made with a light-ish ribbed fabric that’s much softer than Uniqlo’s, and it doesn’t ride up as I move throughout the day. But Buck Mason’s tee is nearly $70, and I’m me. I will get coffee or hot sauce on my white T-shirt, and I don’t like having to be so cautious with something that I wear all the time, especially when there’s another option that’s a quarter of the price. (I should note, though, that no matter what I put my T-shirts through, I’ve always been able to launder out any stains and yellowing around the collars of my Uniqlo tees.) The Uniqlo Mini T-Shirt is the only white T-shirt I’ve liked enough to buy in multiples, and at $15 each, filling my wardrobe with them doesn’t make me feel like I’m going into debt. With its fit, fabric, and price, this is the shirt that I’d recommend you add to your wardrobe, too.

This article was edited by Alexander Aciman and Hannah Rimm.