How to Make a Basic T-Shirt Look Intentional (3 Outfits, One $18 Tee)

The first t-shirt I owned that didn’t look like a t-shirt was the Everlane Heavyweight tee, $40, the one I’ve written about before. It was a revelation. I bought five. I’ve written a love letter to them in my notes app.

Then I tried the Target A New Day heavyweight tee in white. It was $18. It is not the Everlane. But for three specific outfits, it is exactly right. And honestly? Most of my week is one of those three outfits. So.

Here’s the same tee, three ways. Saturday. Dinner. Monday.

Why most plain tees look bad

Before I get into the outfits: the reason a plain t-shirt looks bad on most plus-size bodies is not the body. It’s the t-shirt. Specifically, it’s the fabric weight. Most “plain tees” in plus sizes are made of a thin, lightweight cotton that drapes like a jersey sheet. Thin fabric clings to every line of the body. Thin fabric goes sheer across the chest under a bright light. Thin fabric stretches out at the neck by the second wear.

The Target A New Day heavyweight is a 220-gram cotton. It’s not magic. It’s just heavier than the average tee, which means it hangs off the body rather than on it. It’s the difference between looking like a person in a shirt and looking like a person in a thin layer of fabric that happens to be a shirt.

The Everlane Heavyweight is heavier. The Target one is heavy enough.

Outfit 1: Saturday — jeans + loafers + the tee

Saturday. Errands. Coffee shop. Maybe the farmer’s market, maybe not. I want to look like a person who has been outside and is going outside again.

The outfit:

• Target A New Day heavyweight tee, white, my usual 2X
• Universal Standard high-rise straight-leg jeans, vintage wash
• Loafers — the Sam Edelman Leighton ones in black leather, which I bought on sale in November for $79
• A thin gold necklace and small hoops
• A canvas tote with my laptop in it, because I always have my laptop in it

The reason this works: the tee is tucked into the jeans at the front and loose at the back. The loafers add “I made a decision today” without adding “I’m trying.” The jewelry is the same jewelry I wear on Tuesday, which is the secret to looking intentional — repetition.

I have worn this exact outfit to coffee, to the bookstore, to brunch with Jess, to pick up a prescription, and on a flight to visit my mom. I have never once felt underdressed.

Outfit 2: Dinner — tucked into a midi skirt

Dinner with my friend Priya last month. Mediterranean place, low lighting, the kind of restaurant where the menu has no prices. I wore the tee tucked into a midi skirt and felt like a person with a job and a personality.

The outfit:

• Target A New Day heavyweight tee, white
• A pleated satin midi skirt in a deep burgundy, from a brand called M.M. LaFleur that I bought secondhand on The RealReal for $58 (retail $188)
• Black leather block-heeled mules, two inches, from Aeyde (the same ones I wore to my cousin’s wedding)
• A pair of drop earrings I bought at a craft market in Brooklyn in 2019

The trick with tucking a tee into a satin skirt is the tuck itself. I do a French tuck — just the front, just an inch or two — and then I pull the hem of the tee back down over the skirt band so it’s not a hard tuck. It looks intentional without looking like I’m trying to wear a crop top. Which I’m not, at 36, on a Saturday.

This is the outfit that gets the most compliments for the least effort. I’ve worn it twice. I’ll probably wear it four more times before the year is out.

Outfit 3: Monday — under a blazer, with trousers

This is the work version. The version that takes the same $18 tee and makes it pass in a meeting with someone’s boss.

The outfit:

• Target A New Day heavyweight tee, white
• Spanx Perfect Collection blazer in dark camel (the one I’ve mentioned in basically every work post I’ve written)
• Universal Standard “Seine” trouser in walnut brown
• Sarah Flint “Grace” pump in dark cognac, the 1.5-inch heel
• A small structured handbag, the Cuyana classic easy tote, in caramel

The reason this works on a Monday is the layering. The blazer covers the shoulders and arms, which is where the tee is just a tee. The trousers make the whole thing look like a meeting outfit. The tee underneath is doing the work of a shell or a blouse, except it’s $18 and I can spill coffee on it without ruining my week.

What I learned

The trick to a plain tee is not the brand or the price. The trick is the fabric weight. Heavy enough to hang off the body, light enough to wear under a blazer without bulk.

The Target A New Day heavyweight is heavy enough. The Everlane Heavyweight is heavier. The $9 tees at H&M are not heavy enough. The $80 tees at Vince are heavier than either. Decide what you’re willing to spend.

I own nine white tees at this point. Five are the Target. Two are the Everlane. Two are older and being phased out. The Target ones get washed more, worn more, and replaced more often. For $18, that’s the math I want.

Have a basic tee question? Send it to me — I read every message.