White T-Shirt – Guide to Fit and Care

Short answer: A white T-shirt has to fit properly and stay white, or it loses its whole effect. Choose a model in bamboo viscose with the right shoulder width, wash it at 30 degrees and avoid the tumble dryer, and it keeps both its shape and its colour.

The fit decides everything

On a white T-shirt every fault shows. Too tight and it reveals everything, too loose and it looks like a vest. The shoulder seam ends at the edge of the shoulder and the sleeve at the middle of the upper arm. See the models under bamboo T-shirts for men and bamboo T-shirts for women.

The fabric must not be too thin

It is the thickness rather than the cut that decides whether a white T-shirt turns sheer. A heavier fabric also hangs better and does not cling to the skin in the heat. Always choose a denser quality in white than you would in black, where no light shines through.

Why a white T-shirt in bamboo

White T-shirts are tested by perspiration and frequent washing. Bamboo viscose moves perspiration away before it settles as yellow marks, and the fibres take many washes without pilling. The fabric also hangs more heavily than cotton, so it looks less sheer at the same weight.

The yellow marks under the arms

Yellow rings are rarely caused by perspiration alone, but by perspiration mixed with the aluminium salts in deodorant. Let the deodorant dry completely before you put the T-shirt on, and wash it the same day it is worn. That works far better than trying to remove the mark afterwards.

A white wash without a grey veil

White turns greyish when washed with coloured laundry, and yellowish when washed too cold for a long time. Keep white separate, wash at 30 degrees with a detergent containing oxygen bleach, and run an occasional 40 degree wash if the fabric allows it.

Sunlight as bleach

Sun fades coloured clothes, but it does the opposite to white. Hang the white T-shirt outdoors in daylight to dry, and the sun draws the last yellowing out of the fibres. It is the only free bleach there is, and it works best on clean, wet fabric.

When to replace it

A white T-shirt has a shorter life than a black one, and that is normal. Once the neckline has gone slack, or the fabric has a grey cast that will not wash out, it has done its time as a visible garment. It can still serve as a base layer.

Washing and drying

Wash at 30 degrees, use no fabric softener and avoid the tumble dryer, which makes the elastane brittle and fixes yellow marks. Hang the T-shirt on a broad shouldered hanger while it is damp, and it smooths itself out and rarely needs ironing afterwards. See also the size guide for bamboo clothing and bamboo T-shirt vs. cotton T-shirt.