An Essentials Guide: Denim & Tees
Jeans & a white tee:
A basics Love Affair
T-Shirt: Paloma Wool
Jeans: Everlane Kick Crop
Denim and a white tee:
Few outfits boast the power to transcend time and generations. Even fewer exist outside fashion's ever-revolving door of trends. The white T-shirt and jeans combo is that unicorn of a uniform, pitting two closet heroes together to create a look that will never go out of style. Individually, each stands on its own as a timeless piece, but together, the two communicate effortlessness, off-duty ease, a level of undone perfection that would have otherwise been so hard to achieve.
-Andrea Cheng, CR Fashionbook
This guide is pulled together thanks to the opinions of 50 women who responded to a poll posted on my Instagram in a selfish attempt to collect quality brand recommendations for comfy, quality denim and durable t-shirts.
Tips for shopping: During the month of April, I gave myself a limited budget to spend on some clothing that I needed for quarantine. This was a fun way to give myself parameters and force creativity when it came to getting the most bang for my buck. Compare sites and promotional offers, and don’t assume quantity is king. Who gets your dollar furthest? What’s your budget? What do you need? Happy shopping!
If you’d like: Scroll straight to the bottom for my personal picks for both, and whatever you do, don’t forget to download Honey to make sure you’re getting all the best deals. Enjoy and please comment with your personal favs so we can keep building this essential guide!
Let’s begin w. DENIM…
How it works: All of the bulleted jeans below are specific pairs that my followers recommended via my IG poll! I include “In my Opinion (IMO)” notes with my personal thoughts and some recommendations for what I’d throw in my cart. All images are hyperlinked for seamless shopping.
Madewell ($$) -
IMO: About thirty percent of you responded with Madewell “all the way”. I think this brand strikes the balance between good quality and affordability.
Deals: Teachers and students get 15% off and, right now, some styles get an additional 50% off with code BIGTIME.
Curvy High-Rise Skinny Jean ($128)
The Road Tripper ($55-75)
What I’d throw in my cart: The Perfect Vintage ($98) jeans with the Rivet & Thread Vintage Shrunken Tee ($25 w. code).
Top Shop ($)
IMO: I often browse TopShop while I’m passing through Nordstrom. In my experience, after a few washes, these jeans start to thin. Nonetheless, they are the less expensive options here.
Deals: Students take 20% off
The Jamie Skinny ($70)
What I’d throw in my cart: IDOL Washed Black Straight Jeans ($75) paired with this Pale Pink Tigres T-Shirt ($18 on sale!).
AG Jeans ($$$)
Deals: They just ran a 25% off sale last week - keep your eyes peeled for another!
IMO: I personally own the Farrah Skinny jeans. I absolutely love them (stretchy, comfy, can wash/dry them as many times as you’d like without diminishing the quality, but they stretch out - quickly. I find myself washing and drying between every wear to get them back to shape). In short, I think they’re almost worth the price.
The Farrah Skinny ($225)
What I’d throw in my cart: The Mila ($198) paired with The Gray Boy Tee ($78).
Frame Jeans($$$)
Deals: 15% off your first order, current sale: 25% off full-price items, and they’re running a 80% sample sale (and returns are allowed!)
IMO: No one suggested Frame jeans in my poll, but I couldn’t write a blog post on denim without mentioning Frame. If money weren’t an issue, this would be my number pick. My Frame jeans are the comfiest, stretchiest, most flattering and reliable jeans I own. To be totally honest, they’re worth the investment.
What I’d throw in my cart: Le High Skinny Raw Edge ($195 + 25% off with sale), this Men’s Long Sleeve Henley ($40!) and the Le High Flair Blanc ($210 + 25% off with sale).
Please note: if you decide to purchase, please click through my affiliate link! This recco is not sponsored, I just earn dollars to spend on my next Frame purchase (plus you get 20% off your order!).
Other denim mentioned:
Mother Denim ($$$) - “Expensive but worth it!”
Revtown USA ($) - “My husband swears Revtown jeans feel like sweatpants (they have women’s too).”
Fidelity ($$)- “Trust me.”
Abercrombie & Fitch ($) (3+ people mentioned!) - “I hate myself but they have the best jeans. And they’re cheap.”
GAP ($) - “GAP jeans ALL THE WAY.”
Levi Wedgie Straight Leg Jeans ($) - “I love!”
Other brands endorsed: Old Navy, Loft, Lucky Brand, Uniqlo, L.L. Bean, Good American, Joe’s, AGolde, J Brand
on to the white tee
Here’s the name of the game: sorted from least to most expensive, so shop at your price range. If I included the style name, it was specifically recommended. If I didn’t, it’s just my personal fav after browsing! I didn’t include anything that wasn’t a first-hand recommendation from myself or someone else. All are hyperlinked and priced, so happy shopping!
Most excited to discover… Z Supply. What z heck, these look so comfy.
Contemplating purchasing a tee from… Aerie. Anyone else slightly tempted to dip their toes in this soft tie-dye trend?
Just ordered something from…MATE the label. I just can’t help myself. And they get a “great” rating for sustainability from Good on You.
But my all-time favorite tee?
The Haliflax Top from Lett - stretchy but not see-through. The fabric gives but has a bit of weight so it takes shape to your body; a t-shirt bra is recommended when wearing out. This is a daytime, under-blazer to nighttime, take off bra and get into bed type tee, friends.
Color: Ecru
Ordered with: Heathrow Pant in the same color
Perfect lounge set.
And Now for my personal pick on both…
Everlane ($78+)
Deals: 3 for 45 on basic tees! All denim prices have been cut.
IMO: A couple of you said “All Everlane denim!!!” and I couldn’t agree more. I’ll be loyal to this company for life. Sustainable, low impact fashion and they recently lowered their prices. I just had to throw in a pair of shoes on this one because I love these heels so dearly (tip: consider going up a half size as the elastic backing can dig in a bit).
Women’s Kick Crop Jean - these are some of my true blue jeans but must be content with the crop all winter long!
What I also own: The Day Heel, The 90’s Cheeky Straight Jean and The Organic Cotton Box-Cut Logo Tee.
Please note: if you decide to purchase, click through my affiliate link - thank you! This recco is not sponsored, I just earn points to spend on my next Everlane purchase :)
A final note on sustainability: none of the brands published (other than L.L. Bean and Good American - briefly mentioned), have received a “we avoid” rating from Good on You, though all of these brands range on the sustainability scale. I encourage you to continue your research and vet out brands before you buy!