Bekah and the Plain Tees

A few weeks ago, you were so gracious to read about my adventures in creating/updating my attempt at a capsule wardrobe...and while I don't plan to make you sit through a lecture on every single piece I own - maybe - I wanted to talk through this next part out loud with you, maybe just so I can understand it better myself! So today: the plain t-shirts.

Several years ago, after I lost a bunch of weight, I went to the store and found a plain t-shirt I liked, and I bought it in five bold colors. All those tees went out the door in the making of the capsule, because in the happiness that is life with Ryan, I found a few of those pounds back on my body, and the tees didn't fit with quite the...ahem...ease they once did. The rule of the clean-out was that if it didn't fit and I didn't feel good about myself in it - OUT!! Out, I say!!!

But one thing I really liked about those tees?? The versatility to wear them under jackets and sweaters and such. So for now, I have a three-plain-tee compartment in my capsule, but I admit I do love color quite a bit, so I don't know if I will end up adding a color part to this?? We'll see how it goes.


One.

The plain white tee. I think a plain white tee is really important to have in a capsule, because you can wear it with just about anything. One thing I've learned in my research is that it's more versatile to work with neutral clothing and trade out color in jewelry and accessories. So with this, I can add jackets or scarves or whatever else I learn about! - and in so doing, I can dress this up or down.

This particular shirt was a pre-owned shirt for me, so its entry fee into the capsule was ZERO DOLLARS. I bought it who-knows-when from Cato, which is where I buy just about everything I own. Cato rotates their merchandise with incredible speed, so I'm not even going to bother hunting for a link to this shirt because I'm confident it no longer exists.

Is this my favorite white shirt in the world? No. I kept it mostly because I already owned it, and it fits...okay. I really like the unusual neckline, which allows me to dress it up or down and gives it some character that your average plain white shirt wouldn't have. {It's almost like a t-shirt plus, because it has some construction character.} It hangs straight down with really no shape to it, which sometimes is okay for me and sometimes makes me feel frumpy. The shirt has held up pretty well, but it's getting a little pilly under the arms, so I am not sure it has years of life left in it. {And, by the way, it's a medium, so it's right on target with my general size for shirts.}

While I am not going to go on a hunt for a white shirt, if I'm out and about and find a white t-shirt that fits well and has a good price tag, I will buy it and replace this one.

{Disclaimer: I actually have a second white shirt that I kept in the capsule, because Ryan bought it for me right after we got married. I love it too, but it's tighter, and I can't wear it on fat days. So I didn't make it the main attraction for this post. But I love it and I love HIM for buying it for me, so it stays as white t-shirt capsule staple, part B.}

Two.

I told you before that brown is a good neutral for me and I love the way it looks. Enter the keeping of this t-shirt I already owned {making it my favorite entry fee of ZERO DOLLARS! This was another Cato shirt bought in days of yore and therefore minus its link {and any reference to what I originally paid for it}.


I particularly love this shirt because the construction keeps it in the realm of a t-shirt, but the really fun dimensional design makes it unique from other t-shirts I own. I like the way the dimensional fabric is the same color as the shirt itself, so I don't have to be picky about what I pair this with. I love the neckline which is the perfect blend of scoop and v. I love the way it's form-fitting. I love it that this can be dressy or casual. It's one of my favorite shirts, and that's why I kept it!

I'm sad that it's showing some wear under the arms as well {seems to be a Cato-construction weakness}...not in the form of pilling on this one, but more in the form of deodorant residue that just won't give up. The sleeves on this one are almost like cap sleeves, so the bottom of the sleeve holds really close to my armpit. {Shirt is also a medium, thought a tighter-fitting medium than the white one.}

I want to hang onto this one for as long as I can, just because it is so unique and I love the fit, but I know I need to keep an eye out for another fun brown shirt because this one may not make it forever, quality speaking.

Three.

Rounding out my plain-tee collection in my capsule is another new one I bought since doing the great weed-out. Interestingly enough, I did not own a black t-shirt. WHAT!? Truth! I did not. So when Ryan and I went shopping at Old Navy a couple of weeks ago, I found this gem on the clearance rack. I couldn't find the exact tee online, but this one is pretty close. Want to know what my final bill was on this shirt? Are you ready? Entry fee of TWO DOLLARS AND NINETY-NINE CENTS, thankyouverymuch.


I guess if you want to get picky, the shirt is really more of a dark charcoal, like my one graphic tee, but it's close enough to black. And it has some white highlights to it, giving it some character, which I really like. The medium fit really well, and it's a relaxed tee, so I don't have to mess with sucking in or anything.

I really like this shirt, because it's comfy, I can dress it up or down pretty easily, and hello?!?! Did you see the price? Who can't love a shirt for less than three bucks, brand spankin' new!? I feel good that this portion of my capsule wardrobe is now complete, with three good neutral shirts to build a base for anything from staying home to going to church to dates with Ryan.

So. The recap:

Three plain, neutral tees for the capsule wardrobe: check{ish}.
Total cost for said tees, at this point in time: $2.99.
Size breakdown: medium, medium, and medium.
Color base for capsule: white, brown, dark charcoal.
Bekah: pretty happy, with one eye out for improvements on white and brown.