If you’re looking to make a stylish addition to your T-shirt rotation, there are many made-in-Canada options in a variety of fits and colours. You may have to pay a little more for it, but there are Canadian labels offering well-made cotton basics – and some are even making them with fabric from local knitting mills.
There is no such thing as a “perfect” T-shirt. “Everybody has a different body type and a different fit they like,” says Amit Thakkar, CEO of House of Blanks and Roopa Knitting Mills. But when you’re shopping, he suggests starting with the fabric. “The first thing that makes a good T-shirt is the fabric,” says Thakkar. “Does the fabric feel substantial? Does it feel consistent?” The fabric surface should look and feel clean and smooth, not fuzzy.
When deciding on fabric weight, Thakkar says that he is “not a person who believes that heavier is always better.” It can depend on how you’re planning to wear the T-shirt. You might want a lightweight shirt for layering, or something more substantial or structured if you’ll be wearing it solo.
Then, you’ll want to look at the design, fit and construction. A quality garment, says Thakkar, should have a collar that sits flat at the neck area, have straight rather than wavy seams, and hold its shape after washing.
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When it comes to construction, Dr. Leila Kelleher, a professor of fashion design at Toronto Metropolitan University, also suggests looking at how the neckline and shoulder seams are finished – you want something that has been bound with a seam strip or bias strip of fabric instead of being serged and left unfinished. This finishing can “cost a little bit more to produce, obviously, but it does improve the longevity” of your shirt, says Kelleher.
“We’ve all had the experience of our T-shirts getting really stretched out around the neck and they look really sloppy and awful after a while,” says Kelleher, noting that this problem can occur if seams aren’t reinforced.
Cotton is a natural fibre, and 100-per-cent cotton T-shirts offer the benefits of being breathable and biodegradable. But to help prevent pilling and improve longevity, Kelleher recommends cold washing and hanging them to dry. “Putting anything in the dryer is definitely going to make any fabric more likely to pill, and it does make things shrink,” she says.
Six buys to try
These unisex, 100-per-cent cotton T-shirts are all made-in-Canada.
House of Blanks 1024-PD recycled cotton T-shirt
Made with a recycled cotton-blend jersey, this mid-weight T-shirt is pigment dyed, which means it was dyed after the garment was sewn. This technique offers colour with more depth and texture, says Thakkar. $60
Province of Canada Friday V-neck tee
Looking for a V-neck option? This medium-weight T-shirt features a slightly shorter and boxier fit and is available in sizes XXS to XXL. Anyone can wear it, but the brand suggests that this style “fits true to size for women.” $46
Milo & Dexter classic organic cotton T-shirt
This mid-weight, organic cotton T-shirt by Quebec-based Milo & Dexter is made to order. It’s available in 10 neutral and fashion colours, and sizes XS to XXL. $60
Jerico organic cotton T-shirt
Made from prewashed organic cotton fabric that is certified by the Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS), this mid-weight T-shirt is available in 10 colours and up to size 3XL. $26
Mini Mioche Cloud adult tee
Available in over a dozen colours as well as two striped iterations, the Cloud tee by Toronto-based Mini Mioche is designed to drape well. It’s also made with 100-per-cent GOTS-certified organic cotton and coloured using non-toxic dyes. $52
Frère du Nord classic T-shirt
Offered XS to 3XL as well as custom sizes, this unisex T-shirt is knitted, designed, cut and sewn in Ontario. The mid-weight cotton jersey fabric has been prewashed, so there should be minimal shrinkage. $60