I spent years looking for the perfect basic tee, and I’ve found it for £7 at John Lewis

Gamechangers: The t-shirt of dreams has been found – on the high street

A great basic tee is the glue that holds a capsule wardrobe together (iStock/The Independent)

I’m a 35-year-old personal trainer who lives in activewear for work and wears a lot of black, which could at best be described as classic, and at worst, stuck in a rut. Frankly, I’m still trying to find my style.

I’m aware that I’m not 18 anymore, but I don’t quite feel ready to stop experimenting with fashion. I’ve tried to use accessories to jazz up outfits, and also tried to add a little more “colour” to my wardrobe (when I say colour, I mean grey).

More often than not, when I’m not in activewear you can find me in throw-on style shift dresses, which I’ve invested in as a way to try and inject a little more femininity into my style, whilst keeping things relatively low maintenance.

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I tend to go for pieces that will last me a long time – I’m not someone who buys a lot of clothes regularly. When I was a teenager my grandmother told me “buy cheap, buy twice” and this is something I try to take on board.

A basic tee is an absolute holy grail wardrobe item for me. I am 5”7 and I want something that isn’t cropped (as every single top seems to be these days), isn’t see-through, is fitted but not tight and that will ultimately help me in my quest to throw on a pair of jeans and a T-shirt and somehow end up looking effortlessly chic.

I've bought T-shirts from pretty much every single shop on the high street. Whistles, Topshop, All Saints, Next, H&M – you name it, I’ve tried there.

I hate wasting clothes, so I’ve always stuck with the tees I purchased rather than getting rid of them straight away, but they were always not quite the right fit; too tight, too short, didn’t wash well, and over the years I honestly started to think that it was actually my body shape that was the issue.

Even more frustrating was when friends would swear that a particular shop has the best fitted T-shirts ever, and then they just wouldn’t work for me.

It was when I realised that my six-year-old had suddenly grown a considerable number of inches during the three months he had been off school, and his school uniform would need replacing, that I grabbed my laptop and started browsing the John Lewis website.

As often happens, an “item you may be interested in” popped up underneath – and when I saw the perfect basic T-shirt, I couldn’t resist.

The reviews looked promising so at just £7, I prayed this was finally the tee I had been searching all these years for and added both the black and grey options to my basket. And lo, they arrived, and it was absolutely love at first try on.

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The gamechanger: Perfect basic T-shirt in grey, £7, Johnlewis.com

(John Lewis & Partners)

“Perfect” is a bold statement, but I can’t quite remember an item of clothing I’ve been more pleased within recent years. The John Lewis perfect basic T-shirts are fitted without being tight, a flattering length, an almost tailored shape and a reassuring thickness (I honestly don’t want everyone seeing my bra).

They look great with jeans, offering me that cool, casual, yet put-together style that has eluded me all this time, and after years of searching it seems I’ve finally found the classic T-shirt of my dreams.

I have the black and grey (white on the way) and I’m seriously considering buying back-up replacements for when these wear out, as I’ll certainly be wearing them regularly.

Perfect basic T-shirt in white, £7, Johnlewis.com

(John Lewis & Partners)

So delighted was I with my find that I posted them on my Instagram Stories, aware that many of my friends and followers have had similar issues with finding that perfect tee. The replies were immediate and plentiful, full of anecdotes about the difficulty of finding flattering, good quality staple wardrobe items.

Since then dozens of people have contacted me to say they have purchased the same tee (it’s a good thing lockdown prevents us from meeting up, lest we avoid wearing the same thing as each other).

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The size range with this particular John Lewis option is better than most on the high street, ranging from 6-20, but there is always more work to be done – this is something that the high street continues to not give enough attention to.

Perfect basic T-shirt in black, £7, Johnlewis.com

(John Lewis & Partners)

Options for plus size women with money to spend are few and far between and often more expensive than “straight sized items”, meaning that plus women simply do not that the same clothing options available. This is something that retailers simply have to change – they alienate too many potential customers and work needs to be done to attract their attention and secure their custom. After all, every woman deserves their perfect staple items.

For now, I’m delighted that after years of searching I've found a seemingly insignificant item of clothing that makes me feel more confident, more put together and gives me hope that I may just be able to start finding my style.

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