By Shelley Budd
I love basic t-shirts.
T-shirt + satin pin-skirt = chic enough, without being elaborately fancy.
T-shirt + cuffed jeans = aloof, but not sloppy.
T-shirt + jumper = fun, not over the top.

T-shirts are just essential. Well, some of them are. Your basic tee’s got to be choice enough to work nicely in any outfit, from Sunday skivs to date night and chances are, you won’t find it in the mall. Even after years of the t-shirt being a wardrobe staple, there are still beastly ones for sale all over the place. It might seem good enough, it might look just fine on the sale rack, you could blame it on mall lighting – before a wash. Then, it gets shorter from the bottom, leaks dye, stretches where it shouldn’t, shrivels at the seams; it becomes a textile to exile. Essentially, disposable.

There’s nothing backwards about shelling out a little extra for quality basics, simply because they are so. Why skimp on the fundamentals, they’re the backbone of your closet. The trick for a savy-stylista with a little extra to spend here and there is to save the dollas by scouring Urban Outfitters and the like for trends like the military jacket, a little faux-fur vest, high waisted pants, etc., and have them as add-on flair over quality basics like black skinnies, *basic tees and denim.

Simply put – James Perse makes the best t-shirts in the world. Washing machine, dryer, work, nightlife – they go anywhere and outlast, outlive, outwear any other. It should be James Perse-ist, because, they do. Comfortable, soft, cut to fit and flatter. Listed below are two basic favorites, but also recommended are the v-necks and turtle necks, and long-sleeved sweaters that urge you to take a trip to the lake.

SDTC Favorites:

* http://www.jamesperse.com/women/tops/short-sleeve-t-shirts/soft-jewel-neck-tee/viewProduct.do?productId=prod660021&categoryId=cat40010
* http://www.jamesperse.com/women/tops/tanks/soft-long-tank/viewProduct.do?productId=prod660005&categoryId=cat40009

Stores that carry James Perse (Women) in Vancouver:

Holt Renfrew

Fab Clothing – 2305 W. 41st Ave

Hills of Kerrisdale – 2125 W. 14th Ave