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Where is good for cotton t-shirts & long sleeve tops now that GAP aren't?

50 replies

abigboydidit · 16/03/2013 14:46

Having been pregnant for most of the last 3 years I am trying to refresh my wardrobe. I had always been a fan of GAP plain t-shirts & long sleeve crew/v neck tops but all mine look a bit tired & are the old fashioned shorter length style (end on waist not on hips).

I had a 40% off code so I ordered loads in my usual size but the fit was awful - shapeless and clingy in equal measures - and the fabric was really thin & poor quality. I don't really have cash to spend on what is really just a wardrobe basic for layering but equally need something that washes well & ideally isn't that shiny jersey fabric which clings to my flabby belly.

Anyone able to suggest a reliable alternative? Thanks.

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IndianaMoans · 16/03/2013 14:59

I have some from Dorothy Perkins, the fabric is a decent thickness, they keep their shape well and are true to size. I bought mine last year though. They are a really nice length aswell. I think they were about £8 each which is reasonable for something I tend to wear under cardis, dresses etc.

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HazeltheMcWitch · 16/03/2013 15:02

Don't laugh, but.... Tu, @ Sainsbury's.
I'm quite tall and these tshirts seem to be a good length on me, and they wash well etc.

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teta · 16/03/2013 15:08

Matalan do really good quality long-sleeved crew necked t shirts but seem to only have 3 colours in stock at the moment.However i can recommend the laundered shortsleeve t shirts in the u and v neck shapes.Good fit and slightly slouchy on me and look a bit vintage [which i really like].They were on the Susie So So blog if you want to have a look.

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RicStar · 16/03/2013 15:12

Uniqlo lots of basics good website similar to old school Gap.

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melli · 16/03/2013 15:20

I would give h& m a go

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Alibabaandthe40nappies · 16/03/2013 15:58

Sainsbury's are good, and also Laura Ashley if you look carefully. I got a long, long sleeved red on white breton stripe top from there this time last year. It is 100% cotton, washes well and looks really good still. It doesn't cling or go baggy.

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RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie · 16/03/2013 16:17

Nowhere. I am absolutely desperate for some and they are all rubbish. M&S Limited used to do brilliant ones but they stopped doing them (typical bloody M&S - stop doing good stuff and fill the stores with crap that nobody even wants to buy, judging by the rails and rails of sales tat: grrr). Hobbs are good quality but short and clingy; Gap are appallingly bad quality; H&M really thin and stupid sizing. :(

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MakesCakesWhenStressed · 16/03/2013 16:19

Primark! Some wash well, some don't, but for £1.50 or thereabouts you don't mind so much if one or two shrink

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QueenCadbury · 16/03/2013 16:57

I second Dorothy Perkins. I've also gone off the gap ones as they don't wash we'll. I've just bought one from fat face which felt lovely on although haven't worn it yet since being washed so it may be a shapeless rag next time I put it on.

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foxysocks · 16/03/2013 17:12

i am so fed up of crappy tshirts. the only ones I have and like like atm is one from me&em in their sale, i think it was called a boyfriend tee, and a zoe karrson one I got cheap(er) from zalando.

oh, I also have a striped one which is years old from velvet, was a present from DH and quite expensive but has really lasted well and looks/fits great.

I tried the zara linen ones last year, they are ok but not perfect so I am on the lookout for more at the moment. i'll end up ebaying/charity shopping the zara ones I think.

I need them to be long (i'm 5'9) with a good slouch, nice neckline, flattering sleeve length. and the moon on a stick while you're there please Wink

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Follyfoot · 16/03/2013 17:14

Would agree with Sainsburys too. They have even stood up to DH's 'sturdy' washing technique and his super hot tumble drying Hmm

Boden Ts last well too (have got a 20% off thingie if you want it)

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abigboydidit · 16/03/2013 20:31

Thanks - I wouldn't have thought of Sainsburys as the one and only top I ever bought from there practically fell apart after just one wash. Will try there and DP as I have those near me and then move on to H&M if that's no use before hitting the internet shops. How hard can it be to get a simple bloody t-shirt Angry

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nannyof3 · 16/03/2013 20:31

Sainsburys and asda

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Hassled · 16/03/2013 20:34

Zara have some nice cotton ones - good and long in the body which I like. I hate the ones which just sort of skim your waistband.

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determinedma · 16/03/2013 20:36

M&S ones are good. Cheap, loads of colours, wash well

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Hanginggardenofboobylon · 16/03/2013 20:38

Another vote for Uniqlo - great layering stuff

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ArbitraryUsername · 16/03/2013 20:38

Primark. Surprisingly good quality considering that they're really cheap.

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BestestBrownies · 16/03/2013 20:43

This is going to sound mad, but I bought some long-sleeved U-neck 100% cotton t-shirts in (wait for it)....... New Look around September last year. I have worn them pretty much non-stop since then, so 6 months + and they still look as good as new, wash brilliantly, don't need ironing and have kept their colours brilliantly (dark navy, royal blue and a deep burgundy). They are long in the body and not clingy. Think they were under a fiver each. May even have been as little as 3 quid apiece.

I was gobsmacked too.

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BestestBrownies · 16/03/2013 20:45

Uniqlo are OK, but I find the sizing a bit on the small side (and my budget at the time didn't stretch to their prices Blush)

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PretzelTime · 16/03/2013 20:47

How is the Zara top's fabric - thin or OK?

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Hassled · 16/03/2013 20:49

Thin, but not wafer thin, IYSWIM. Fine for layering rather than on their own, probably.

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BikeRunSki · 16/03/2013 20:50

land's end

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Startail · 16/03/2013 20:51

I also have a stripped Sainsbury's top which is lovely, worn and washed loads of times and it has proper length sleeves!

I'm sick of 3/4 length sleeves which proceed to sharing ever shorter each wash.

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Startail · 16/03/2013 20:51

Shrink

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neolara · 16/03/2013 20:52

Uniqlo

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