Let’s be honest, finding the perfect basic is hard for anyone. There’s denim that fits in the butt then gaps in the waist, and don’t even get us started on bras. Throw being plus size into the mix, and even the simplest item — like a t-shirt — becomes rocket science. Designs for plus-size bodies can often fall into oversized styles (when you don’t actually want it to be oversized) or silhouettes strategically created to hide certain parts of yourself (hello, sleeves down to the elbow). Thankfully, though, I think I’ve done it. I think I’ve found the perfect plus-size t-shirt, and it’s only $8.

Shopping for the perfect plus-size t-shirt requires me to ask several questions.

First, will the sleeves go down to my elbows? While this style is totally fine, for my own perfect t-shirt, I want a classic sleeve, not one that seems to imply I want to hide my arms. Then, will it be fitted enough? While boxy and boyfriend styles are fun, I need a basic t-shirt that skims my frame — not hides it. Of course, there's also the length. Let's get honest: The shirt needs to be long enough to deal with the fact that I've got a tummy to cover but I also don't want it to reach tunic status and cover my whole butt. See? Complicated, right?

But Old Navy's EveryWear Plus Size V-neck t-shirt checks all of my boxes. The shirt retails for just $8 on the brand's website and comes in sizes 1X-4X. Coming in white, black, navy, and grey, it also covers the must-have neutral shades your closet requires. But let's talk about the most important thing: the fit.

best plus size t shirt

When it comes to sleeves, the design hits at the mid-point of the upper arm giving you a longer look than a cap style but falling shy of reaching all the way down to your elbow. Plus, it's slightly oversized which gives room enough even for those of us with larger-sized arms (yeah, girl, me too! It's the big arms club!). But while the sleeves are a bit oversized, the shirt itself fits perfectly into the mid-zone between fitted and boxy. The cut places a slight emphasis on the waist while still being large enough to be worn loosely tucked into a pair of pants or shorts (my preferred styling). That brings me to the length. Whether it's tucked in completely or just French-tucked, the shirt has plenty of length to give it a blousy appearance. But don't worry if you like wearing your shirts loose and untucked because it'll hang well without becoming so long that things start to look frumpy.

While, of course, everyone's preferences are different when it comes to clothes, this particular piece hits all my basics needs. If you want to give some more styles a go, though, check out these other options below.

You Are a Badass by Jen Sincero