When to replace your t-shirts

A plain tee rarely dies all at once. It fades a shade at a time, the collar relaxes, the hem twists, and one day the “good” shirt you reach for is the one that has been washed two hundred times.

Here are the practical signals that a tee is done — and how long that actually takes.

The five signs

1. 1. The collar gives upThe collar no longer sits flat or springs back when stretched.
2. 2. The color has movedBlack and navy have faded a full shade against a new shirt.
3. 3. The body has twistedThe body has stretched or twisted so the side seams wander.
4. 4. The wash stops workingUnderarm yellowing or odor that survives a wash.
5. 5. Pinholes appearPinholes at the belt line or hem.

How long does a tee actually last?

How long that takes depends on rotation: a tee worn and washed weekly is doing roughly 50 wash cycles a year. With a small drawer, most daily-wear tees are visibly tired inside a year — which is why replacement works better as a schedule than as a rescue mission.