Sunday, January 1, 2017

The Classic Tee....A Traditional and Timeless T-Shirt

Black Classic Tee
To begin our journey, the must-have for any Lularoe fan or a good starting piece for a person new to Lularoe is the Classic tee shirt. The cut and fit of this shirt is a perfect transition piece if you are switching to Lularoe clothing from the classic fitted t-shirts available at Old Navy or the Gap, although it is without a doubt of higher quality and will endure for many wears and washes for years to come.

A warm welcome to you, my blog reader, and I hope that you enjoy my blog, This Is How I Roe In Real Life! I am very glad to have you here, and if you have found yourself here, you have either been led here by a Lularoe consultant, a friend who wants you to experience the joy and beauty and simplicity of Lularoe clothing or by searching for clothing blogs. My core style blogs will cover each style in the Lularoe lineup including construction, fit, sizing, available fabrics, styles, and colors. 

Hemmed sleeves with fold-over stitched scoop neckline
Fold-over stitched scoop neckline (with Monroe kimono)












Out of the four t-shirts in the Lularoe lineup, the Classic tee shirt is undeniably the most classic and traditional fit. It has hemmed sleeves that fall right under the tricep, a slightly fitted waist, a hemmed bottom, and a stitched fold-over scoop neckline. The Classic tee looks good with anything in the Lularoe line up as well as other pieces in the standard wardrobe from leggings to capri pants to jeans to skirts. I have worn my Classic tees with everything in my closet, because they are just that versatile. You can pull it flat or you can ruche it a little over a skirt to hide your tummy if that is a problem area for you. It looks great on anyone and everyone, whatever your size or shape. My preferred size in the Classic is a 2XL or a 3XL since there is so very little difference in size between the two (this is true as well between S and M, M and L). Once you know your size, they are easy to order without trying on and an integral part of any wardrobe. 

Hemmed bottom in butterfly print Classic (with Azure skirt)
Sizing more than one size up is not a problem if you don't mind a slightly larger shirt. The shirt will hang a little longer permanently since they don't shrink when washed properly, but as with all Lularoe clothing, it needs to be washed cold and hung dry. If you like a more fitted look, you can try to size down, but be careful of the bust area because they are very true to size. I can fit into a L or XL Classic, but both are very tight in my chest area and my bust is a 38D. They don't hang long like a tunic, so before you venture out in public with a Classic tee shirt over leggings, make sure that you are comfortable with the way it looks since the leggings are quite clingy and do not leave                                                                                          anything to the imagination. 

Classics for the most part come in the standard poly-blend of fabric which is a combination of 96% polyester/4% spandex, but there are some knit Classics that have the consistency of a very light short-sleeved sweater top that are 50% polyester and 50% cotton. There are also some very silky Classics available that are manufactured from 100% tencel which is a sustainable fabric, regenerated from wood cellulose, and similar in hand to rayon clothing and bamboo sheets. 

Poly-blend Classic
Knit Classic
Tencel Classic

















In 2016, Lularoe released their Elegance line which had Classics that were made of metallic, spandex and threaded fabrics. Classics come in a rainbow of solid colors that span the color spectrum in vibrant reds, blues and purples, heathered greens, pinks and lavenders, and distressed fabrics which can be referred to as acid-washed or mineral-washed. These shirts, which are overdyed to create a very velvety appearance with mottled discoloration spread throughout the body of the shirt and on the sleeves and hemming, are a really unique style of t-shirt that are very reminiscent in appearance of the Hypercolor shirts from the 1980s, except of course, there is no change in appearance when a warm hand is placed on the fabric. They have a very velvety and soft appearance and lend a different look to any outfit. 

Silver Elegant Classic Tee
with metallic blue  Jill skirt
Mineral-wash Classic
If you own a mineral-wash or distressed Classic, it will come attached with a tag on it that states that due to the overdye used in the preparation of the material, you should wash the shirt by hand to prevent bleeding onto other fabrics or surfaces. I have heard that soaking this shirt in a vinegar solution will help set the dye so it will not bleed; if this is a process you are interested in, there is an article here from Popsugar that will instruct you on the proper method to do this which can also be used with leggings and other pieces of clothing. I have not yet tried this method myself, but I have heard that vinegar is a successful way to set the dye in these overdyed fabrics. The tag about handwashing did not start appearing on the distressed Classics until I had bought several of mine, so I never handwashed my shirts of this style. However, I do make sure the first time that I am washing a mineral-washed Classic that I turn it inside out, that I wash it with dark colors, and that I use a color-catcher sheet which you can throw in the washer with your clothing to catch any loose colors that leech out into the laundry water. My favorite ones to use are Shout Color Catchers, which were recommended to me by my stepmother Susan and are now a staple in my laundry care. The first time I used this sheet with the purple shirt in the below photograph, the sheet came out tinged with splotches of purple but with no color on any of my other laundry. These sheets are made by Shout and cost about $4 at Wal-Mart. I throw one in every time I wash my Lularoe, and for the most part, I never see any loose color on the sheets unless I am washing a distressed mineral-washed Classic. 

The distressed mineral/acid wash look is also available in the Carly dress, which is reviewed in a separate article. The best thing about the Classic tee is that it is such a traditional cut, it will never go out of style and can be worn with anything. With the proper laundry care, washing it with other Lularoe clothing or soft items and not drying them in the dryer, your Classic tee shirts will last for many years to come with no shrinkage, pilling or bleeding of the fabric.
Classic tees are also available in a staggering number of prints as these are included in the styles that Lularoe cuts their limited edition printed styles from. You can find Classics in geometrics, animal prints such as butterflies, florals, stripes, and so much more. 

The minimum advertised price (MAP) set by Lularoe for the Classic tee is $35.00. 

If there are any questions about the Classic tee, please post them below. Make it a great Lularoe day!

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