J.Crew: Boatneck Microstripe Long-Sleeve Tee Review

This is a long-sleeve tee from J.Crew that I'm calling the Boatneck Microstripe Long-Sleeve Tee (item #16863), which retails for $29.50. It is available in this white and navy microstripe pattern, as well as a white and light grey microstripe. It is alpha-sized.

I tried this on in a size small, in the navy stripe pattern. I actually prefer the grey stripe pattern, but I tried it on in the navy stripe because I thought it might photograph better. I found that this tee fits true-to-size, with a very comfortable fit. However, I think it's a bit tighter around the middle, and is pretty fitted in that area, so if you're looking for a more relaxed or forgiving fit, I would go a size up. I think the sleeves are supposed to be 3/4, but on me, they are almost full-length.

The fabric is a nice, comfortable jersey knit, with a decent amount of stretch. I think this tee has a bit more stretch than some of J.Crew's other tees, and I found this tee to be a bit clingier than other tees I've tried on this season. This might have a bit to do with the fabric as well, as jersey/knits are naturally a bit stretchier. The fabric is very smooth and cool, and is a nice, somewhat lightweight fabric.

The fabric is not very forgiving, in my opinion. The shirt itself isn't that tight, but because of the fairly clingy fabric, it does not help you hide anything. I really like boatneck necklines, but this one was really hard to get it to sit properly. I think a combination of the neckline and the fabric made the tee a little difficult to easily arrange it on your body. I remember fiddling around with it for what felt like way too long to get the tee to lie smoothly and get the boatneck to sit properly.

The nice thing about this boatneck is that it is not super wide, so you can still get away with wearing a regular bra (as opposed to one with wider-set straps).

I like the pattern on this shirt, and I think the microstripe is very flattering. It doesn't make you look wider the way some wider stripes do. To me, this tee is more for a casual look. I know you could dress this tee up with the right accessories, but the combination of the fabric and pattern lend itself to a more casual look (in my opinion).

I like this tee, but I would have preferred it if it were a little less clingy. I thought the pattern was nice and classic, and was at a very reasonable price point. In the end however, I wasn't really on a trip for buying, so I left this one behind. If I ever did pick it up, I would size up (for my comfort level), and probably buy this in the grey stripe color.

What do you think? Do you like this tee? Which color do you prefer? Are there any other colors you would like to see? What would you pair this tee with?