Our Organic Cotton T-Shirt in the Making: The Arabella

We are designing a classic cotton t-shirt for Triplicity. And let me tell you, it has NOT been easy! We do not want it to be a t-shirt you toss after a season because it stretches or pills or loses its shape, it should be the t-shirt you reach for constantly, and just works with everything. That is what we are building with the Arabella, and a plain t-shirt is one of the hardest things to perfect. At least, if you want it to be at a certain standard, which at Triplicity, we won’t release it unless it’s a certain level of quality.

Wearing it until I find the flaws

Part of the process is simple and a little unglamorous: I wear the new sample non-stop. Like, all the time. To the office, out for dinner, running around the city, walking my dog, and back home again. I learn things about a piece by wearing it every day. I pay attention to things like how the length sits when I move, or whether the fit stays put or starts to feel off by hour ten, or how the fabric holds up wash after many washes.

With the edits I made to the fit, it is really coming together. The length feels right, the shape feels right, and so far it hits the goal I wanted from the very start, which is looking great anywhere, any time!

The fabric challenge

The road to the right fabric has been very shaky. My previous fabric was so soft and cozy, I loved it, my sisters loved it, we all loved it. But it failed the pilling test, which for a t-shirt is a major dealbreaker (nobody wants their favorite tee looking fuzzy and tired after a few washes). So I had to let it go.

And by the way, the test was not an at-home test, although I did that too, it was my factory performing a professional pilling test. And that's what failed. So there was no question that I was not going to move forward with it.

It actually ended up for the best though, because the fabric I landed on is certified organic cotton, certificate and all. I did not expect a setback to lead somewhere better, but it did. She feels great, she is built to last, and she comes with the kind of paperwork that proves exactly what she is made of.

Originally, I had requested that the factory source certified organic cotton. And the fabric I tried sample 1 in was not certified organic, which I had planned to be a dealbreaker, but the fabric felt SO soft and unbelievably cozy, thick, no bra would show through it, and it draped so nicely. So then I was put in a position where I thought, what would the customer want? Would they care more about a cotton that's maybe not as nice but is certified organic? Or would they prefer it to feel amazing and hang well? I actually thought the feel was more important. So I tested sample 1 in that fabric just to see. But it turns out that although it felt amazing, it didn't hold up. Even the neckline stretched. It pilled.

This new certified organic cotton is a completely different feel, and it's not as “cozy” soft, but it's definitely comfortable. And at the end of the day, I really do want it to be certified organic so that our brand values really shine through. And it will still be cozy!

Almost there

The Arabella is coming together, and I cannot wait for you to meet her.

In the meantime, come see the rest of our capsule pieces here. If you want a head start on building a wardrobe that lasts, I wrote full guides on how to build a capsule wardrobe and how to tell if clothing is well made too.

A couple questions I get

What is the Arabella t-shirt made of?
The Arabella is made from certified organic cotton, with a real certificate to back it up. I will share the full fabric breakdown on the product page when she launches.

When is the Arabella t-shirt launching?
She is in her final fit and fabric stages right now. Sign up for my newsletter at triplicity.nyc to hear the moment she goes live.