A tee that rides up is not a minor irritation. It rearranges your whole day, because you spend it tugging the hem down every time you sit, reach or carry something. The fault is almost never the wearer and almost always three measurable things: back length, armhole height and how the fabric behaves after a wash. Once you know what to check, the failures become obvious on the product page.
Back length is the number nobody prints
Front length is easy to judge from a photograph; back length is what determines whether the hem stays down when you lean forward. On a well-cut tee for the extended range the back is cut longer than the front, sometimes noticeably. If a brand publishes only one length measurement, assume it is the front and add scepticism.
The armhole decides how the hem behaves
A high, tight armhole drags the whole side of the garment upwards every time you raise your arm, and the hem follows. This is why a top can feel roomy across the chest and still creep. Reading the full garment measurements rather than the letter on the label is the only reliable defence, and ranges that publish both body and garment figures, as https://just-my-size.com/ does, make that comparison possible before anything is ordered.
Cotton shrinks, and it shrinks along the length
A cotton tee bought to fit exactly will be shorter after its first hot wash, and the loss shows up mostly in the body length rather than the width. Buying tight in cotton is the single most common mistake in this category. Either size for a little ease or choose a blend with a small proportion of synthetic, which holds its length better but pills more readily.
Weight and drape
Very thin jersey clings to everything, shows every seam beneath it and wears through at the hem within months. Mid-weight cotton hangs rather than clings and hides underwear lines far better than a slippery lightweight fabric. Heavier is not always better; anything too stiff will stand away from the body and add bulk at the hip.
- Back hem reaching at least to the top of the hip, ideally further.
- Shoulder seam sitting on the shoulder, not below it, unless the cut is deliberately dropped.
- Side seams straight when you stand still.
- Neckline that lies flat without gaping or strangling.
- A fabric weight you can feel through the packaging rather than a see-through veil.
How to test a new tee properly
Put it on, raise both arms above your head, then bring them down and see where the hem sits. Sit down on a hard chair and check the same thing. If it has moved several centimetres and stayed there, it will do that every day for the life of the garment.
Washing so it keeps its shape
Cool wash, inside out, no tumble dryer, and dry flat or on a hanger with the shoulders supported. Hot washing is what turns a good tee into a cropped one. Fabric conditioner coats the fibres and makes pilling more visible over time, so use it sparingly if at all.
When to stop repairing and replace
A wavy neckline, a hem that has lost its stitching or a permanent stretch mark at the armhole are all signs the garment has done its work. Two years of regular wear is a good run for a mid-weight tee. Anything claiming to last a decade is either rarely worn or not being looked at closely.