Yarn-Dyed Indigo T-Shirts – Five Plus One

Five Plus One is our weekly series of buyer’s guides. We pick a specific category and dig up five great options along with one that’s a little outside the norm.


The hottest days of summer are behind us but we still have many days of sunshine ahead, and how better to stay cool than with a nice, indigo tee shirt. That’s why we’ve collected a list of some of the best plain, indigo tees on the market. Whether you choose to pair your tee with shorts, chinos, or your favorite pair of raws, these tees will fade and break in to create the perfect, unique shirt.

1) OrSlow: Indigo Pocket Tee

Plain-Indigo-T-Shirts---Five-Plus-One 1) OrSlow: Indigo Pocket Tee

OrSlow’s nIndigo Pocket Tee is a great, all-around choice. It’s made in Japan from fabric constructed from ropy-dyed yarns, which promotes excellent depth of colors as the indigo fades away. With a regular fit and and single chest pocket, this tee is about as classic as it gets — whether you’re looking to get into top-notch t-shirt or you just want to add a new one to your regular rotation, you can’t go wrong.

Available for $135 from Blue Owl.

2) RRL: Indigo Dyed Slub Cotton T-Shirt

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RRL is Ralph Lauren’s workwear sub-label, most well known for their raw denim jeans, boots, and leather jackets, but they make a nice Indigo-Dyed Slub as well. It’s made from a slubby and irregular cotton jersey cloth fabric, which is dyed to a deep indigo hue; together, these details result in an indigo tee with fantastic fading potential at a fairly affordable price point—at least in comparison to other toe tier tees.

Available for $95 from Mr. Porter.

3) Pure Blue Japan: Yarn-Dyed Indigo Tee Shirt

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If there is one thing that Pure Blue Japan is known for it’s the beautiful, indigo tones present in their raw denim. That expertise continues through to their Yarn-Dyed Indigo Tee Shirt. This shirt is made in Japan from long-staple cotton yarn, which is known to produce a softer fabric, that is dyed to its distinguished, final indigo color. The fabric features a fair amount of irregularities, which are visible on close inspection, but these will surely help to produce a more personal tee shirt with age.

Available for $125 from Self Edge.

4) Sunspel: Riviera T-Shirt in Indigo

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If you’re interested in a new, indigo dyed t-shirt but don’t want one that features a super-dark hue then Sunspel’s Riviera T-Shirt might be a great choice for you. It’s dyed using 100% natural indigo, which yields lighter results than dyeing with synthetic indigo, leaving a beautiful, medium-toned indigo shirt. That said, the indigo will still fade and patina with wear, just from a lighter starting point. This tee is made in a slim fit unlike many of the boxier cuts that are typically produced by Japanese fashion brands, resulting in a more sleek silhouette for those who prize that element over others.

Available for £85 from Sunspel.

5) Tanuki: HSS Heavy Shinkai Indigo T-Shirt

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Tanuki has only been around for a few years but they’re quickly gaining popularity among even the most seasoned denimheads, and their HSS Heavy Shinkai Indigo T-Shirt is an excellent example as to why. This heavyweight tee shirt is made from yarns dyed to a deep hue from natural indigo dyes, and is made in Japan with high yarn-density to ensure the most luxurious fabric imaginable. This tee is soft to the touch and features contrasting seams that give it just a bit more flair than it would otherwise have

Available for $93 from Redcast Heritage Co.

Plus One – Pherrow’s: 19S-Paul Tee Shirt

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It’s hard to find a tee shirt that really stands out, but Pherrow’s makes short work of it with their 19S-Paul Tee Shirt. Designed to with a wider-than-regular neck opening in an attempt to mimic nineteenth century garments, this tee features a wide body with a single, small front pocket which plays with the proportions in a very fun way. While not a deep indigo color like many of the shirts on this list, the medium hue of this piece matches with rest of it well and will age along with it to form a perfectly worn in tee.

Available for $150 from Clutch Cafe.