Earlier this week, one of you sent me the kind of email that keeps a full-busted blogger going:

I had never realized how much I camouflage myself and how little I take pride in my body. Why should I be hiding? You’ve really changed the way I think about myself.

Oh how I wish someone had changed the way I thought about myself twenty years ago! Have any of you ever hidden as much as I did in 1993? Last night I found these photos while going through old albums:

Shortly after moving to Bahrain to teach English, I discovered Hanes Beefy Tees in the souq there. I wish I could blame my shapelessness on sensitivity to Bahrain’s conservative dress code, but I packed these tees for countless trips and wore them all over the world! I’m also pretty sure that I bought them in extra large.

I’ve written before about my search for the perfect tee*, and back in 1993, I thought I’d found it. My criteria have changed quite a bit since then. Here’s a Michael Stars tee that I’m now in love with.

I tried this exact style (in a gorgeous blue) in a little boutique in Brooklyn last February, and it was majorly vavavoom. I’d definitely want to address the cleavage issue for work (speaking of which, I just wrote about the classic white shirt as a cleavage solution on my Campbell & Kate blog), but I think it’s worth putting one of these in my wardrobe. The Brooklyn saleswoman told me they come out in great colors every season, which is good to hear because I’m not in love with the current offerings.

I’m also interested in these other Michael Stars options:

Bra-friendly Straps
Double panel of fabric in front--nice for smoothness
Super versatile for summer

If any of you have had good or bad luck with this brand, please let me know. And while you’re at it, what are YOUR criteria for the perfect tee?

*Below is a roundup of my tee shirt searches and finds on Hourglassy. The first one remains my all-time favorite.

Good Necklace Experiment

https://hourglassy.com/2009/04/searching-for-perfect-t-shirt/

https://hourglassy.com/2009/05/perfect-t-shirt-search-continues/

https://hourglassy.com/2009/05/strum-strum-factor/

https://hourglassy.com/2009/05/boat-neck-shipwreck-and-other/

https://hourglassy.com/2009/12/perfect-t-shirt/ (turned out not to be my favorite b/c of the big armholes, but looks great otherwise)

Does a “Simple Tee Shirt” Exist for the Full-Busted Woman?

Look What I Found: Scoop Neck Tees and Sweaters from Ann Taylor

What I’ve Been Wearing All Weekend