As with all &Daughter collections, the process began from a knitwear point of view. “We always start with raw materials,” explains Buffy. “The yarn is everything.” Finding the right cotton proved difficult. Many yarns felt either too casual, or too close to traditional jersey, lacking the compactness and integrity intrinsic to knitwear. Eventually, though, we found an organic cotton-crepe yarn, developed by the forward-thinking Italian heritage mill Sesia. “The minute we knitted it, we knew it was different,” remembers Buffy. “It had a freshness to it that felt right immediately.” The yarn behaves differently from conventional cotton jersey. It holds shape while still allowing the garments to move easily with the body, giving the collection structure without heaviness. Lightweight and breathable, substantial enough to move comfortably between seasons, it felt suited to everyday wear and travel. “It promised the same ease as a T-shirt, but in a much more elevated way,” says Buffy. The collection introduced a different kind of design challenge for the studio: how to preserve the familiarity of a T-shirt while applying the technicality and permanence of knitwear construction. 

Rather than one definitive silhouette, we wanted to create a wardrobe of different proportions and personalities, or as Buffy describes, “it became a school of shapes.” The result is four core styles: the relaxed Long Sleeve and short-sleeved Slouchy T-Knit with their drape and androgynous ease; the relaxed Long Sleeve Polo; and the vintage-inspired short-sleeved Shrunken T-Knit.

That flexibility became central to the collection. Some wear the pieces close to the body, others oversized; some pair them with tailoring, others with shorts or swimwear. The Long Sleeve T-Knit quickly became a team favourite. “I love the drapiness and the boxiness,” Buffy says. “If you wear it with something sharper, like wide-leg trousers or a silk skirt, it gives everything a more relaxed feel.” 

Colour and stripe were approached with the same balance of longevity and personality. Alongside foundational shades of Soft Navy, Ecru and Tomato Red sit gentler tones of Soft Lilac, Aqua and Pale Pink, while stripes introduce a slightly nostalgic, summer-coded feel. “We always want it to feel interesting and wearable,” says Buffy. “Wearing colour and stripes feels joyful.” 

Like all &Daughter knitwear, T-Knits were developed collaboratively. For the collection, we partnered with Corah, an English maker with longstanding expertise in lightweight knitted garments. Each component is knitted precisely to shape in a fine 12-gauge before being linked together by hand, allowing the seams to remain clean and flat while preserving softness and movement throughout the garment. The development process required meticulous sampling and refinement. Sleeve lengths were adjusted, necklines reconsidered and proportions refined until the balance felt right. “It takes at least a year, if not two, to really refine something properly,” explains Buffy. “There’s a lot of partnership involved because everyone has the same end goal,” she continues. “You’re all trying to make the best possible product.” 

The ultimate litmus test came in the studio itself. As samples began arriving, conversations quickly emerged around favourite shapes, colours and ways of wearing. “People all put them on differently, but they all had the same reaction: ‘Oh, I'd really wear this,’” says Buffy. “When people begin imagining something as part of their everyday life, that's when we know it's really working.” The result is a collection that feels easy without feeling casual, and refined without being precious. The T-shirt has always occupied a particular role within a wardrobe because it combines utility, familiarity and ease. T-Knits reinterpret that through a knitwear specialist’s eye, bringing softness, structure and permanence to the foundational pieces that shape our everyday dressing. SHOP THE COLLECTION