How Perfectwhitetee turned the basic into an icon

It’s a Californian success story. Founded in 2020 by Lisa Hickey and Jean Menchaca, two friends with decades of fashion experience, the Perfectwhitetee brand has enjoyed an astonishing rise.

In five years, the duo has sold more than 1.3 million pieces, including nearly 200,000 white tees, releasing more than 130 custom colors and creating cult-favorite styles such as the Ziggy, Hendrix, and Harley, each with more than 50,000 units sold.

While the brand opened its first store in New York in 2023, which is now closed, and a pop-up store in Beverly Hills last September, the focus is now on developing its e-commerce business. After the United Stated, Perfectwhitetee is now present in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Israel, and Japan. 

FashionNetwork : How did you meet? 

Jen Menchaca: We actually met years before launching Perfectwhitetee. Lisa had done sales for Jen’s previous brand through her multi-line showroom in New York, and over about seven years of working together, we became not just close colleagues but close friends. We were both deeply immersed in the fashion industry—attending trade shows, talking to buyers, and really getting to know what retailers and customers were looking for.

FNW: Then came the idea of launching your brand together?
 
Lisa Hickey: By 2019, we both started feeling like there was a real gap in the market. As two people obsessed with great basics, we saw that something as simple and timeless as the perfect white T-shirt was surprisingly hard to find—especially one that was always in stock, well-made, and produced responsibly here in the U.S. So we decided to create it ourselves: a brand built around the idea of perfecting what already exists, not reinventing the wheel.
 
FNW: Did the launch of the brand in 2020, in the midst of the pandemic, slow you down?
 
J.M.: We officially launched Perfectwhitetee just days before the world shut down. What could have been terrible timing ended up becoming an opportunity to lean on our community. Because everything was made locally in Los Angeles, we were able to pivot quickly, support our retail partners when supply chains stalled, and grow organically through the relationships we’d built over the years. From day one, the brand has been rooted in that shared vision—to create something we genuinely love and to do it our way.

 
FNW: What were your criteria for creating the perfect T-shirt? 

L.H.: We’ve both always loved T-shirts, it really starts there. For us, a great tee isn’t just a wardrobe basic; it’s emotional. Jen always talks about growing up watching her dad in his perfectly worn-in white V-neck, it represented something timeless and effortless. That feeling became the foundation for Perfectwhitetee.

J.M.: When we looked around, we realized that for most brands, T-shirts were an afterthought, something added on to a denim or dress line. But we wanted to lead with the tee. Our goal was to make the perfect V-neck, the perfect crew, the perfect tank, the perfect sweatshirt, the perfect jogger… to own the word “perfect” by focusing on quality, comfort, and fit at the highest level. We believe in keeping it simple, doing fewer things, but doing them exceptionally well. Every style we create has to be the best in its category. We’re not reinventing the wheel; we’re perfecting it. Because everything is made locally in Los Angeles, we can listen closely to our retailers and customers, pivot quickly, and respond in real time to what they love and what they need. 

FNW: Can you tell us about the type of cotton you use? 

J.M.: We’re really particular about fabric because for us, the tee isn’t just a garment, it’s the foundation of a wardrobe. Our tees start with crisp, high-quality cotton that is knit and finished here in California at a family-owned mill. With our Harley T-shirt – and all of our staple tees – we’ve aimed for the right weight and hand (feel, editor’s note) of cotton to respond to what real people want. We also produce our signature french terry as see in the Johnny Jogger, and our favorite fleece, the staple of the viral sensation, the Ziggy sweatshirt. Most of our garments are knitted, cut, sewn and dyed right here in Los Angeles. We also have a recycled cotton blend capsule you’ll see in the Alanis tee.

FNW: Was producing in California something you felt particularly strongly about? 

L.H.: Absolutely, producing our core basics in California was a very intentional decision for us. From day one, we wanted our pieces to be more than just beautifully designed; we wanted them to be made with integrity, close to home, and with the flexibility to respond quickly to our customers and retail partners. We work with a family-owned, vertically integrated knit and sewing factory right here in Los Angeles, a partner that truly knows its fabrics. Because the factory is connected to its own knitting mill, every fabric is created specifically for us rather than sourced from off-the-shelf blanks. That means we can fine-tune everything from knit weight and hand-feel to drape and quality control, which is something many mass-produced basics simply can’t offer.

J.M.: Local production also allows us to be hands-on, we can literally walk into the factory, see what’s being made, and make adjustments in real time. It’s a collaborative, transparent process that not only supports our community but ensures that every Perfectwhitetee piece lives up to its name.

FNW: Since 2020, you have sold over 1.3 million T-shirts. Is the white T-shirt still a best-seller? 

J.M.: The white tee remains absolutely central to our brand. From the very beginning, it was the emotional and aesthetic anchor: that sense of putting on your perfect white tee, the one you won’t let anyone borrow, the one you’ll bleach and re-wash because it’s that special. That idea continues to drive our bestseller list. That said, the success of our brand has broadened beyond just one color or style. While simple white tees are still foundational, some of our other best selling pieces that perform extremely well include, Ziggy sweatshirt, Blondie tank, and Johnny sweatpants.

FNW:  Last September, you organized a pop-up store in Beverly Hills. Was this a way for you to test the retail market and consider opening a store in the near future?
 
L.H.: We happened to know about an opening on a beautiful street in Los Angeles and took the opportunity to test it. It was during a great time of year and our customers loved it! We did very very well, but at the moment we aren’t doubling down on brick and mortar in a permanent way. 

 
FNW: What are your main markets today?
 
J.M.: Our main markets are New York and Los Angeles, then Chicago and Dallas. We are also in Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Israel, and we just opened e-commerce to Japan, too.
 
FNW: Over the past few seasons, the brand has expanded its collections to include other items such as dresses, and sweatpants. What other developments are you considering?
 
J.M.: We just launched the perfect trouser for spring 2026 and are getting great feedback. We’re also moving into more sweaters and a few pieces of outerwear for Fall 2026.
 
FNW : Are you interested in launching a children’s line?
 
L.H.: We have so many moms on the team and work with even more in other capacities. We get this question all the time. Maybe someday we’ll do something for the wee ones, but it’s not in the immediate future. We did just launch a small men’s collection and it’s doing well. Men are a different animal altogether. Once they find a tee they like, they get it in multiple colors for years and years. It’s just getting them to try us the very first time and love it, like our ladies do!