Dye mother f**ker dye
If you’ve never touched a needle and thread, dyeing provides an easy way to convert a humdrum top or one marred by stains. Wendy Mullin, designer of indie line Built by Wendy and author of Sew U and Sew U Home Stretch, recommends classic Rit dye ($4 for 8 oz at ritdye.com) for DIY dyeing jobs since the product is “easy to use and you can do it on your kitchen stove at home.” Fill a pot with enough water for the fabric to move freely, add the dye and bring the solution to a boil. Submerge your item and let it simmer for 30 minutes. Then turn off your stove and let the tee soak for a few hours or until it's achieved the desired color. Rinse your creation thoroughly in cold water then hang to dry. To prevent the Laundromat from undoing your work, make sure you hand-wash your piece separately to prevent the color from running. Clean your pot with chlorine bleach so you can use it for cooking.

Got a top that’s yellowed under the arms from repeated wear? Take this tip from Kate D’Arcy, founder and designer of the eco-friendly clothing collection Toggery by Kate D'Arcy: Toss the jaundiced item into a washer, wait for it to fill up with water and throw in an aspirin. Once the clothing is washed, the yellow will be gone and your stuff will look brighter.

Custom twin size T-shirt quilt, $325, at stitchT.com

Blanket statement
For folks burdened by a mountain of aging T-shirts, Mullin suggests repurposing them in one fell swoop by stitching them together to make a supersoft pillow or quilt. If you failed your home ec class, the NYC-based company stitch’T (stitcht.com) will transform your used garments into custom quilts, pillows, duvet covers and wall hangings ($75–$500).

Aged to perfection
Sometimes, there’s no replacement for a well-loved T-shirt. Some people have even resorted to bizarre methods including washing items with baking soda, vinegar or even tennis balls to replicate that aged, supersoft feel. But in the same way a brand-new pair of “distressed” jeans can never match a vintage pair from a thrift store, you have to work to get that broken-in texture, according to the pros. Mullin advocates washing pieces several times with fabric softener to obtain that silky-smooth texture. You can also pour in a bit of bleach to fade your goodies.