A mama on Pinterest wrote this under a pin of a white tee: “I’m constantly leaking or covered in spit-up, so what’s the point of trying?” The basic tee is the point. It costs nothing, it washes at forty, it goes under every jacket and over every bottom, and with a clip-down tank underneath it is the simplest nursing top there is: pull the V aside or lift the hem, clip, feed. When the day is going to be spit-up anyway, a tee is what you want it to land on.

Here are ten outfits built on a basic tee, every one pictured below. A mocha V-neck, a black V-neck, a white scoop, and a striped long-sleeved polo for when the tee needs sleeves. The bottoms and the layers do the dressing up. Buy the tee a size looser than before, in a cotton heavy enough that a wet patch does not show straight through.

1. The mocha V-neck with blue jeans and a striped scarf

A mocha V-neck tee over a black clip tank, classic blue barrel jeans, ivory sneakers and an ivory striped scarf. Pull the V aside, clip the tank. Brown near the face is warmer than black and kinder to a tired one. The default Tuesday.

2. The black V-neck under a denim jacket with white trousers

A black V-neck tee over the tank, a dark denim jacket, white wide-leg trousers, sneakers with a blue heel and a tan tote. The jacket stays on open; the V pulls aside. White trousers are for the day the baby is with someone else, and this is that day’s outfit.

3. The white scoop tee with camel shorts and loafers

A white scoop-neck tee over a nude tank, camel shorts with a soft waist, ivory loafers, the striped scarf. The scoop pulls down over the tank. The warm Saturday; the scarf is the cover on the bench.

4. The striped polo over the tank with black cargo shorts

A black and white striped long-sleeved polo knit over the black clip-down tank, black cargo shorts, ivory sneakers. The placket unbuttons and the knit lifts. For the cool morning that warms up; the cargo pockets carry the muslin.

5. The white scoop tee with a black pleated midi and loafers

The white scoop tee over a tank, a black pleated midi skirt with an elastic waist, ivory loafers, the striped scarf. The dressed-up version of a tee. Black below the waist hides whatever the day does; the pleats move when you walk a pram.

From the capsules

The Everyday Motion Capsule

One hundred athleisure outfits for the walk, the school run and the park, every one opening for a feed. $27 once, yours to keep.

See the capsule →

6. The white scoop tee with white wide trousers

The white scoop tee over a tank, white wide-leg trousers, white sneakers, the striped scarf. All white is the bravest outfit here and the one for the photograph. Keep the dark tank under it in the leaking weeks; it is where the mark goes.

7. The white scoop tee with black straight trousers

The white scoop tee over a tank, black straight trousers with a soft waist, white sneakers. The plainest outfit on the list and the one I wore most in the first year. Scoop down, clip, feed. Nobody can tell.

8. The striped polo with navy trousers and sandals

The striped polo over a black bra and tank, navy wide trousers, brown crossover sandals, the striped scarf, gold earrings, a brown watch and a tan tote. The first-cool-evening outfit at the end of summer. Placket open, knit lifted, scarf as cover.

9. The navy polo under a camel coat with black trousers

A navy long-sleeved polo knit over the tank, a long camel coat, black trousers, black loafers and a tan tote. The coat opens to the hem; the placket opens; the knit lifts. The tee-with-sleeves for the cold school run, and the outfit that looks like you slept.

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10. The oatmeal polo under a black trench with cream trousers

An oatmeal polo knit over the tank, a long black belted trench, cream trousers, black loafers, a black scarf and a black tote. The dressed-up version of outfit nine. The belt is a tie, the trench opens fully, and the black scarf is the cover nothing shows through.

Ten outfits, and the most expensive thing in most of them is the shoe. The tee is where I would tell a mama to start if she had ten dollars and one afternoon: a V-neck, a tank under it, and whatever bottom is clean. When the spit-up comes, and it will, it lands on something that goes in the wash and comes back tomorrow.

Every outfit here is in the ordinary shapes of the Everyday Motion Capsule, a hundred outfits for the walk, the school run and the park, every one built over a tank like this and opening for a feed. For all four seasons, the Year Round Capsule is two hundred of them, laid out and then worn, with three pictures of you in them on the house. And the Colour Season Quiz will tell you, free, whether your tee should be mocha or cool grey.

A tee, a tank, whatever is clean. That is enough. The focus is on you, mama.