Speaking of money in producing these things, the T-shirts should be quality, not some flimsy material that will shrink after a first wash and never be worn again, ending up a waste of time and money. Better T-shirts also tend to run large or at least a "Large" on the label really is a Large and not more like a Medium. They also keep their shape better, whereas shirts of lesser quality may lose the elasticity around the waste and the shirts just hang loose.
Unfortunately, I'm not certain what that quality would be. I have "Peanuts" T-shirts purchased 10 or more years ago that have never shrunk and still look good. I even have a Shakespeare T-shirt from Barnes & Noble going back to the '80s that still has not shrunk, though Will's image has faded. Since most labels say 100% cotton, on both the good ones and bad ones, I wonder if it might not be a matter of extra material, or something else in the material that makes the shirts that last. The companies on the labels are also different. Maybe someone here knows how that works or if we could consult a company that we know makes quality shirts.
In any case, being Bogleheads, we want the best (quality) for the least amount of money - it's that simple, but it's not easy.
Edit: I don't mean to imply that anybody would deliberately order lesser quality T-shirts to save money. I just mean that it's not easy to know whether what's being ordered is good and lasting quality.
