A well-made shirt still needs the right care to last. The difference between a Cornerstone piece that looks sharp after many washes and one that fades or cracks after five usually comes down to a few small habits, not the garment itself.
Wash cold, inside out
Turn the garment inside out before washing and use a cold, gentle cycle. Cold water protects both the fabric and the decoration, whether it is a printed graphic or an embroidered logo, and washing inside out reduces surface friction against zippers, buttons, and other garments in the load.
Skip the bleach
Bleach and other harsh whiteners break down both the cotton fibers and the ink or thread used in the decoration. A standard detergent is enough.
Air dry when you can, low heat when you can't
Air drying is the gentlest option and the best way to keep a garment's shape and print quality over time. When a dryer is more practical, use a low-heat setting. High heat is the fastest way to shorten the life of a printed graphic.
Never iron directly on a printed graphic
The Cornerstone Standard and Statement Tees use direct-to-garment (DTG) printing, an ink that sits in the top layer of the fabric fibers rather than a separate layer on top. Direct heat from an iron can soften and distort that ink. If a garment needs ironing, turn it inside out first, or iron around the printed area only.
Embroidery is a little more forgiving
The embroidered chest logo on the Statement Tee, and the embroidery on the Cornerstone Classics, is stitched thread rather than printed ink, so it tolerates heat better than a DTG print does. It is still good practice to use a lower iron setting and avoid pressing directly on dense stitching, but embroidery will not crack or peel the way a mishandled print can.
The short version
Turn it inside out. Wash cold. Skip the bleach. Air dry when possible, low heat when not. Keep the iron off the print. A few consistent habits are what keep a Cornerstone piece looking like day one for years, not seasons.