GQ’s Global Social Editor Alex Wedel says he was skeptical of expensive T-shirts, but Buck Mason’s convinced him. “The thickness and heavy weight of the tee give it a sweatshirt like texture which makes for an incredibly comfy wear,” he says. Ortiz also loves the Field-Spec tee because of its boxy cut and length. It’s “easily one of the top three T-shirts in my collection as far as fit,” he says. “If they made this same fit in a lighter fabric, I would be all about it.” Buck Mason’s T-shirt program is hard to ignore, and if you like your tees beefy, this is the one to get.
Bowen Fernie
The Most Versatile White T-Shirt: Muji Washed Heavy Weight T-Shirt
Material: 100% cotton | Fit: Classic | Sizes: XS-XXL
When we consider a T-shirt’s versatility, we’re looking for a T-shirt that can work well in a variety of situations. It should be long enough to tuck into your pants, but short enough to wear untucked. It should fit somewhat classically so you can size up or down to play around with the proportions. And the fabric should be good enough to wear year-round. We found all of that with Muji.
The minimalist haven is often a place to stock up on Japanese stationary and home essentials, and they do really well when it comes to basics, too. We were surprised by their T-shirt in every respect, from the quality of the construction to the substantial fabric to the dialed-in relaxed silhouette. We were also surprised at the price point, not because it was the cheapest option out there, but because it’s actually somewhat pricey in comparison to their other clothes. Clearly, their investment paid off because we consider this to be one of our favorites. It hits the ideal midweight, the cut is versatile enough to wear tucked or untucked, and you have the leeway to size up or down for a slimmer or more relaxed fit without looking like you bought the wrong size.
Michael Nolledo, GQ’s Associate Commerce Director, loves every aspect of the Muji tee, from the fit, fabric, and construction. “I primarily tuck my white tees in, and this feels really good tucked in, hitting all the right proportions for me,” he says. Martin Mulkeen, GQ’s Global Commerce Category Director, was unsure about the T-shirt at first, but says that it wore in really nicely and eventually rated it as his favorite. At $25, it’s not exactly cheap—but it’s not super pricey, either. For the sheer versatility, it’s almost like you’re getting multiple tees in one.
Bowen Fernie
Plus Six More Plain White Tees We Tried and Loved
We only had room in our winner’s circle for a handful of T-shirts, but there were even more tees we liked a lot. The T-shirts below may have garnered lower average scores than our superlative picks, but they clinched higher scores in certain categories for different testers. That’s a complicated way of saying that we each have different preferences and bodies, hence different preferences when it comes to T-shirts. The one through line? We’d gladly make space in our dressers for any of the tees below.
Not all Gildan tees are created equally. Though Frank Ocean never divulged which model he was passing down to the children, we’re betting it’s the Hammer T-shirt. It’s noticeably thicker than the other models and the fit is tastefully tailored, almost like James Dean in every Pinterest board you’ve ever seen.
Hanes’ legendary BeefyT is something vintage hounds are always sniffing eBay for. The good news is that today’s versions are still pretty good. They’re tubeknit for comfort, feature a slightly peached all-cotton fabric, and fit well enough to show off your bicep gains and look great tucked in. But don’t worry—they’re not too long so you could easily wear them untucked for all to see.
If Buck Mason’s Field-Spec tee is too much beef for you to handle, we totally get it. Our team scored the brand’s Pima Classic Tees really high, as well. The fit is nearly identical but the fabric is a better weight for year-round wear and softer than its heavyweight counterpart.
Everybody.World’s flagship tees are all made in Los Angeles using recycled cotton and tubeknit construction to cut down on waste. That resourcefulness has a great side effect, too, because the result is a pre-worn and supremely soft T-shirt straight out of the pack. On top of that, the relaxed silhouette, comfortably snug collar, and pitch-perfect sleeves make for one hell of a fit that gives you leeway to size up or down.
GQ Commerce Editor Avidan Grossman’s quest for a very specific T-shirt ended when he came across this T-shirt from 3sixteen. The collar fits close to the neck, the body is trim but not tight, and definitely not sloppy. Plus, it’s long enough to tuck into lower-waisted pants but looks impeccable with high-waisted trousers.
Sunspel’s penchant for high-quality goods extends to polos, sweaters, and outerwear but the heart of it all is in the basics. The English brand’s Riviera tee is so silky that it’s hard to believe it’s only made of cotton. And the fit is flatteringly trim enough to make you look like you get after it in the gym, even if you’ve never picked up a dumbbell.
What Makes a Good T-shirt?
It all comes down to materials and construction. Good T-shirts will use high-quality cottons like Pima and Supima cotton which are known for their long staples which translate to smoother and longer-lasting fabrics. Processes like combing and ring-spinning help to remove the lower-quality shorter fibers, and combining the two processes (ring-spun combed cotton) is considered to be the best. Not every T-shirt uses 100% cotton. Some T-shirts are cut with synthetic materials which lowers the cost and, generally, the overall quality. However, T-shirts that are blended with materials like lyocell or even merino wool are done to give the T-shirt different properties like breathability, silkiness, and temperature regulation.
As far as construction goes, well-built T-shirts should have even stitching and unobtrusive flat seams. Flatlock stitching reduces bulk at the seams, though many other good-quality T-shirts will use seam tape at the neck and shoulders instead for comfort. Often, the body of the T-shirt is cut with side seams. High-quality and vintage-leaning T-shirts will use tubular construction which results in a seamless body. The most sought-after T-shirts are ones made with loopwheel construction which uses rare machines that knit fabric very slowly and rely on gravity tension. The result is a dense yet surprisingly soft fabric. Loopwheel T-shirts tend to be made in Japan or Germany. That said, tubular and loopwheel T-shirts are limited in terms of silhouette.
How We Tested
Our testers tried out almost a dozen different T-shirts, wearing and washing them as they normally would. We had them evaluate each T-shirt across several categories including fit, comfort, quality, value, versatility (whether you could wear a T-shirt on its own, as an undershirt, during summer, etc.), and brand reputation (customer service, quality control, and more). We then ranked each T-shirt based on their average scores, taking into account anecdotal notes.
