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Worn by the deities of men's style from James Dean to Marlon Brando, the T-shirt occupies a rare cross-section of men's clothing - it's something we can all agree looks pretty cool.
So, let's make sure yours actually fits you.
The problem with poorly fitting T-shirts is that they're so painfully obvious. T-shirts are some of the more revealing tops a man can wear, and if they do not fit your body, it's painfully obvious.
Few wardrobe staples need to be worn so carefully, and many men spend their entire lives trying to find the elusive "best-fitting" t-shirt.
But what does it mean for a t-shirt to fit ideally? We'll demystify that for you. Today, that means four things. The shirt should be:
- Slim fit. Basically, as slim as you can get without showing off too much or feeling like a second skin.
- Sleeves should hit before your bicep. Ideally, the sleeves shouldn't billow out in any way, and should follow the arm downwards.
- The hem should hit at about the the belt line. Doesn't hurt to be slightly longer, but any shorter might be a bit revealing.
- This is mostly just a fit thing, but a constricting neck is never comfortable. Avoid it at all costs, as you always want a shirt with a collar that will lie flat.
As for materials, we prefer ours at least mostly cotton, if not 100%. We don't hate the ones that add a bit of elastane or spandex for a comfortable stretch, however. T-shirts labeled with "Pima" or "Supima" cotton use a special kind of cotton called extra-long staple cotton, which is named after the Pima Indians in Peru and is grown primarily in that country, Australia, and the Southwestern US. It has a reputation for being soft, durable, and absorbent.
Fit is entirely subjective based on on your measurements, but some of our favorite brands are Uniqlo ($12), American Apparel ($18), Target ($9), Everlane ($15), and J. Crew ($25). The best way to find your favorite - the one that will fit you as close to ideal - is trial and error.