The best men's undershirts

If our other picks cause sticker shock, these soft, lightweight, no-nonsense undershirts from David Archy are an excellent and super-affordable alternative.

One of the general rules of menswear is to avoid synthetic fabrics. While this is good advice, it mostly applies to larger, nicer outer garments such as shirts, slacks, business suits, sweaters, and so on. For clothing items like these, synthetics are typically used to cut costs rather than for any particular qualities.

Although synthetic fabrics have a bad rap in the menswear scene, they do confer some advantages for certain pieces of clothing. Synthetics are durable, they dry quickly, and they're useful for garments where you want some stretch such as socks or athletic wear.

Modal in particular is a semi-synthetic fabric well-known for its softness and elasticity. Modal is actually a form of rayon, which is made from cellulose in contrast to more common polymer-based synthetics like nylon. It's also more breathable, with these characteristics combining to make it the perfect candidate for undershirts like these ones from David Archy.

David Archy undershirts are made of a soft micro-modal fabric with a touch of elastane. Micro-modal is silkier than plain modal fibers — it's even softer to the touch than cotton — and offers moisture-wicking properties that manage sweat and let it dry quickly instead of soaking up moisture. It's thin and light without being transparent, although it's best to tumble dry these and then hang them up damp to air-dry rather than drying them with heat.

The V-neck is suitably deep and the David Archy shirts are slimmer than most other multi-pack undershirts from popular brands like Hanes, the cuts of which tend to be a bit boxier than most, but these undershirts don't have much of a taper in the body. You may want to consider sizing down if you're between sizes. The sleeves are also nice and slim-fitting so you don't get a bunch of material bunching up around your arms under your dress shirt.

Pros: Made of a breathable and soft micro-modal fabric, the cut is fitted and long enough to stay tucked, and they're a solid value

Cons: The fit is nothing special, and the micro-modal shouldn't be put in a hot dryer cycle

J. Crew's knack for classic yet modern style, great quality, and nice materials makes this heather gray V-neck T-shirt perfect for doing double-duty as an undershirt and a casual tee.

Undershirts are typically specifically designed to be worn under a collared shirt, but they're still essentially just tees. This means that, so long as it's styled right, there's no reason you can't pop on an "undershirt" with a pair of jeans for a simple casual outfit — and if you're the type that doesn't like to own a mountain of clothes, then a few good tees that can do double-duty as undershirts are nice to have in your closet.

As one of the premier brands of casual men's style, it should come as no surprise that J. Crew made it into our list. If Brooks Brothers is the king of American preppy style, then J. Crew might be the king of American casual, with its wide lineup of clothes that perfectly thread the needle between modern and classic styling.

This heather gray V-neck tee lives up to J. Crew's simple-yet-stylish design ethos. It features a tailored cut that's not baggy or restricting. It's slim enough for an undershirt and it's made of soft combed cotton.

The V-neck is deep enough that you can safely undo a button on your collared shirt, but it's not cut too low to be suitable for casual wear. It's a no-nonsense, well-made, nicely-styled staple tee that'll get a lot of play in your rotation whether you're wearing it under a dress shirt or just pairing it with jeans or chinos.

The J. Crew heather grey V-neck T-shirt rings in at around $25, which may seem slightly pricey for a single undershirt. But given that this soft and versatile shirt can also serve as one of your everyday casual tees, it's not a bad value. J. Crew regularly runs sales and offers promo codes, too, so wait for a discount and order a couple to score them even cheaper.

Pros: It's made of soft and durable combed cotton, the fit is slim enough for both casual and undershirt wear without being restricting, the V-neck is sufficiently deep for wearing under a collared shirt without being too low to wear by itself, and it's a good value (especially when on sale)

Cons: It's cut shorter in the body than dedicated undershirts

The best suits you can buy

For your go-to workhorse suit, you simply can't beat a single-breasted, two-button classic style charcoal gray suit. The Brooks Brothers 1818 charcoal suit combines historic American-made quality with iconic English flair, and it's easily the most versatile suit you'll ever wear.

Here are our top picks for the best suits:

• Best overall: Brooks Brothers 1818 charcoal suit
• Best linen suit: J Crew cotton-linen suit
• Best wool suit: Indochino windowpane suit
• Best retro suit: Charles Tyrwhitt double-breasted suit
• Best tuxedo: Indochino Hampton tuxedo