Oscar Hartzog
Contact Oscar Hartzog by Email View all posts by Oscar Hartzog July 1, 2026
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The humble T-shirt is now wardrobe royalty. Thanks to famous examples from Steve McQueen’s classic look to Jeremy Allen White‘s costume in The Bear, every stylish person — no matter their profession, personal style, or body type — is on a perpetual hunt for the perfect tee. The best T-shirts can be worn with everything from shorts and sandals to jeans and sneakers to slacks and loafers, but it can’t just be any old tee.
At a Glance: The Best T-Shirt Brands 2026
Editor’s Pick Buck Mason Pima Cotton Tee
BUY NOW $48 Jump to Details Editor’s Pick Abercrombie Premium Heavyweight Tee 2.0
BUY NOW $40 Jump to Details Also Great Gap Original T-Shirt
BUY NOW $29.95 Jump to Details Budget Pick Uniqlo Supima Cotton T-Shirt
BUY NOW $19.90 Jump to Details Best Fancy Tee Sunspel Classic T‑shirt
BUY NOW $98 Jump to Details Most Comfortable Alex Crane Sun Tee
BUY NOW $68 Jump to Details Best Tight Fit Skims Men’s Slim T-Shirt
BUY NOW $54 Jump to Details Premium Pick Reigning Champ Lightweight Jersey T-Shirt
BUY NOW $48 Jump to Details Best Workout Tee Rhone Atmosphere Tee
BUY NOW $58 Jump to Details View more +Since the T-shirt’s rise to superstardom, every major brand has thrown its hat in the ring with at least a few tees. As any seasoned shopper knows, all of these options are surprisingly different — and not all of them are worth your dough. I’m a bona fide T-shirt snob, and every small detail makes a difference in how much I like a tee, from the length to the sleeve openings to the neckline hang to the fabric. All of these little details make a big difference, and each brand is surprisingly different.
How We Chose the Best T-Shirt Brands
I’ve personally tested dozens of T-shirts over the years (even before becoming a fashion editor). To make this list, I drew from those years of personal experience but also collected more than 20 of the internet’s most-loved tees, all in one place, so I could test them side by side. I washed them (warm wash, regular dry cycle) to see how they changed, wore them during my day-to-day activities, and took some to the gym to see how they handled excessive sweat and movement.
Oscar Hartzog While doing all this, I considered these key factors:
Fit: These days, T-shirts can be anywhere from tight to boxy, and it can be hard to figure out which is which sometimes. I compared the tees’ tightness in all areas, including the chest and shoulders, waist, and arms. I like having tees of different fits for different looks, but go with the fit you reach for the most.
Length: T-shirt length is a battleground. Right now, the Team Cropped is winning with the style-savvy dudes. By a cropped tee, I don’t mean one that shows the midriff (although that is cool), but rather a tee that sits around your beltline. Longer tees are still good for tucking in (as an undershirt), but you don’t want your T-shirt to go past your butt.
Feel: Even though most of the best tees are made of similar fabrics, they feel very different. Softness, weight, or thickness, and stretchiness all change from shirt to shirt. You can check a shirt’s material makeup, but the only way to really know is to feel the shirt in person.
Durability: The only way to truly test a T-shirt’s durability is to wear it for years. That wasn’t really possible for me, so I had to dig through reviews for this portion of my research. I looked for reviews that mentioned years of use and how the tees held up. Some deterioration is normal with heavy wear, but it shouldn’t be severe in the first couple of years.
After finding my favorite tees, I made sure that all were available online with sufficient stock and had an average customer rating of at least 3.7/5 stars.
The Best T-Shirt Brands of 2026, Tested
To help you find the best T-shirt brands, our style editors did the leg (er, torso) work of testing dozens of tees from top brands. We’ve tried workout tops from Rhone, budget-friendly beaters from Uniqlo, higher-end picks from Sunspel and Reigning Champ, and everything in between.
Editor’s Pick Buck Mason Pima Cotton Tee
Buy Now on Buck Mason $48
I’ve spent a few years with Buck Mason’s Pima cotton tee, and it’s my favorite T-shirt in my closet. It sits right below my hips (so, on the shorter side), and the fit is roomy but still slim enough to wear under button-up shirts. The neckline is also just right: Not too thick or too flimsy, and always lying flat on my collar. Despite dozens of washes and wears, I haven’t noticed any degradation, fraying, or discoloration. In short, it’s as close to perfect as a tee can get.
Editor’s Pick Abercrombie Premium Heavyweight Tee 2.0
$40
Buy Now on abercrombieRiding the Nineties/Oughts wave, heavy, boxy fit tees have come back into style over the last few years. One tee that nails the look is Abercrombie’s best-selling Premium Heavyweight Tee 2.0, which is tied for the No. 1 spot in my book (it’s a staple in a few of our shopping editors’ closets). The 275g fabric and oversized fit combine for a slouchy, relaxed look, and the shirt feels thicker and more substantial than most. I also like the thick neckline to match.
Also Great Gap Original T-Shirt
$29.95
Buy Now on gapGap’s tees offer some of the best value around. I’m also a big fan of their plain T-shirt categorization — heavyweight, classic (slim), and original (relaxed) — which makes it easy to shop. My personal favorite is the Original tee, which feels soft right off the rack, hangs nicely, and isn’t too long.
Budget Pick Uniqlo Supima Cotton T-Shirt
$19.90
Buy Now on uniqloUniqlo is another great source for budget-friendly tees. My favorite is their Supima cotton tee, but many shoppers like their lightweight AIRism shirts. I love the Supima T-shirt’s unique thickness and weight, which is somewhere between a typical cotton tee and a heavyweight one. One note: It’s slightly on the smaller side, so if you’re generally between sizes (like me), go up.
Best Fancy Tee Sunspel Classic T‑shirt
$98
Buy Now at sunspelSunspel’s Classic T-shirt is pricey for a tee, but it’s worth the extra dough if you can afford it. The brand has over a century of tee-making expertise under its belt, and it shows. Made in England using Californian extra-long staple Supima cotton, the shirt feels like $100. But the fit is also more considered than most, with room in the right spots but a slim, flattering silhouette overall.
Most Comfortable Alex Crane Sun Tee
$68
Buy Now on alex craneMade of 100% European linen, Alex Crane’s Sun Tee is aptly named. It inspires thoughts of beach days and vacations, hanging softer and more casually than even thread-bare vintage tees. The ultra-comfy tees are on the large side, however, so you may want to go a size down.
Best Tight Fit Skims Men’s Slim T-Shirt
$54
Buy Now at skimsLeave it to Kim Kardashian’s Skims to produce one of the most flattering T-shirts on the market. The brand’s Slim T-shirt is regularly running low on stock, but if you happen to see them available, get one. Like everything from Skims, the tees are exceptionally soft and work best sized down for a stylishly fitted look.
Premium Pick Reigning Champ Lightweight Jersey T-Shirt
$48
Buy Now on reigning champReigning Champ has nailed elevated basics. If I close my eyes and fumble around my pile of tees, I can pick out the Reigning Champ tees because they just feel so nice. The brand’s thicker tees are their most popular, but I’m partial to this Lightweight tee because it feels more versatile and cooler in the warm months.
Best Workout Tee Rhone Atmosphere Tee
$58
Buy Now on rhoneI think the best workout tees should be able to do more. Yes, they should wick sweat, avoid chafing, and provide maximum range of motion, but they should also be able to stop by the coffee shop, walk around the neighborhood, or keep me comfy on a long flight. Rhone’s Atmosphere tee is one such versatile pick, offering stellar performance in and out of the gym.
About the Author
Oscar Hartzog is the Managing Editor of Commerce at Penske Media, overseeing lifestyle and product coverage at Rolling Stone, Billboard, The Hollywood Reporter, and WWD. Over the past nine years, he has covered fashion, fitness, streaming, and tech. He graduated from The American University of Paris with a bachelor’s degree in literature and philosophy.
