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Wearing an undershirt might feel like your first steps toward dad style—and not the cool kind. But the best undershirts for men don’t call to mind Homer Simpson or Ed Bundy. Like other uber-practical investments—think ball powder, nose hair trimmers, and calf-high dress socks—the best men’s undershirts just make sense. Whether you opt for an 100% cotton version or a moisture-wicking synthetic number, a Sopranos-style ribbed tank top or a classic crew (we’re still out on deep V-neck tees), you need a base layer that guards against excess sweat and nipple visibility.
Come the swampiest stretch of summer or the chilliest days of winter, the undershirts below are specially engineered to keep you dry, comfortable, and completely stench-free. And, since their main purpose is to sacrifice themselves to save your favorite button-downs and dress shirts, most of our top picks cost less than a fancy cocktail—so you can wear and wash them to death, and then replace ‘em semi-regularly without a care in the world. Oh yeah, and all of ’em are tagless, because no one needs to spend all day trying to ignore a tiny rectangular piece of fabric. Without further ado: the 24 best undershirts for men to tuck in pronto.
The Best Buy-in-Bulk Undershirt
Uniqlo stays doing what Uniqlo does best: delivering tech-driven, well-designed, perfect-fitting basics at no-brainer prices. Their Airism tees are crafted from a smooth and breathable polyester blend that’s anti-microbial, deodorizing, and will keep your underarms feeling cooler than the Fonz in the face of turgid, muggy July days. At just $15 a pop, you can afford to buy enough for every day of the workweek—plus a few extra for the gym and hikes and whatever else the summer brings your way.
The Best Soft-as-a-Kitten Undershirt
If you’ve ever bought underwear using a podcast discount code, then you’re already familiar with modal fabrics. Fashioned from beech trees, the fabric is purportedly [extremely Marc Maron voice] twice as soft as cotton, naturally antibacterial, and fully biodegradable. These tees from Tani take those claims another step further still: they’re crafted from Micro Modal Air, the finest form of the stuff around, which the brand says is thinner, stronger and softer than silk. We have no way of proving the science behind those assertions, but we can at least say anecdotally that these shirts are so soft and light they nearly feel like wearing nothing at all, and they seem to do a bang-up job of keeping summer-induced stink at bay. Now, back to the pod.
The Best Classic Cotton Undershirt
In the event that you really just want to keep things old-school, well, Calvin Klein still makes the very best 100% cotton undershirts in the business. They’re lightweight, fit well, and are polished enough to wear around casually as a regular tee. If you’re lucky enough to land on the drier, less-malodorous end of the scale, and just need a easy, classic, regular cotton base layer to get you through the week, this is the three-pack for you.
The Best “The Laundromat Was Closed This Weekend” Undershirt
Proof’s 72-Hour merino tee delighted us. It turns out that merino wool, the stuff of plush sweaters and swanky suits, also makes for an incredible undershirt. That’s because its naturally imbued with temperature management, moisture-wicking, and antimicrobial properties. Trust us—we wore it for three days straight and came out the other side miraculously not smelly. The fabric is airy, luxuriously soft, and has an incredible drape, a criminally overlooked aspect in the world of T-shirts. While we would love to see this tee in a relaxed fit to give it the spotlight it deserves, the tailored silhouette is better suited for a supporting role
The Best Silky, Slimming Undershirt
Tommy John’s aptly-named undershirt doesn’t just fit like a second skin—after a few wears, it molds to your body, hugging its every contour with more gusto than your most affectionate aunt. Its soft, silky finish won’t pill no matter how many times you put it through the ringer (or the washing machine, for that matter), and in a micromodal blend—with a touch of spandex for good measure—it’s a solid Spanx alternative for anyone trying to hide a growing gut.
The Best Gains-Enhancing Undershirt
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Far be it from us to unilaterally declare anything objectively sexy, but if we had to pick a tank that fits the descriptor, 2(X)IST’s might just be the one. The brand’s distinct square-cut style will make your upper body look exponentially more defined, no matter how long it’s been since you last saw the inside of a squat rack.
The Best Closeup-Ready Undershirt
The undershirt became a silver screen icon the moment Marlon Brando dropped to his knees and wailed “Stellaaaaa!” in A Streetcar Named Desire. If you want a tee that perfectly emulates the one Brando wore on screen (before tattering it to bits…not what we’d advise), then Mr. Freedom’s take—cut with exacting detail and inspired by undershirts from the ’40s—is for you. It’s got the classic made-in-USA construction and the bicep-exposing sleeve length—heck, it’s even called the “Stanley” in a knowing wink to the source material.
The Best “My Yacht Has Its Own Yacht” Undershirt
We’ll level with you: no matter how many zeros are in your bank account, you’re going to have a tough time explaining away the purchase of a white T-shirt that costs over two grand. That’s a level of opulence pure logic can’t make the case for. Put shopping—even for something as seemingly mundane as an undershirt—shouldn’t always be constrained by pure logic. And if your bank account isn’t limited by that kind of reasoning either, Loro Piana’s ridiculously luxurious tee (made from Merino wool harvested in New Zealand exclusively for the brand) will help you live out your high-flying fantasies in style.
The Best Buy-in-Bulk Winter Undershirt
Uniqlo’s famed Heattech garments are designed to keep your body nice and toasty all winter long. This particular tee clocks in on the warmer end of the range and is cut from a silky-smooth fabric that’s been brushed on the inside for maximum softness.
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