11 Best White T-Shirts for Every Type of Man (and Any Budget)

When it comes to the Hanes Beefy T-Shirt, we have a lot to say—and all of it is praise. This is known in the Esquire offices to be the tee of all tees that doesn’t break the bank. With the perfect fit, weight, and unparalleled softness, this is exactly what a white tee should be.

Commerce editor, Luke Guillory, puts it this way: “I buy Hanes Beefy-Ts because they cost around $10 a piece and fit great. […] And the cotton is thick enough to deal with all the bleaching that takes place over the course of a year. If you wear your white tees to do activities, I think you’d be a fool to go past a Hanes Beefy-T.”

For some guys, the idea of spending even $10 on a white tee just doesn’t make sense. Inevitably, you’re going to spill something on it and look like a toddler who just ate in their high chair. If you’re a reckless eater or lover of outdoor activities, buy in bulk and buy cheap. For us, a Gildan 12-pack is the way to go. Wear them to death before turning them into work shirts or rags.

And considering the price, you’re actually getting a nice 4.5 oz. cotton in a tubular cut. It’ll get threadbare after a year or two, but it’s a great bang for your buck.

Buck Mason is one of the best spots to buy Made in U.S.A. tees. There’s always stock, and the brand (founded in 2013) has quickly become a favorite of menswear guys. Michael Sebastian, our Editor-in-Chief, is particularly fond of the slub curved hem tee. But we’d say the heavyweight Field Spec, soft Pima cotton, and vintage-inspired Toughknit are all equal in quality, though meant for different tastes.

On this slub curved hem, Sebastian says: “Buy a T-shirt that fits well. And the one that looks good on every man is Buck Mason’s Slub Curved Hem Tee. It’s got some heft and a little texture; the bottom curves at the sides and the sleeves fall in just the right place. It adds up to one flattering T-shirt.”

Gap has sneakily been making huge strides back to a great essentials brand. We’re head over heels for its Heavyweight Hoodie, but the tees are just as good. Its Original T-Shirt has the hallmarks of a fashion tee: a more relaxed fit, tubular body, and wider sleeves. It’s made to drape, a word fashionphiles love to use, off the body. If you want a more classic fit, size down.

Martin Hoops, our contributing design director, says, “Gap’s white tee is perfectly relaxed—not too boxy but just loose enough to allow for some breathing room—with a straight hemline that looks great tucked into work pants or untucked over jeans.”

Speaking of the affordably fashionable tee, Uniqlo was the first to master it. It does basics better than anyone else, and the white tee is up there with our favorites. It’s infallibly comfortable, effortlessly versatile, and comes with a price tag that’s hard to beat.

Only thing to note is that we’ve found Uniqlo tees to be lightweight and slim. If you want to match the way it’s styled, off the shoulder and drapey, size up. If you want a snug, more classic fitting tee, go true-to-size.

Though if you want a real fashion tee, The Row is the brand that makes it. There are so many designer attempts at the white t-shirt, but this is the one that rules over the rest.

Alfonso Fernández Navas, senior market and style editor, says it poetically: “This T-shirt is sculptural in how it wears and plays off the body. If High Renaissance Mannerism were a T-shirt, this would capture that unnatural elegance. A master class on how the Row elevates closet staples, it is both drama and art—but also a T-shirt.”

Mott & Bow’s tees fit just like the brand’s jeans (that’s to say, pretty damn perfectly). We love this tee, and I’m not usually the type to go for a chest pocket. But what can I say? When you design a fit this good, with fabric this soft, there’s not much to complain about.

A lot of the best replications of classic American menswear come from abroad. Merz b. Schwanen makes a wonderful tee in Germany. So good it’s the exact tee Carmy wears in The Bear. Yes, chef.

For a similar version of the white tee, meaning cropped like a classic piece, go to Japanese brand Warehouse & Co. It’s knit on vintage looms, so it even has that slubby old-school look to it. Like the tees you see your dad wearing in old pictures.

This one is a favorite of Sean Marković, our social media motion designer: “It’s produced with thought and intention, really giving you quality that matches the price tag. This shirt is beautifully crafted, but I don’t need to be precious about it. It’s a basic that’s designed to be lived in. I’m excited to beat it up for years to come.”