I’d always been skeptical of Skims, the shapewear brand launched by Kim Kardashian six years ago. I didn’t doubt its popularity, or how flattering its sculpting designs might be—and I appreciated its attempts to be more size-inclusive. That said, though not as egregious as a tequila venture, it was still a celebrity-backed product line. And that, my friends, could easily mean it’s all name, no game.
So when Skims launched a men’s line last year, I took a look, but still remained unconvinced. While its women’s campaigns had long featured models of all shapes and sizes—the brand’s slogan is, after all, “Solutions For Every Body”—its male models were almost exclusively chiseled, first-team athletes like Nick Bosa (a gigantic defensive end), Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (an all-star guard), and Neymar (a mega-star midfielder). Skims’s men’s underwear—which Kardashian herself talked to GQ about last October—may have sold out as soon as the line launched, but as a longtime Husky Boy, I just wasn’t convinced that any of its products would look or feel as good on me.
I’m here to admit I was wrong. Over the past month, I’ve been wearing three of Skims’s signature everyday tees—the Classic T-Shirt, the Long-Sleeve T-Shirt, and the Oversized Jersey Lounge T-Shirt—and remain as impressed by their drape, texture, and weight as I was the first time I touched them. And that first impression was a strong one: made from varying blends of cotton, rayon, and spandex, Skims’s proprietary fabrics are silky on the skin and are neither too thin (and therefore exposing), nor too thick (and therefore too hot). The texture paired immediately with the other materials in my wardrobe, which typically skews streetwear-adjacent, from my 5-inch Lululemon running shorts to my performance-khaki Radmor golf shorts.
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Let’s start with the Classic T-shirt, the first that I tried. Available in seven colors—which range from dusty and earthy to the expected black, white, and gray—it fit comfortably from the start, and to be honest, I wasn’t even sure that Skims could ace that. Flattering at the shoulders, shorter than usual in the sleeves, and tapered through the torso, there isn’t a ton of wiggle room (at least not when worn true-to-size), but the fabric never once triggered the dreaded “tug”—when a T-shirt just feels too tight, or gets bunched up in your belly—which any bigger-bodied guy knows well.
The Long-Sleeve T-shirt was equally satisfying. In terms of stretchiness, it’s a step up from the classic tee, which is 100 percent cotton, but still a world away from full-send spandex, or skin-tight Under Armour base layers. Fitted across the chest, flattering around the lats, and just-roomy-enough in the forearms, it’s a great early-morning option, whether your schedule includes venturing out under the cloak of dawn for coffee, or heading straight to the gym before the sun’s out.
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Which brings us to my favorite of the trio: the boxier, softer, and surprisingly hefty Oversized Jersey Lounge T-Shirt. Right out of the bag it felt three, four, maybe even five times heavier than the classic tee, and decidedly silkier. It’s made from a mix of cotton, spandex, and rayon, the kind of drapey, bouncy material menswear rarely gets rewarded with. In T-shirt form? A huge score, especially when it’s specifically cut so the sleeves run down to the forearms and the shoulders hang a bit wider—two elements that my build and I have always appreciated. It now makes up one-half of my go-to summer outfit—which, for what it’s worth, is the exact opposite of menswear’s current “big pants, little shirt” formula: big T-shirt, short shorts. (It feels good to let the thighs loose, fellas.)
All of the tees above are technically loungewear, as most Skims stuff is, but I’ve found myself wearing them no matter what I’m doing—hitting the gym, working from my desk at home, winding down post-dinner. They’re sleek, polished, comfortable, and plenty appropriate, even if they’re a closer relative of the Fear of God family, than, say, capital-M Menswear brand Merz b. Schwanen. After years of searching for an under-$100 tee that could combine the comfort of athleisure with the structure and subtlety of a more classic fabric, these finally fit the bill. Plus, each one survived its first wash cycle, something that can’t be said for a host of other, more insider-y tees I’ve bought. Mea culpa, Kim Kardashian: I should’ve never doubted you.
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