Let’s get the first order of business out of the way: the best cropped T-shirt for men is not a crop tops. Sure, any shirt could show some belly button if you drop down a size or three, or don’t mind going wild with some scissors. But our favorite cropped tees are the natural result of menswear’s recent obsession with shape and silhouette over graphics and texture. They’ve become the secret sauce behind every Hollywood heartthrob’s loping-around-L.A. outfits, and they’re a shortcut (sorry) to making sure your tee shirt drawer stays as fresh as the rest of your closet.
This is also one time where a style trend turns out to be pretty practical, too. The right cropped T-shirt should be cut both shorter and wider than your typical tee. That boxy shape keeps the tee from giving off undershirt vibes when it’s flying solo, and tends to look flattering on a fairly broad range of bodies. If you’re a short king or a meaty dude who’s spent your life navigating the struggle of an over-long shirt, then you’ll be blown away by how easily a cropped tee sits right where it belongs—while “lengthening” your legs in the process.
And since a cropped tee remains a T-shirt first and foremost, you can wear one with just about anything. The boxier fit can hang with any pant in your arsenal, whether it’s hovering over some high-waisted trousers, oversized pants, your favorite jeans, or some freaky vintage denim.
True, you could follow the lead of the crop-obsessed TikTokers and revamp your whole closet into short-seam nirvana. (We prob wouldn’t go the scissors route, though would trust our tailors to get the trimming and hemming done right.)
But if you’d rather not mess with your current lineup, good news: basically every brand that’s ever made a T-shirt now has a version that’s cut shorter and boxier to meet your cropped tee needs. Grab one the eight best cropped tees we found, then get out there and spread the gospel of waistband-grazing tees.
The Affordable Cropped Tee: Standard Cloth Foundation Tee
A simple take on a cropped t-shirt in a comfortable, oversized fit that works well as a gateway drug. Don’t be surprised if it takes over for your current tee MVP.
The Pre-Faded Cropped Tee: Entire Studio’s Dart T-Shirt
Entire Studios’s Dart T-shirt is an extension of the brand’s love for boxy-fit hoodies, down jackets, and pants. But you don’t have to buy into the brand’s lightly Dune-coded aesthetic to appreciate a great-fitting, high-quality cropped tee in a subtle, texture-enhancing vintage wash.
The Mall-Run Cropped Tee: Abercrombie Premium Heavyweight Cropped Tee
At this point, the Abercrombie menswear hitting streak is more like a hot year, and the brand’s take on a modern cropped tee is yet one more homer crushed to center field. It’s crafted from a dense, premium heavyweight cotton and comes in 15 colors—from solid black to washed-out red—that all look perfect with the brand’s shockingly affordable line-up of jeans, cargos, and pleated trousers.
The Forever Cropped Tee: Buck Mason Toughknit ’90s Boxy Tee
Buck Mason’s devoted fans swear by its tees. The brand’s latest isn’t quite as oversized as some of the other options on this list, which means it’s perfect for guys who want a more classic, less-square silhouette. It’s also made in-house at the brand’s Pennsylvania factory from a beefy fabric that’ll last forever. Which is good, because you’ll be wearing it often.
The Very Cropped Tee: Industry of All Nations Clean Cropped T-Shirt
If you’re looking to go full Paul Mescal, this tee should be at the top of your list. Industry Of All Nation’s version is an extra-cropped, midriff-exposing tee. There are no dyes, so it’s a shirt that’s pure cotton and nothing else.
The Freaked-Out Cropped Tee: Dion Lee Shrunken Rivet T-Shirt
There’s no cooler outfit than a bicep-hugging white tee and some blue jeans, and Australian label Dion’s Lee T-shirt smashes up both. The throwback short sleeves and shorter length give off serious Brando vibes, but the riveted chest pockets make sure it doesn’t look like anything your godfather would wear.
The Better-Made Cropped Tee: EverybodyWorld Boxier Trash tee
Everybody World’s riff hits all the right notes: boxy, cropped, made from reclaimed cotton. But it’s got another secret up—actually, near—its sleeves. The body is tube knit, eliminating side seams for next-level fit and comfort.
The Subtly Special Cropped Tee: Our Legacy Hover Tee
Our Legacy’s red-hot line-up can go wild with everything from square-toe boots to printed jeans to crinkly nylon jackets, but this no-frills cropped T-shirt once again shows that the Scandinavian brand know how to make simple feel perfect. It’s sewn from a luxurious jersey crepe that has just a bit of crinkle for subtle coolness.
The Goth Cropped Tee: Balenciaga Unity Sports Icon Cropped T-Shirt
Balenciaga’s mockneck cropped tee is absolutely thrashed at the hem, like your dog finished eating your homework and looked around your room, hungry for more. Though the dead-center logo makes sure everyone knows this wasn’t an accident.
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