For hardcore fashion wonks and menswear noobs alike, basics are the necessary foundation for every great wardrobe. And while the best men’s clothing brands today are churning out heart-pumping runway collections, sell-out collaborations, and surprise drops that send the hype machine into overdrive, you gotta crawl before you can walk. So before you go using Chat GPT to build yourself an unstoppable bot to cop a piece of every lightning-fast microtrend on your feed, you should start setting some rock solid building blocks. Let’s put it this way: do you think style gods like Shai Gilgous-Alexander relies on bad underwear or zero plain white tees?
The Not-So-Basic Wardrobe Hit List
- The Only Jeans You’ll Ever Need: Levi’s 501 Original Fit Jeans,
$80$56 - The Legendary Work Jacket: Dickies Insulated “Eisenhower” Jacket, $70
- The Genre-Defining Sweats: Champion Reverse Weave Sweatpants, $55
- The Bulk-Buy Tees: Gildan SoftStyle T-shirt (2-Pack), $12
- The De-Fussed Striped Shirt: Alex Mill “Mill” Shirt, $125
- The Dad-Approved Sweater: L.L.Bean Fisherman Sweater, $100
- The Giant Chinos: J.Crew Giant-fit Chino Pants, $98
- The Do-Anything Shorts: Patagonia Baggies Shorts, $65
- The Fun Socks (That Aren’t “Fun Socks”): Uniqlo Colorful 50 Socks, $5
- The Leveled-Up Undies: Sunspel Cotton Boxer Shorts, $55
- The Classic Watch: Todd Snyder x Timex Q 1978 Two Tone Watch, $199
- The Definitive Polo: Polo Ralph Lauren Iconic Rugby Shirt, $138
Hoodies, button-down shirts, socks, chinos—these are the powerhouse of the stylish closet, the pieces that keep your style stable from season to season, year after year. With the right styling, those foundational pieces can even play a starring role and take your fits to the next level. But just because a plain white T-shirt boasts designer origins doesn’t mean it’s worth the money. That’s why we gathered the best men’s clothing brands to stock up on basics and beyond. If you’re looking for unbeatable value, quality, and versatility, the 12 labels listed here deliver all of that in spades, plus a handful of other men’s fashion brands that’ll round everything out.
Our Favorite Men’s Clothing Brands for Basics
From boxy striped tees to drawstring chinos to rumpled oxford shirts, everything at Alex Mill has a relaxed ease that’s built for 2024. You’ll feel less stressed upon contact. Alex Mill’s overall aesthetic leans preppy but has a clear love for hardwearing vintage staples like beefy flannel shirts and tough chore coats.
Champion got it very right when it invented its durable, and shrink-proof, reverse weave fabric in the ‘30s. We’ve been wearing their hoodies since high school and don’t intend to stop now.
Dickies might not be the first name in burly affordable workwear (that title probably goes to Carhartt), but it clinches the top spot here off the strength of its fashion-crowd-favorite chinos and just-as-legendary work jackets alone. But just because the brand specializes in jobsite-approved gear doesn’t mean its clothes won’t work in day-to-day contexts that don’t require a hard hat. Dickies also makes plenty of goods for less strenuous situations including tees, hoodies, and flannels. Plus, they’re leaning into their skater fanbase so you can also count on them for trendier pieces built with their signature quality.
What other T-shirt brand boasts a Frank Ocean name check and ultra-durable tees that cost less than $10 a pop? Gildan is beloved by screen-printers and streetwear dudes in equal measure for its consistent quality and affordability. If you’re looking for some of the best men’s T-shirts for the money, Gildan is it.
J.Crew is well past its early-2010s heyday of Italian blazers, selvedge jeans, and loafers, but under the direction of streetwear royalty Brendon Babenzien it remains the best place to find quintessential preppy staples at prices that belie the quality involved. The brand still makes some great suiting. which can get you by at the office (or even nab you a promotion), but its east coast history means you can also sink into some sumptuous cable knit sweaters and Madras button-ups. And don’t forget to check out their in-house workwear-inspired label, Wallace & Barnes, which could easily pass as true vintage grails.
Levi’s isn’t just the best-known jeans brand on the planet—it literally invented the damn things. After all these years, it’s still the yardstick by which all other denim brands are measured. From the OG 501 jean to the equally iconic trucker jacket, there are few brands that come close to its roster of world-changing designs. But if you only peruse their denim offerings, you’d be missing out on their catalog of great outerwear and solid shirting.
Dads love a deal, and dads love L.L.Bean. That affection is largely due to the unbeatable value proposition the brand offers on the build-blocks gear your old man wears on the daily. Be more like your dad. You might know them for their famed Bean boot. Good! But you should also know them for their top-tier flannel shirts, surprisingly sturdy denim, and classically gorp-y outdoor gear.
The house that kind-vibed outdoorsman Yvon Chouinard built still makes plenty of the fleece jackets it’s famous for. But if you’re an eco-minded fella with a hankering for adventure, don’t sleep on its juicy assortment of trail-ready basics, either. Patagonia’s great for outdoors-ready gear from its rain-proof anoraks to its chill-busting insulated pants and you could easily give your daily wardrobe an upgrade and incorporate pieces like Patagonia’s do-it-all Baggies shorts.
Ralph Lauren makes a whole lot of clothes that are just the opposite of basic—think: exploded patchwork jumpsuits—but, c’mon, no one makes a better rugby, polo, or Oxford shirt. Don’t let the little pony deter you, Polo’s dress shirts are some of the best-made on the market. And while its fancier sibling brand Ralph Lauren Purple Label is on another planet with its tailoring, Polo’s suits and trousers still kick ass with their Italian fabrics and craftsmanship on full display.
Sunspel has been around since 1860, so it’s basically the basics king. Treat yourself—and your Tinder dates—to the vaunted British brand’s minimal-leaning tees and undies and you’ll feel a bit like royalty, too. Upgrading your closet from its foundation is major enough, but Sunspel’s got way more up its sleeve than just high-end undies and tees. They’ve got a slew of great knitwear from polos to cashmere sweaters as well as quietly luxurious jackets and even suiting.
Todd Snyder’s basics are so sophisticated, even his weekend clothes and Champion sweats are nice enough to wear to dinner. And that’s only the beginning. The designer darling of the menswear world has an unrivaled CV which includes stints at Ralph Lauren and J.Crew. What does that mean? It means he’s mastered the modern dude’s wardrobe from head to toe. Think impeccable suiting, boss-level coats, and Japanese denim, not to mention an all-star roster of collaborators including Paraboot, Private White V.C., Moscot, Timex, and more.
Come for the Christophe Lemaire-designed pants or the ridiculously warm puffers, but don’t leave without a stack of ribbed socks and soft cotton boxers—a.k.a. the real prize of shopping at Uniqlo. Uniqlo offers some of the most style for your buck, which is why it’s a regular among our Best Stuff articles. Its button-ups are well-crafted, the raw denim jeans are consistently some of the best for the price (good luck finding a pair before they sell out), and you can always bet on a sick collaboration every season.
The Mall Brand Mainstays
Banana Republic
With the Bananassaince in full swing, there’s never been a better time to load up on BR’s rustic, archive-indebted hits. Stuff your cart with plush cashmere knits, slinky trousers, and luscious suede jackets. (The jeans are a standout, too.)
Abercrombie & Fitch
Swaggering knit polos? Impossibly airy linen shirts? Sweaters so nice they should be triple the price? The new-and-improved Abercrombie boasts all that and more, plus plenty of the Y2K-era classics that made it a household name.
Madewell
The latest phoenix to emerge from the ashes of your local mall? Madewell, which recently appointed Luke Linder, an ex-Gap honcho, to revamp its menswear, with a little help from design whiz Aaron Levine, formerly of Club Monaco and Abercrombie, and erstwhile GQ deputy fashion director Jon Tietz. The silhouettes are spot-on, the styling is perfectly executed, and the whole overhaul has us buzzing about what the brand will do next.
Everlane
Many tech bros have made uniforms out of Everlane’s streamlined basics. Whether or not you want a closet full of gray hoodies is up to you, but there’s enough solid, building-block stuff here for everyone.
The Sweats Specialists
Reigning Champ
The Canadian label makes one of our favorite heavy-duty hoodies of all time, but all of their sweats are worthy of your time—whether you’re spending it in the gym, on the couch, or anywhere between. With top-shelf fabric, god-tier construction, and impeccable fits, few other brands take loungewear as seriously as Reigning Champ does.
Camber
Camber isn’t a high-flying lifestyle brand; they just make sweats using the heaviest, beefiest cotton jersey on the planet. They’re also made-to-order, which means you might have to wait a few weeks to receive them—but trust us, they’re worth it.
Russell Athletic
You can’t put together a list of the best basics without Russell Athletic, the literal inventor of the sweatshirt. Its crewnecks and hoodies are as popular—and comfy!—today as they were a century ago.
Fear of God Essentials
Jerry Lorenzo might have his hands full reinventing American fashion with Fear of God, but his sub-label is just as big a hit with celebs like Justin Bieber and LeBron James. It’s easy to see why: Cozy, well-designed sweats at an accessible price is always a winning combination.
The All-American Upstarts
Knickerbocker
Premium fabrics and grade-A construction are standard at Knickerbocker, which trades in classic designs inspired by vintage workwear. Don’t miss their impeccable knits and camp shirts.
Taylor Stitch
Plenty of brands claim to make hardy menswear designed to “take a beating”. Taylor Stitch actually delivers on the promise, turning out beefy flannels, stellar chore jackets, and dialed-in riffs on classic Americana with just the right amount of rough-around-the-edges appeal.
Buck Mason
Los Angeles brand Buck Mason made our Best White T-Shirts, Best Black T-Shirts, and Best Colorful T-Shirts lists. There’s a cut, weight, and price point trifecta happening here that is simply magic—and ever since the label expanded its remit to include a full line of menswear, its tees might be the least exciting thing it has going on.
Outerknown
The eco-minded SoCal brand founded by surf legend Kelly Slater turns out blanket-soft flannel shirts, killer swim trunks, insanely breathable tees, and so much more.
Flint & Tinder
Flint and Tinder’s extra-beefy knits might’ve endeared Huckberry’s in-house label to the masses, but its now-viral waxed trucker jacket really catapulted the brand into the stratosphere. If it’s good enough for Joe Miller, it’s good enough for you.
Adsum
Adsum excels at making easy-wearing menswear staples stripped of extraneous details. Its pieces skew outdoors-y but steer clear gorp cosplay—think shorts that can handle a grueling hike just as easily as a Sunday morning coffee run, or swishy rain jackets that don’t scream “last chance at REI”.
The Tee Whisperers
Lady White Co.
A GQ staffer favorite, Lady White Co.’s tees are made in LA from high-quality ring-spun cotton and come in strangely-hard-to-find colors like sand and rose. FWIW, the sweats and socks also kill.
Comfort Colors
Comfort Colors is part of the extended Gildan family, so it’s no surprise its tees are another best-seller. They’re softer than a Drake ballad and come in a Crayola’s box worth of faded hues, like mint green, cranberry red, and sun-drenched purple.
Everybody.World
If you love fresh-outta-the-box tees but want to indulge consciously, Everybody.World makes deeply excellent T-shirts using 100% recycled fabrics and ethical labor practices.
The Euro Upgrades
COS
There are basics you want to lay on the couch in, and then there’s the stuff from COS. In its modern, sophisticated clothes, you’ll be motivated to do way more than binge bad TV.
Carhartt WIP
Prefer your burly American workwear with a sprinkle of European flavor? WIP, Carhartt’s designer-y sub-label, updates the brand’s legendary chore coats, carpenter pants, and ultra-beefy tees with freakier cuts and premium fabrics.
Another Aspect
Another Aspect is a Copenhagen-based menswear brand that makes thoughtfully-designed goods with a minimalist bent. From their merino wool knits to their selvedge denim to their organic cotton sweats, the cheerful Danes brand takes special care to imbue their wares with plenty of timeless appeal.
The High Priests of Streetwear
Supreme
Supreme’s Harvard Business School-studied transformation from downtown New York skate shop to international powerhouse is well-documented. But for all the hype the brand generates, it still consistently churns out a sterling assortment of surprisingly discreet basics. Come for the tees and jeans, stay for the flannels and lightweight jackets.
Stüssy
Before Supreme there was Stüssy. Sean Stussy might’ve launched his brand as a surfboard company, but when graphic tees started selling faster than his boards, he’s soon pivot—and change menswear forever. Today, the brand is like the Chanel of streetwear—just a lot less pricey. The jeans are great, the sweaters are fun, the collaborations are covetable; if you’re looking for a brand with real insider cache but less over-the-top hype, Stüssy is your best bet.
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