The best tank tops for men go by many names—A-shirts, muscle tees, sleeveless tees, singlets—but we’re just calling them tank tops. (And, occasionally, wife-pleasers.) Whatever you call them, the tank top deserves to be in your wardrobe, if not for its many fashionable varieties, then for its utter utility.
Play to its roots and it can be a button-up-saving undershirt, an invisible hero for your outfit. You can hit the gym in a performance tank with all the moisture-wicking and quick-drying properties modern science can imbue. Or you can play the capital-F fashion card and wear a tank purely to augment your already-massive fits.
All of which is to say, it’s a great big world of tanks out there, so GQ got into the weeds to find the best. Whether you’re looking to flex your style chops (or those winter gains–another benefit of the tank top: they make your arms look really sexy), there’s a workhorse undershirt, muscle-baring workout partner, or a show-stopping sleeveless tee with your name on it.
The Best Tank Tops, According to GQ
The Best Bulk-Buy Tank Top: Hanes Tagless Cotton Tank
You’ve probably owned a 6-pack of these at some point or another, and with good reason: Hanes’s no-frills, no-tags, all-cotton ribbed tanks are a preposterous value. They’re cut flatteringly from pure cotton, which means they’re presentable enough to wear on their own, and breathable and comfortable enough to survive the swampiest days of August. They’re best served, of course, as an undershirt—ideally peeking out from beneath a flowy button-down or polo sweater, the way the goodfellas in Goodfellas would do it.
The Best Gym-Ready Tank Top: Lululemon Metal Vent Tech Sleeveless Shirt
If you’re looking to make some gains in your tank, you’ll need one that wicks away moisture, dries quickly, and blocks odor. This one from Lululemon does all three better than most activewear tops do just one. The seamless construction also means a more comfortable workout with no chafing, and they come in a vibrant range of colors, so you can flex your excellent taste alongside your muscles.
The Best Budget Tank Top: Russell Athletic Sleeveless Muscle T-Shirt
Russell invented the crewneck sweatshirt a century ago, but its sleeveless T-shirts are just as worthy of your hard-earned dough as their fleece goods. They’re cut from a buttery-soft cotton jersey in a slim (but not too slim) fit that’s ideal worn as a base layer or all on its own. If your upper arm game is Dom Toretto-level beastly, these have just the right proportions to show off all your hard work.
The Best Breezy Tank Top: Abercrombie & Fitch Crochet Muscle Tank
Look, we get it, sometimes it’s way too hot to be bothered with a button down but the occasion doesn’t allow for a t-shirt. Instead of skipping the event out of protest, swap in an airy tank like this one from mallbrand elite A&F to layer under you swankiest linen suit. Crocheted from cotton, it’s a breezy layer that looks extremely elegant while being 100% practical when the temperatures have reached an ungodly high.
The Best Retro Running Tank Top: Tracksmith Van Cortlandt Singlet
The Van Cortlandt singlet from one of our favorite running brands Tracksmith is an ultra-modern running tank built with a vintage chassis. Stellar looks aside, the tank is made from the brand’s trademark 2:09 mesh, a silky, ultra-absorbent material which features an added layer of antimicrobial protection to keep funkiness at bay while keeping you nice and dry. We’ve worn it during morning jobs and adrenaline-pumping HIIT bootcamps and it’s kept us comfortably cool even when we felt like our insides were quickly turning to jelly.
The Best Designer Tank Top: Saint Laurent Logo-Embroidered Ribbed Tank Top
Do you need a designer tank? Probably not. But if you’re going to drop a few hundred bucks on one, it should be worth the sticker price. YSL’s ribbed version is cut from a smooth, mid-weight cotton-jersey blend that’s slimming but not skintight, a boon if your summer bod feels more like a fall project at this point. (You’re just perfect to us, bud.) The gentle scoop neck highlights your lats and makes you look runway-buff, while the embroidered logo is a not-so-subtle nod your finer tastes. Sometimes, it’s the small things that make the biggest difference, and sometimes, you need to dress up even your most basic of basics to feel like you’re putting your best self forward.
More Tank Tops We Love
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