T-shirts are the lynchpin of fashion for men. They work perfectly in most casual to semi-professional settings, and can even work well in certain professional settings. But T-shirts don’t work the same on every body type and if you don’t know the best shirts for your body, you could start to think T-shirts don’t work for you in general.
We’re here to show you how to pair the best T-shirts for men with your body type and ensure that you can use the versatility and comfort of T-shirts in your wardrobe.
Plain T-Shirts
The classic t-shirt: comfortable, casual, and cool, it may seem hard to go wrong with one of these. The trick with plain T-shirts for men is that they are so simple, they can trick you into making easy mistakes.
Plain tees are not so simple as to be impossible to mess up. In fact, plain tees are one of the most commonly misused aspects of men’s wardrobes, for a few simple reasons. The most common reason is when men get T-shirts that are poorly fitted.
Few things look less flattering than a poorly fitted tee. Whether it’s as tight as a tube sock or as loose as a trash bag, tees that don’t fit you well aren’t going to look good. Knowing your size and knowing the style of plain tee that fits you best is key. After all, the best T-shirts for men are the ones that fit them well.
For well-fitted plain tees, you want ones that hug your arms but let your chest breathe. They don’t need to be fitted T-shirts but they should fit you well. An example of a plain tee that fits like a glove is our Feel Good Tee. This Pima-style tee is built for men of all sizes and body types. With classic colors, comfort fits, and durable materials, a few Feel Good Tees will make your plain t-shirt game perfect.
Beyond the shirt fitting itself, men will often wear tees with the wrong outfits. Yes, technically, your basketball shorts plus graphic tee combo is a valid outfit. But is it a flattering one? Not necessarily.
Plain tees go well with almost any bottom, you just have to find ones that you like and that make you feel confident. If you’re a jean guy, get yourself some lighter tees. If you like khakis, wear some darker or neutral tees. The T-shirts can stay plain; you just have to ensure the outfit is well-designed around them.
Pocket T-Shirts
Pocket tees are a close cousin of the plain T-shirt, but they differ in one major way. You guessed it: the presence of the classic front pocket. Pocket tees can largely fill the same roles, as well, though they do fit larger-chested men slightly better—although the difference is negligible. This is due to the definition the pocket adds, but if the shirt is well-fitted, it will work with any body type.
The best part about pocket tees is that they are just as comfortable as plain tees, but the presence of the pocket means they can fit in with some business casual attire (we wrote an entire guide on business casual, too). A tee with a subtle pocket is a classic, regardless of the outfit you’re wearing it with.
The golden rule, as with plain T-shirts, is that pocket tees must fit you well. If you want pocket tees that look and feel great to wear, check out Perk’s Low Key Pocket Tee. These have it all: the subtle pocket, the high-quality craft, and the well-fitted dimensions. Get yourself a few in different colors and you’ll have the perfect, casual pocket tees for any occasion.
As far as outfits are concerned, pocket tees go especially well with some good chinos. Perk, of course, provides good chinos, so if you want to build some good pocket tee outfits with our Low Key Pocket Tees, check out our Feel Good Chinos, too.
Long-Sleeve T-Shirts
Whether it’s a little cooler or you just want the comfort of some longer sleeves, long-sleeve T-shirts are a great—but often underutilized—option for men’s tops. Long-sleeve shirts are especially great if you work or spend a lot of time outdoors, as they protect your arms from the sun. No matter what your reason for wearing long-sleeve T-shirts is, you’ll want a few.
Long-sleeve shirts follow the same golden rule as their shorter-sleeved cousins (noticing a trend yet?) in that they need to be well-fitted. In fact, it is even more important for your longer-sleeved shirts to fit you well, as nothing is more annoying than having sleeves that go past your wrists and rub your hands.
For long-sleeve T-shirts, you want ones that sit well on the biceps but don’t hug the forearms too hard. They should frame the shoulders and chest well, but let the belly breathe. And, most importantly, the sleeves should fall comfortably at the wrists—not too long, and not too short.
A perfect example of a well-fitted long-sleeve T-shirt is Perk’s Low Key Long Sleeve. It's lightweight enough to be worn in the summer but well-made enough to be worn in the cooler months, too. These things look great with business casual looks, as well, and can even work with some semi-professional environments (depending on your jacket and accessories).
Well-fitted long-sleeved tees can work especially well as muscle-fit T-shirts since the longer sleeves frame all the muscles you might want to show off. But, whether you are a muscular guy or not, you’ll want a few long-sleeved shirts in your wardrobe.
Henley T-Shirts
The final T-shirt to be discussed is the henley. If that name means nothing to you, you might know these better as the partial-buttoned-up shirts that can be long- or short-sleeved (though they look much better long-sleeved). Henleys are often underutilized, much like normal long-sleeved shirts, but they can be an excellent tool in your fashion toolkit.
The best part about Henley tees is that they can be fitted to fit bigger forms, but actually work best with smaller frames. If you have thinner shoulders or smaller arms, Henleys are the perfect T-shirt because they tend towards slimmer fits by design. Henleys are the best option for slim-fit T-shirts just by virtue of their make.
Henleys, of course, follow the same rule as all other tees: they must be well-fitted. Like long-sleeved shirts, you want sleeves that fall right at the wrist, but you also want a collar that does not lose rigor with washes.
To this end, we recommend our Low Key Henley. It checks all the boxes: well-made, well-fitted, and well-designed. These will fit like a glove and keep you cool, no matter the weather.
Closing Advice
You probably noticed the trend: the best T-shirts for men are the ones that are well-fitted. Figure out which fits match your body type and you’ll be set.
If you want more tips for men’s fashion, be sure to check out the rest of our blog.
