21 Practical Undershirts for Looking and Feeling Your Best (2024)

A major qualm with undershirts is their neckline can easily get ratted through the wash. We found Jockey's Made in America tees to keep a strong neckline and provide overall durability as an everyday undershirt. This is one of those cases where it's worth paying the extra bucks for an American-made garment.

The Made in America factor isn't just for show. The quality that comes with it is apparent. The construction is clean and the fabric is thick enough that this undershirt can double as a plain white tee. So if you ever need to shed a layer or two, you can fall back on this as a base layer t-shirt. You can even style it on a hot day with just a pair of shorts.

More importantly, we found that Jockey has nailed the standard 100% cotton plain white undershirt in the best way possible. It feels like a traditional soft cotton tee, but after putting it through the wash and dry cycles since 2021 over a dozen times, it managed to withstand all tear and wear and stay intact, proving its durability. The fabric even has a tech built-in to reduce piling and fading. And I love that the cotton is engineered to be able to wick away sweat in a heartbeat to keep me fresh all day. The only thing is that the fabric isn't wrinkle-resistant, so store these shirts carefully.

Hanes is perhaps the most famous undershirt brand on the planet. And if you're looking for a more athletic feel and sweat protection is your priority, then the Hanes Performance moisture-wicking crewneck undershirt is your best bet. The fabric blend of polyester and rayon is designed to wick sweat off your body and dry off quickly, and we found it to be extra soft, smooth, and cool to the touch even after being on our skin all day long. We also love that the fabric blend is much lighter in weight than a traditional cotton undershirt.

Besides, after wearing these white undershirts since 2021, we found that because of the polyester blend, the fabric is resistant to any discoloration that comes with age on cotton shirts. After putting it through at least 10 wash cycles, we also noticed that the fabric didn’t pick up any other color and still fits well.

We also love the tad of stretch this undershirt has, and how they can be easily tucked in to stay hidden and in place. The breathability and odor control are also a nice touch, even after—or during—a sweaty workout as we’ve found. Lastly, Hanes uses the same double-needle stitching to reinforce the neck, sleeves, and hem as with their regular undershirts. This will stand up to years and washing and wearing with steady use.

Mack Weldon was founded to reinvent men's underwear and loungewear with modern advancements in fabric blends and construction. They say you don't want to reinvent the wheel but sometimes you come up with a better wheel. The particular blend of the fabric in this V-neck is what sets it apart from the competition. It feels so soft and natural while providing all those modern tech properties.

Mack Weldon’s stellar undershirt checks all the boxes we're looking for when assembling this list. First, the fabric has the best blend of synthetic fibers (like those you'll find in workout clothes) to feel eternally soft and light, making it ideal for being worn as the base layer on your skin for hours on end. We also love the stretch which moves with our body and doesn't bunch up. The length is nice since it is extra long and we have had no issue making it stay tucked in.

Second, Mack Weldon's undershirt has the ideal construction of a slim fit. Coupled with a rotated shoulder seams to keep your sleeves in place, and a flat-front V-neck collar to stay in stealth mode under your collared shirt, we've found this to be the perfect V-neck undershirt.

We were most impressed by its breathability. In fact, the knit fabric of this undershirt is designed to drive air in. In our experience of wearing them beneath a dress shirt or even sweater, our skin has stayed cool and dry.

There has never been another brand with more hype around it than the early 1990s "My Calvins" undergarment campaign. But Calvin Klein's classic ribbed tank is not just hype, it is actually a really good undershirt. If you prefer the minimal fabric feel of a tank or you just wear them when it's hot out then Calvins are hard to beat. And these, as undershirts, are practically perfect in terms of fabric, fit, and durability.

The full cotton fabric is stretchy as we found, despite having no built-in elastane or spandex. More importantly, we love its soft-to-touch quality as well as natural breathability, the latter helps with wicking away sweat. The classic fit we found is slim without being constricting and they're just long enough to be tucked in if you need to but they can hang out with showing. The classic scoop neckline and seaming have also lasted well, and the fabric after over a dozen wash and dry cycles has remained as stretchy, soft, and breezy as when it was just off the rack.

For layering, we love putting it underneath a button-down or sweater/sweatshirt, though if you’re prone to underarm, we’d advise against this undershirt as your go-to.

The V-neck undershirt was invented so that men could unbutton the collar of their dress shirts without exposing the neckline of their undershirts. While v-necks have their place as stand-alone shirts, a hidden neckline is still their primary role.

If you're looking for a good old-fashioned v-neck undershirt then Tommy John is the way to go. This option, meant for being tucked under does everything you want from an undershirt. It's a slim fit without being tight so you can wear it under slim-fit dress shirts without feeling squeezed in your chest or chaffing in your armpits. The V neckline is deep enough so that you can button the top two buttons of your dress shirt without your undershirt showing.

Also made with modal to feel like your second skin, this is the fundamental, barebones v-neck undershirt at its best. We love how the fabric really feels smooth and soft like butter, and on our skin, it is naturally breathable. The nice lend of stretch coupled with the stay-tucked design makes the shirt pretty much bunching-up-proof, and we found that it’s been able to retain its shape wash after wash—no pilling or slimming. In addition, in our experience of wearing this undershirt under button-downs or even polo shirts, we found that the collar always stays hidden.

The key to the 72-Hour Tee is its merino wool fabric. Huckberry engineered this tee to utilize the natural features of merino wool, which is breathable, moisture-wicking, odor-resistant, and temperature-regulating. The goal of the 72-Hour Tee was to create an undershirt that you can wear for three days straight without getting gross.

Huckberry did some serious field research with this undershirt and stake its reputation for quality on its performance. Since the 72-Hour Tee came out a couple of years ago, the people have spoken and it has been one of Huckberry's top-selling items year-round. So our team tested it as well by wearing them to our trips and long flights. While we initially didn’t like the neckline or the hem—they are not the true undershirt style—we did find that the 72-Hour Tee managed to stay hidden in our outer garments, and thanks to its merino build, pass our tests of smell, sweat, cooling, and softness even after hours of non-stop wear—as long as 16 hours on one of our overseas flights! We also found that the fabric is soft and doesn’t itch, and could withstand wash cycles like a pro.

We can't say for sure how many people are actually wearing their undershirts for three days straight. We hope this attribute is reserved for special occasions like road trips or long flights, but either way, the success of this undershirt speaks for itself.

Known as a brand that caters to yogis, Alo also makes top-tier apparel for everyday wear. Case in point: their Reform Crewneck, a form-fitting, breathable tee with a stylish cut. All the properties that make the Conquer Reform Crewneck a great yoga shirt also make it a great undershirt.

The suede jersey fabric is a heftier material than you're probably used to with an undershirt but it is buttery soft. It has plenty of stretches whether you're bending into a downward-facing dog or bending over to pick something up. It breathes really well so it makes an ideal base layer for warmer days. All in all, we love its airy, soft-like-cloud, smooth-like-butter feel that’s great for lounging and layering under. Though we wouldn’t say it’s the best at moisture-wicking, we still had no problem with this undershirt.

This is the perfect undershirt to wear for a day at the office then a trip to the gym on the way home. It can pull double duty as an undershirt and then a gym shirt thanks to the fit which hugs our body without restricting.

Available in v-neck as well as a plain crew and pocket version, these light under-layers are soft yet strong and come in a trio to make sure you’ll never run out of undershirts. At this price, fit, quality, and comfort, it’s a no-brainer bargain.

We especially love the V-neck version of these J.Crew undershirts. The cut is deep enough that we have been able to undo a few buttons on our dress shirts without worrying about showing the neckline, but it’s not too low to look funky or overly casual. We also love the softness, thanks to the garment dye and washing process that makes the fabric even more smoother but also more durable, making the undershirt strong enough to survive wash after wash, wear after wear.

The first thing you will notice about the Prospect Tee from Brooklinen is that it is impossibly light and airy. It's a perfect undershirt because you will forget you're wearing it. But it is also a perfect T-shirt because, when it is hot out, you won't want to wear anything else over it.

The beauty is in the jersey fabric that Brooklinen uses and the relaxed fit they cut it in. The company's whole vibe is loungewear but this is a shirt you can spend all day in, no matter what you're doing.

It styles really well by itself with a pair of jeans. You can throw a light jacket over it or an unbuttoned Oxford shirt.

Sometimes you need an extra thick base layer to build your outfit on top of. That's when you should have a Field-Spec Cotton Heavy Tee from Buck Mason on hand. It's made from a 100% cotton jersey fabric that was inspired by old rugby jerseys. The fabric is twice as thick as the fabric of regular t-shirts.

It is the perfect undershirt for cold days or a plain t-shirt for rugged pursuits. It's cut in a classic fit that is slightly boxy but the sleeves are not too long. This is a heartier undershirt for those times when a light cotton or blend won't do but you don't want to wear it for athletic activities or in extreme cold. That thick cotton will just absorb all your sweat and weigh you down if you're working out and put you at risk in the extreme cold.

You've definitely heard of Pima cotton and all the hype around it. Pima cotton is longer fiber cotton than regular cotton which means it's softer and more durable. Robert Barakett uses 100% Pima cotton in their Georgia crewneck t-shirt. Now, this is definitely a shirt that works as both an undershirt and a solo t-shirt.

A big selling point of the Georgia Crewneck is that it comes in 23 different colors. So if you're looking for a simple go-to tee in a range of colors then look no further. This is the best undershirt to wear as a stand-alone t-shirt because of the flattering fit and, thanks to the color selection, the limitless styling options. It's lightweight and soft enough that you'll want to wear it with everything anyway.