The best undershirts for men are the least selfish layers in your wardrobe (2024)

Wearing an undershirt might feel like your first steps toward dad style – and not the cool kind. But the best undershirts for men don’t call to mind Homer Simpson or Ed Bundy. Like other uber-practical investments – think ball powder, nose hair trimmers, and calf-high dress socks – the best men’s undershirts just make sense. Whether you opt for a 100 per cent cotton version or a moisture-wicking synthetic number, a Sopranos-style ribbed tank top or a classic crew (we’re still out on deep V-neck tees), you need a base layer that guards against excess sweat and nipple visibility.

The best undershirts shopping guide

• The Best Classic Undershirt: Calvin Klein cotton classics 5-pack undershirts, £100
• The Best Gains-Amplifying Undershirt: 2(X)IST essential cotton square cut tank (2-pack), £32
• The Best Genetically-Enhanced Undershirt: Uniqlo Airism Short-Sleeve T-shirt, £15
• The Best Genetically-Enhanced Winter Undershirt: Uniqlo Heattech Ultra Warm Long-Sleeve T-shirt, £25
• The Best Kitten-Soft Undershirt: CDLP Midweight T-shirt (3-Pack), £200
• The Best “The Laundrette Was Closed This Weekend” Undershirt: Proof 72-Hour Merino Tee, £85
• The Best “My Yacht Has Its Own Yacht” Undershirt: Loro Piana Soft T-Shirt, £415

Come the swampiest stretch of summer or the chilliest days of winter, the undershirts below are specially engineered to keep you dry, comfortable, and completely stench-free. And, since their main purpose is to sacrifice themselves to save your favourite button-downs and dress shirts, most of our top picks cost less than a fancy co*cktail – so you can wear and wash them to death, and then replace ’em semi-regularly without a care in the world. Oh yeah, and all of them are tagless, because no one needs to spend all day trying to ignore a tiny rectangular piece of fabric. Without further ado: the 13 best undershirts for men to tuck in, pronto.

The best classic undershirt

In the event that you really just want to keep things old-school, well, Calvin Klein still makes the very best 100 per cent cotton undershirts in the business. They’re lightweight, fit well, and are polished enough to wear around casually as a regular tee. If you’re lucky enough to land on the drier, less-malodourous end of the scale, and just need an easy, classic, regular cotton base layer to get you through the week, this is the multi-pack for you.

The best gains-amplifying undershirt

Far be it from us to unilaterally declare anything objectively sexy, but if we had to pick a tank that fits the descriptor, 2(X)IST’s might just be the one. The brand’s distinct square-cut style will make your upper body look exponentially more defined, no matter how long it has been since you last saw the inside of a squat rack.

The best genetically-enhanced undershirt

Uniqlo stays doing what Uniqlo does best: delivering tech-driven, well-designed, perfectly fitting basics at no-brainer prices. The brand’s Airism tees are crafted from a smooth and breathable polyester blend that’s anti-microbial and deodorizing, all the better to keep your underarms feeling cooler than the Fonz in the face of turgid, muggy July days (or equally freezing January nights). At just £15 a pop, you can afford to buy enough for every day of the workweek, plus a few extra for the gym, those early-morning jogs, and whatever else the season throws your way.

The best genetically enhanced winter undershirt

Uniqlo’s GQ-favourite Heattech garments are expressly designed to keep your body cosy when you’re freezing your ass off halfway through winter. This particular version clocks in on the warmer end of the spectrum and comes in a silky-smooth fabric that’s been brushed on the inside for maximum softness – exactly what you should look for in an undershirt you’ll throw on beneath every layer you’re wearing in February.

The best kitten-soft undershirt

It’s no surprise that CDLP’s silky-smooth T-shirt is a lot like its underwear: softer than you’re prepared for and cut so precisely that you’ll feel like the style god of your choice every time you throw it on. It’s made with a healthy serving of lyocell – a fast-absorbing, moisture-wicking fabric that lends it an extremely slinky hand – the same material is used to craft its top-notch undies. And because it’s a midweight tee, imbued with the heft of a standalone layer, you won’t feel like an underdressed schmuck wearing it solo with dark denim and sleek black boots.

The best ‘The laundrette was closed this weekend’ undershirt

Proof’s 72-Hour Merino tee delighted us. Why? Well, it turns out that Merino wool, a fabric typically relegated to plush sweaters and swanky suits, also makes for an incredible undershirt. That’s because it’s naturally imbued with temperature-managing, moisture-wicking, and antimicrobial properties. Trust us – we wore it for three days straight and came out the other side miraculously not smelly. The fabric is airy, wildly soft, and boasts an incredible drape, a criminally overlooked aspect in the world of T-shirts. We’re sucker for tees with a slightly slouchier fit, but the tailored silhouette here is better suited for a supporting role.

The best ‘My yacht has its own yacht’ undershirt

We’ll level with you: no matter how many commas are in your bank account, you’re going to have a tough time explaining away the purchase of a white T-shirt that costs almost half a grand. That’s a level of opulence pure logic can’t make the case for. But shopping – even for something as seemingly mundane as an undershirt – shouldn’t always be constrained by pure logic. And if your bank account isn’t limited by that kind of reasoning either, Loro Piana’s ridiculously luxurious tee – made from a blend of silk and cotton (mostly silk, though) – will help you live out your high-flying fantasies in style.

Plus seven more undershirts we love