Comfortable, quality men's T-shirts in solid colors

July 31, 2023 4:01 PM

I'm looking to buy some new men's T-shirts that are soft, comfortable, and high quality. Just looking for solid colors. Definitely don't care about brands/designers or anything like that. My dresser is filled with these shirts from Amazon (in a few different colors) that have done the trick, but I'm ready to spend more for an upgrade. Thanks!
posted by Conrad Cornelius o'Donald o'Dell to Clothing, Beauty, & Fashion (20 answers total)

Uniqlo Supima Cotton have become my everyday standard. I like the v-neck version. Lots of color options. For activewear/quick-drying, Uniqlo Dry-Ex T-shirts.
posted by hovey at 4:22 PM on July 31, 2023 [6 favorites]

Duluth Trading Company has very high quality T shirts in solid colors.
posted by FencingGal at 4:46 PM on July 31, 2023 [2 favorites]

American Giant has exactly this, especially since you want to spent more on higher quality stuff.
posted by Back At It Again At Krispy Kreme at 4:54 PM on July 31, 2023 [1 favorite]

Lands' End Super T
posted by Rash at 4:56 PM on July 31, 2023

Everlane is my go to
posted by dis_integration at 5:03 PM on July 31, 2023

I only ever wear solid color t-shirts. For the longest time, I went with Eddie Bauer's Legend Wash T-Shirts. And when I say "for the longest time" I mean they've been my go-to for almost 25 years now. They're that good. They're durable, they don't shrink all that much over time, and their colors don't fade too much.

I have recently thought I should branch out a bit, though, and I just recently bought a couple of shirts from Fresh Clean Threads. I like them a lot too! They're a fair bit softer than the Eddie Bauer ones (and they've retained that softness after a couple washes) and they come in more colors. It remains to be seen how long they last - I just got these about a month ago, and some of my EB ones are on year 8 or so - but so far I like them pretty well. I'll still buy the EB ones too, but these are a good supplement when I'm not feeling EB's limited color palette.
posted by pdb at 5:11 PM on July 31, 2023

Seconding Eddie Bauer's Legend Wash T-Shir.
posted by NotMyselfRightNow at 5:36 PM on July 31, 2023

Carhartt tshirts have been my go-to for several years. They are heavy duty, comfortable, and worth every penny. Even their factory seconds are pretty good. Only solid colors.
posted by lhauser at 5:38 PM on July 31, 2023

They’re very expensive, but someone here recommended Vollebak merino wool t-shirts, and I now have a drawer full of ‘em. There are cheaper alternatives from other outdoor stores (REI has some, Minus33 too), but I decided to spend a bit more for made-in-Portugal vs. China.
posted by Alterscape at 5:45 PM on July 31, 2023

I have a handful of Union made t shirts I bought 5 or more years ago that are a great deal. Just google Union made t shirts. There are a lot of choices.
posted by nothing.especially.clever at 6:16 PM on July 31, 2023 [2 favorites]

they don't really pass on the "more expensive = better" axis but once i discovered Hanes Cool DRI performance t-shirts that's the only t-shirt i ever buy. i never buy cotton t-shirts anymore, and hate when they are given to me because i'll just end up disposing of it.

the cool dri shirts last forever. i still have the original set i bought almost a decade ago and they don't degrade over time like cotton. the lighter colors are a lilttle stain-susceptible but so is cotton. they feel super light and cool and silky, and they dry quite fast. unless you're brick-wall against the 100% polyester composition of them, you really ought to just try one. also available in polos and womens (which are the ones i have). for me it's the nicest "cheap shirt" in the world.
posted by glonous keming at 8:48 PM on July 31, 2023

Sunspel
Asket
Norse Projects
posted by alchemist at 9:53 PM on July 31, 2023 [1 favorite]

I have a bunch of solid-color Marine Layer tees that I like a lot. They're light and comfortable.

On the pricier side, I also like Buck Mason (comparable in price to American Giant) and Freenote Cloth (more expensive, due to being manufactured entirely in the US).
posted by Kosh at 3:18 AM on August 1, 2023

Mind Eddie Bauer's site for sales. The Legend Wash tees often go down to 50% off. At that price they're an outrageous bargain. Also they're one of the few places that will sell a Tall short sleeve tee that is significantly longer in the body, and their Tall long sleeve tees are almost long enough for me, the albatross. Anyway the Eddie Bauer tees don't fade and will go through the wash several hundred times without looking like shit.
posted by seanmpuckett at 4:57 AM on August 1, 2023 [1 favorite]

Which (if any) of these require very little/no ironing?
posted by Paul Slade at 5:50 AM on August 1, 2023

I've never ironed a t-shirt in my life, so I'm not sure my answer is helpful, but the EB shirts don't hold a crease.
posted by seanmpuckett at 6:51 AM on August 1, 2023

I buy almost exclusively from AllUSA. I have been very satisfied with both the heavyweight Camber shirts and these lightweight shirts. They are more expensive, but they are all USA made and often union made, if that sort of thing is important to you.

Be warned that sometimes shipping can take a while (think weeks) for the Camber shirts.
posted by donpardo at 10:02 AM on August 2, 2023

I only have experience with women’s T-shirts, but adding to the chorus that Eddie Bauer shirts are very good quality and their sales are really good. Sign up for their email newsletter so you’ll know when they’re having a sale.
posted by MexicanYenta at 3:22 PM on August 2, 2023

@paul slade

The next time I iron a t-shirt will be the first time I've ever ironed a t-shirt. Neither the Eddie Bauers nor the Fresh Cleans that I have need ironing at all. I'm not sure whether you're asking about ironing in regards to wrinkles, or about having sharp-creased sleeves or whatever, but wrinkling is not an issue with either of the brands I'm familiar with. I can't speak to how well they would respond to ironing, but at least in my life they don't require it at all.
posted by pdb at 3:18 PM on August 3, 2023

Seconding the Uniqlo Supima Cotton Ts. I've been stocking up on them and phasing out my older t-shirts.

They're 100% cotton, which is a priority for me, and a pretty classic T-shirt fit.
posted by threecolorable at 5:09 PM on August 3, 2023