His shirt, it's like buttah

May 8, 2014 6:50 AM

Please recommend the softest cotton undershirts for men that money can buy.

Husband only likes his undershirts not because they are Ralph Lauren but because he's had them for decades. They are so holey now that they might disintegrate with a single sneeze, but they are SO THIN SO SOFT from all the wash and wear that he can't stand the thought of replacing them and having to start over with a stiffer, newer fabric. Now he's down to like four remaining survivors and they can't hold out much longer.

Any suggestions for plain white V neck undershirts that are The World's Softest?

He's a tall guy, sturdily built. These are just for at-home wear, not for under dress shirts.

Thank you!

posted by sestaaak to Clothing, Beauty, & Fashion (15 answers total)

Hanro. So soft! They're also insanely expensive. :)
posted by RJ Reynolds at 7:05 AM on May 8, 2014

My boyfriend buys the Ralph Lauren Polo tees from Marshall's (maybe also try TJ Maxx). They aren't as expensive for a pack of 3, I think $15 or so...? And they ARE so nice and soft, I often steal one for myself as a nightshirt!
posted by foxhat10 at 7:20 AM on May 8, 2014 [1 favorite]

Holy crap, those Hanro shirts are amazingly expensive...why am I not rich?

Seconding Ralph Lauren. Run them through a hot wash a couple of times, and they'll be nice and soft again.
posted by xingcat at 7:24 AM on May 8, 2014 [1 favorite]

My husband LOVES the Banana Republic essential tees. They are super soft, and he is also tall and sturdily built.

They run about $20, but BR has tons of flash 40% off sales, so I usually buy a bunch online when there is one.
posted by hrj at 7:32 AM on May 8, 2014

My husband's Lands' End Super T's have been very soft since I last bought them in 2004. They last a really long time even in rough laundry conditions -- he's still wearing a couple that we got in the mid 90's. Because he wears only grey and white t-shirts, I can't tell you anything about colors fading. You can get them with or without a pocket, and they cost $19.50 each.
posted by wryly at 7:40 AM on May 8, 2014

We've discovered that when we use the 2nd rinse cycle in the washing machine, cotton items come out extra soft. So that's something worth trying if your washer has that option and you don't mind using extra water.

mr. needled is a tall guy, sturdily built, and he swears by Uniqlo cotton undershirts.
posted by needled at 7:46 AM on May 8, 2014 [1 favorite]

If money is no object, any of the basics from AllSaints are so soft and wonderful feeling.
posted by haplesschild at 8:47 AM on May 8, 2014

I have similar feelings about shirts and how they feel when new. I am going to suggest something a bit different: a technical t-shirt. I have been using relatively inexpensive technical t-shirts from the active wear section of Target for a couple of years now. They feel extremely lightweight and thus don't have the weird thick, unbending feeling that new regular t-shirts have.

Unfortunately for your purposes, I am female so I can't give you a precise recommendation for t-shirts that would suit your husband for undershirts. I think that this is the men's version of the shirts I have. Not sure if a v-neck option exists, but just wanted to share this with you in case you/he hadn't considered a different fabric.
posted by sciencegeek at 8:48 AM on May 8, 2014

Those Lands End Super T's that wryly mentions are really nice and soft. For the price, they're hard to beat. One caveat...I've found that the Super T's run a bit more trimmer than Lands End's regular (non-super) T's. Plan accordingly, if you're a little fuller through the mid-section.
posted by Thorzdad at 8:48 AM on May 8, 2014

I would check out Uniqlo, as they have started advertising that their supima cotton t-shirts are super extra soft and I believe it, based on my experience with Supima cotton.

You might also consider J Peterman. These might not start out as soft as an old t-shirt, although probably close, but they'll get softer and softer and yet not shred.
posted by janey47 at 9:46 AM on May 8, 2014

There are quite a few Hanro items available on eBay. They're not "cheap" but they're definitely "cheaper."
posted by yoink at 10:35 AM on May 8, 2014

My son, my husband and his boss (who is well off enough that he isn't limited by cost for the most part) all love the Mossimo shirts from Target for this. Incredibly soft. I compare them to the old Bauhaus and PIL Tshirts my brother used to wear in the 80's, the ones I took over when he left home. Stupidly soft and comfortable, and cheap to boot.
posted by routergirl at 11:10 AM on May 8, 2014 [1 favorite]

ExOfficio makes tech v-neck tees for travel and such. That also might be an option.
posted by canine epigram at 11:15 AM on May 8, 2014

Some terminology you might see in t-shirt product descriptions: look for "30 Singles" or "30s" 100% ringspun cotton (or higher: 40s, 50s, etc.) Singles are the thread weight. The higher the thread weight number, the finer, softer, and thinner the shirt. 30 is where it starts feeling nice, like the American Apparel 2001.
posted by the big lizard at 10:00 PM on May 8, 2014

He might like the Banana Republic Soft Wash Cotton V-Neck Tee.
posted by bluecore at 3:37 PM on May 13, 2014