Even among a certain caliber of menswear nerd, undershirts often go overlooked. They shouldn’t: the best of the category are a lot more than mere protective layers. Sure, they keep your dress shirts, polos, and sweaters safe from pit stains and dank stenches. They can stay out-of-sight, tucked into your trousers when the moment calls for a button-up and a tie. But they can also stand in as righteous solo layers on their own, or play nice with a trucker and jeans when light jacket weather arrives in earnest.
Still not convinced? To help make the case, we scoped out the market to ID the best undershirts money can buy, from the cheap-and-cheery multi-packs to the rarified upgrades, and whittled down the selection to our absolute favorites. Whether you prefer ‘em crisp and classic or sultry and scant, we’ve got you covered.