Men's T-Shirts: Crew, Polo, Half-Zip and Tank

A t-shirt is judged in the first second, and almost always on fit rather than fabric. A shoulder seam sitting an inch down the arm reads as borrowed; a hem finishing at mid-fly reads as deliberate. Nobody consciously notices either, and everybody reacts to both, which is why the same person can own eight t-shirts and reach for the same two.

The tops here are knitted rather than cut from printed jersey, in crew necks, polo collars, buttoned and half-zip variations and a ribbed tank. Below, where each seam and hem should land, what separates the neckline types, a fabric and size table for every model since the runs differ, how to choose by occasion, and how to stop a knit t-shirt pilling in its first season.

How a Men's T-Shirt Should Fit

Shoulder seam. The seam where the sleeve meets the body sits on the edge of your shoulder bone, where the shoulder stops and the arm starts. Dropped down the arm means the shirt is too big; pulled toward the neck means it is too small. This is the one measurement worth checking in a mirror before anything else, because no other adjustment fixes it.

Sleeve length. The hem should finish roughly halfway between armpit and elbow, at mid bicep. Longer starts to look oversized, shorter starts to feel restrictive on a wider arm.

Body. You should be able to pinch one to two inches of fabric at each side of the torso. Less than that and the knit shows every line underneath; more and it hangs rather than drapes.

Length. The hem lands between the top and middle of the fly, covering the belt when you raise an arm. A shirt that untucks itself every time you reach up is cut too short for your torso, not too small overall.

What regular fit means here. These are cut to follow the body without gripping it, which is a different thing from slim. If you are between sizes and want a relaxed drape, take the larger one; the knit will not pull the shape back.

Types of Men's T-Shirts, from Crew Neck to Half-Zip

Necklines do more work than most people give them credit for, since they frame the only part of the outfit anyone looks at while talking to you.

• Crew neck: the default. A round collar that works alone or under a jacket. Widest range of use, least statement.
• Two-button crew: a short placket with two buttons, halfway between a crew and a polo. Softer than a collar, less plain than a round neck.
• Polo collar: a knitted collar that stands on its own. This is the piece that carries a shirt-and-trousers look on a day too warm for a shirt.
• Buttoned polo: a polo with a full placket. Buttoned it reads formal, open it reads relaxed, which is two garments from one.
• Half-zip polo: a short zip instead of buttons. Sportier and slightly warmer at the neck, useful in air conditioning.
• Ribbed tank: a vertical rib knit with thin straps, worn alone in real heat or invisibly under everything else.
• Henley, raglan, pocket tee and heavyweight jersey: the classic tee variations not made here. If you want a boxy 240 gsm jersey tee that stands away from the body, this range is not it; these are knits that drape.

Which to Wear Alone and Which to Layer

Fabric composition varies a lot across the range, and it decides more than the neckline does. Cotton-led pieces breathe and are the ones to wear against skin all day. Viscose and polyamide blends drape better and hold their shape through a longer day but sit warmer. Size runs also differ model by model, so check the row rather than assuming your usual letter.

Two things worth reading off that table before ordering. Only the tank, the two-button crew and the striped crew are cotton-led; the rest are viscose or polyamide blends, which drape and resist creasing but breathe less against skin on the hottest days. And three models stop at L while three run to XXL, so the size you take in one is not automatically the size you take in another.

Choosing by Occasion: Office, Weekend, Evening

Office without a shirt. A polo collar in a solid colour, worn with trousers rather than jeans. The knit collar stands on its own without a jacket holding it up, which is the whole point of choosing knit over jersey here.

Weekend. A crew neck or a striped knit, sized for drape rather than fit. This is where cotton content earns itself, since the shirt is on for twelve hours and probably includes some walking.

Evening. A textured half-zip or a buttoned polo worn open. Denser knits catch light differently from flat jersey, which is why they read dressed rather than casual under indoor lighting.

Real heat. The ribbed tank alone, or under an open linen-look shirt from the shirts range. Pair either with shorts and a cap from hats and caps.

The same models grouped by collar type rather than by fit sit on the knit t-shirts and polos page, and the seasonal side of the wardrobe is on summer.

How to Keep a Knit T-Shirt Looking New

Pilling is what kills knit tops, and it is caused by friction rather than by washing. Turn the shirt inside out before it goes in the machine, wash at 30 degrees Celsius (86 degrees Fahrenheit) on a gentle cycle, and keep it away from anything with a zip or velcro in the same load. Most pilling appears where a bag strap crosses the chest, so alternate shoulders if you carry one daily.

Fold rather than hang. A hanger stretches the shoulder line of a knit within a season, and the shoulder is exactly the seam you cannot fix afterwards. Dry flat and away from direct sun; a dryer is what turns a well fitting knit into a shrunken one.

The honest limits. Sizing runs differ by model, so check the size chart on each product page rather than trusting one letter across the range. Textiles carry no name debossing, which is available on leather pieces only. Returns run 14 days including for a change of mind with the return label on us, but a top that has been worn or washed cannot go back, so try it on before removing the tags.