No, that ratty college t-shirt is not good enough. Don’t throw it out – you’ve got to wear something to the gym – but consider upping your short-sleeve game by finding something a bit different, a bit more arresting, and a lot cleaner. Here’s where to look.
The Tee Library
This innovative clothing brand is all about telling stories with their shirts. Their features graphics of manuscripts, scattered galaxies, and censored pinups. Consider these the thinking man’s answer to “I’m With Stupid.” [thinkliterature.com]
Junk Food
Making it’s way onto the fashion scene in 1998, this t-shirt company is a great first stop for anyone looking for something visually striking. The nearly endless catalogue features everything from metal bands, to girl, to old-school comic book drawings. Throw on a Basquiat- or Star Wars-themed shirt under your blazer and play to your crowd. [junkfood.com]
Scotch & Soda
Rich in detail, relatively affordable, and extremely well made Scotch & Soda shirts are made for the long term. Hailing from Amsterdam, the company now has 94 stores worldwide and racks on racks of classic looks. It’s hard to go wrong, but consider giving the deep v-necks a pass if you haven’t been in a gym recently. [us.scotch-soda.com]
Eleven Paris
This Parisian ready-to-wear brand debuted with a simple collection in 2003 and has spent the years since pumping out alluring leather goods and suave graphic tees. The brand doesn’t have a brick and mortar presence outside of France and London, but Nordstrom and Top Man stock some of their more popular looks. The selection runs the gamut from the slightly pornographic to the purely graphic (think Bruce Lee riding Napoleon’s horse). [us.elevenparis.com]
Tres Bien
It pains us to admit it, but the Europeans really have this t-shirt thing on lockdown. Tres Bien, which is actually a Scandinavian outfit, specializes in simple but memorable designs and stocks excellent, hard-to-find brands like Our Legacy. Not everything is punchy, but everything deserves a second look. [tres-bien.com]
Todd Snyder
Known for the retro Ivy League vibe he’s all but monopolize, designer Todd Snyder keeps it simple while producing the sort of high-quality tees that you always figured you’d own when you grew up. His collaboration with Champion, you dad’s sweatshirt company, is producing unexpectedly hip results. [toddsnyder.com]