Mack Weldon’s silver series of garments is what happens when you get nerdy about chemistry and fashion (in the best possible way). The Ionic+ technology embeds silver charged silver ions which are naturally antimicrobial into the fabric itself. Essentially, that means bacteria and hence odor is neutralized which means you can take it easy on the deodorant. Beyond that, the tees are made of super long staple Supima cotton and a smidge of lycra for an extra silky fee, comfortable stretch, and long-lasting wear.
“It’s one of those undershirts that makes you realize you’ve been settling for squalor,” Ortiz says. “The tee feels super soft and fits perfectly trim, as any good undershirt should.” The main bummer is that they’ll cost you more than most tees, so stocking up for the week can get pricey. That said, the level of quality and luxurious feel make the blow to your wallet worth it. Plus, you can bundle up and get up to 15% off to help offset the sticker shock.
Best Undershirt for Summer: Uniqlo Airism Short-Sleeve T-Shirt
Materials: 71% cotton, 25% polyester, 4% spandex | Sizes: XS-3XL | Colors: white, grey, navy
Not everything at Uniqlo is a great value. But when it comes to upgraded basics at an affordable price, you’d be hard-pressed to find brand that does it better. When you need an airy, breathable undershirt to keep you cool through the warm months, the Japanese meg- retailer’s AIRism tees are legendary. They’re crafted from a smooth and breathable cotton-polyester-spandex blend that dries quickly, feels cool to the touch, and fights odors—a triple threat that’ll have the dog days of summer in a headlock. “It’s an easy way to save your expensive dress shirts from dreaded pit stains,” Ortiz says. “But they’re also perfect for wearing as a gym shirt.” At just $15 per tee, there’s no other undershirt that can do as much for the price.
Best Undershirt for Athletic Guys: Skims Stretch T-Shirt
Materials: 84% modal, 16% elastane | Sizes: XS-5XL | Colors: White, black
Thanks to a heaping helping (84%!) of modal and a generous slice of elastane (16%), the Skims Stretch T-shirt was one of the silkiest and most comfortable options we tested out. That ultralight fabric resulted in a feathery drape that felt incredible on the skin. Out of all the brands we tested, Skims had the widest size range by a good margin, which we really liked.
As a self-proclaimed “husky boy”, GQ contributor Evan Malachosky was always a little skeptical of Skims, but the brand’s tees won him over. “Skims’s proprietary fabrics are silky on the skin and are neither too thin (and therefore exposing), nor too thick (and therefore too hot),” he noted. “They’re sleek, polished, comfortable, and plenty appropriate,” Malachosky says, “even if they’re a closer relative of the Fear of God family, than, say, capital-M Menswear brand Merz b. Schwanen.”
More Undershirts We Love
Kirkland Signature Crewneck Tee (6-pack)
Gildan V-neck T-shirt (6-pack)
Mack Weldon 18-Hour Rib Tank
Tommy John Second Skin Stay Tucked Crewneck T-shirt (2-Pack)
Hanes Moisture-Wicking Crewneck Performance Undershirt (5-Pack)
What We Looked For
Like we said, it’s easy to overlook the basics. But every hall of famer knows that you have to master the fundamentals if you want to get any good. So we looked for undershirts that feel soft enough to go unnoticed, whether they were made entirely of cotton or some sort of synthetic blend. Though it takes two to tango and pant rises play into this, undershirts also had to be long enough to tuck. And to avoid bunching, we looked for undershirts that fit closer to the body and not baggy. From there, we also factored in price and value. What we ended up with in the end is a group of undershirts that serve a wide variety of people.
How We Tested
For the testing process, we gathered the GQ brain trust together and had them wear undershirts in a variety of situations: with their normal everyday clothes, on hot and sticky July days in New York City, to the gym, and under a plethora of camp shirts, button-ups, pullovers, and more to test for undershirt visibility. Some of our testers were fastidious non-undershirt wearers while others stick to them religiously. We looked out for chafing, torn seams, weird shrinkage, breathability and overall quality to determine our favorites, et voila!
Our Testers
PRODUCTION CREDITS:
Photographs by Bowen Fernie
Grooming by Melissa DeZarate for A-Frame Agency
