Even the best menswear essentials can get even better with just a few small tweaks, and that holds true for your T-shirt drawer.
A classic, crisp white T-shirt, for instance, is a must-have for casually rugged, cool style, but the best pocket tees go a step further.
A pocket elevates even the most finely crafted T-shirt, which is why the style is a personal favorite of this writer.
It’s an intentional move, one that makes a T-shirt less like an undershirt and more like a true statement piece.
Just look at the way guys like Steve McQueen and Ryan Gosling wear a pocket tee, and take heed as you bolster your wardrobe.
The style goes with everything from expertly crafted blue jeans to chino shorts, and there’s never been a better time to buy one.
In my experience, Flint and Tinder fires on all cylinders when it comes to modern updates to timeless classics. That goes for its certified-cool trucker jackets as well as this vintage-inspired pocket tee, made from garment-dyed slub cotton. From my time wearing this tee in many colors, it’s consistently comfortable, softer (and more stylish) with age.
Remember the breezier look and feel of slub cotton we mentioned well, just above? That’s what Flint and Tinder uses in this ultra-soft T-shirt.
I personally love the fact that it also comes in an array of easily wearable colors. And the vintage moniker? That’s because this tee is garment-dyed to fit the vibe perfectly.
The coolest men’s style picks can transport you to a distinct time and place, like the shores of a sandy beach or lake. It seems that’s the approach that Faherty takes when designing its perfectly faded, sun-kissed and garment-washed flannel shirts, stretch chinos and men’s shorts, not to mention this expertly designed pocket tee.
Casual essentials get an extra dose of cool when done by Faherty, and this premium tee is worth the slightly higher price tag. The off-white color is also anything but boring.
There are certain brands you can trust implicity to make durable, stylish basics, like Hanes, and that goes for more than just your boxer briefs.
Hanes tees are classics for a reason, with dependable designs in no-fuss, easy-to-style colors. In this case, heavyweight cotton delivers longevity and a clean fit.
Recall what we said about a detail like a chest pocket elevating the standard T-shirt? Well, James Perse T-shirts, with their ultra-soft, luxe fabric, are anything but standard to begin with, and premium lightweight jersey cotton drives home that vibe handsomely. It’s a style splurge with a difference you can feel.
T-shirts were originally prized as both an undershirt and a workwear layer – and Carhartt makes some of the finest workwear on the market.
They’ve used highly durable, heavyweight fabric, the kind that you can layer expertly with a Carhartt canvas work jacket for true down-and-dirty days in the yard or the field.
When I wear durable, rugged layers like a waxed trucker jacket or a sturdy selvedge denim jacket, I reach for a T-shirt that can pull its own weight accordingly. And the Taylor Stitch Heavy Bag Tee fits the bill nicely, featuring a blend of upcycled cotton and recycled polyester. Taped shoulder seams also give this tee a nice drape.
In my experience, there’s hardly a more lightweight, ultra-soft and comfortable pocket tee than this one from Vuori.
It’s truly buttery soft, and an expert companion alongside Vuori joggers or lounge shorts. Of course, you can also mix things up with a pair of expertly cut jeans or chino shorts.
If there’s one thing to know about Todd Snyder, it’s that even the most seemingly casual picks deserve a designer upgrade. And that’s why the Iowa-born designer makes his line of effortlessly cool pocket T-shirts in Los Angeles from ultra-premium fabric. Then, he adds subtle touches like a button-through pocket.
If you’ve tried any of American Giant’s rugged-as-can-be, USA-made style essentials, then you know quality is paramount, and old-school construction reigns supreme.
That’s also the case with this heavyweight pocket tee, which they’ve crafted in Los Angeles from a substantial, durable cotton.
For well over a century, Dickies has delivered some of the most reliable basics and workwear on the market, and you can trust them to deliver even a seemingly simple pocket T-shirt to the highest standards.
The Dickies logo is a cool style signifier nowadays, while the sub-$20 price tag is nearly unbeatable.
Huckberry notes that this T-shirt is “built to go the distance,” and that’s no understatement.
The key to keep in mind here is the use of heavier, more durable cotton (slub cotton has a breezier look and feel). And that heavyweight, USA-made construction lends itself to a hard-wearing T-shirt for repeat wear after repeat wear.
The best pocket T-shirts offer something for everyone, including multiple fits in this must-have Tommy Hilfiger T-shirt.
A vast array of colors rounds out your wardrobe of laidback T-shirts, but it’s the choice between Big & Tall and Standard fits that brings things home quite nicely (classic Tommy Hilfiger logo included).