THE BEST Shirts

Betabrand says their Hawaiian shirt was “inspired by actual events,” but we don’t remember the last time that a 20-story lizard actually battled a 3-headed gopher monster on the streets Tokyo. But even if the imagery stretches the truth, it’s a cool shirt. Grab one before they’re all gone.

We just want to reach out and touch the rich blanket texture of The Hill-Side’s warm and wooly long-sleever. The stripey fall shirt offers a relaxed fit so you can wear it as a lightweight jacket too. It’s made in NYC using a Japanese wool/cotton/poly blend fabric for softness and comfort.

Paul Long designs rugged and refined treasures from trash. In 2019, his ANIÁN brand recycled 60,000 lb of post-consumer textile waste, then milled it to create the Modern Melton, a timeless, tailored shirt. Traditionally used for sailors’ pea coats, felt-like Melton wool has a luxurious weave so tight it’s wind/water resistant.

The Roosevelts teamed up with NASA to create a series of lighthearted warm weather wear inspired by the space program. We dig the One Small Step and Apollo XII Space Walk short sleeve shirts, and Moon Landing reflective tee, while the patriotic blue and white starred Hubble line is a little tacky for our tastes.

Western Rise’s comfy merino wool shirt is packed with features that make it versatile everyday attire. It’s quick-drying, wrinkle- and odor-resistant, breathable, and has four-way stretch to keep you comfortable despite its slim fit.

Taylor Stitch offers this soft, waffle-textured, deep blue shirt that’s both relaxed and sophisticated. It looks equally good tucked or untucked, sleeves down, or rolled up. Made from 100% BCI cotton, and available in limited quantities.

From afar, Betabrand’s Apocaloha! looks like a typical Hawaiian shirt. But get a closer look and you’ll see that the islands on its design are actually littered with zombies terrorizing tourists and locals alike.

ONFAdd’s Film Wear line consists of an ultra-light long sleeve shirt that weighs only 3.5 oz and an M-51 jacket that weighs only 7 oz. They’re both made of tear-resistant and waterproof ripstop fabric and come with a pocketable bag.

ThinkGeek offers some tasteful merchandise for fans of the Merc with a Mouth. The officially licensed Deadpool Glitch Flannel shirt has a button-up chest pocket, a Deadpool patch on the left hip, and a screenprint of Deadpool’s mask on the buck.

If you’re fed up with boxy, itchy, ill-fitting shirts, you’ll love RibbedTee’s undershirts. These breathable, buttery-soft shirts feature tech that wicks away sweat and eliminates odor. The Awesomer readers get 20% off, free shipping, and great discounts on bulk orders.

The Wikimedia Foundation ventures into streetwear to help fund Wikipedia. The organization teamed up with up and coming street label Advisory Board Crystals to create a long-sleeved shirt. All proceeds will go to Wikipedia.

Made with Grandma for Mafia is a fabric upcycling specialist. Her latest project is a series of limited edition Hawaiian shirts made from children’s bedsheets. The designs feature Star Wars, Transformers, NASA and more. Contact her for purchasing info.

Vollebak’s Black Light is a collection of athletic wear that appears all black in daylight. But you’ll still be seen in them in the dark, because they have black glass spheres that easily reflect light. There’s a t-shirt, long sleeved shirt, sweater and jacket.

The Albion is Mission Workshop’s rugged and modern take on the flannel shirt. Its outer layer is made of a super stretchy, ultra light nylon fabric with a water-repellent coating, while its lining is made of warm and comfortable Polartec fleece.

Patagonia’s new Worn Wear program offers used but well-maintained Patagonia merchandise at greatly discounted prices. Customers can trade in their Patagonia clothes and bags at stores in exchange for credit.

Polo Ralph Lauren is banking on the return of Lo heads. Inspired by RL’s 1992 Olympic Games apparel, the Stadium Collection mixes blocks of red, white and blue with Olympic graphics. That coat is wildfire. Sadly, the gear is limited only to top tier stores such as Bodega.

Designer Junya Watanabe looked to The North Face’s duffle bags for his collaboration with the outdoor specialists. The Duffle Bag Remake jackets and shirts feature PVC duffle bag fabric as well as backpack straps, oversized logo print and other duffle bag details.

Vaktare’s Henley looks like a normal shirt, but it’s packed with protective features for motorcycle riders. It’s made out of schoeller-dynatec textile and kevlar thread, making it highly resistant to abrasion. It’s also resistant to water, dirt and oil.

Mitchell & Ness teamed up with Concepts to create sweet basketball jersey mesh tank tops for NFL fans. Well, for fans of six of the league’s teams. Choose from the Raiders, Cowboys, Patriots, Giants, Saints or Dolphins.

Danish sportswear brand Hummel dug through its archive to create a joyful collection of athleisure gear that screams ’90s. The polyester jackets and pants have swaths of yellow, orange and purple, while the cotton collared jersey has white, pink and yellow stripes.

Off the chain mail. Eyes & Sins’ dope screen-printed undershirts are finally back in stock. You can wear them on their own (they even have a chest pocket), but they’re great as a base layer, thanks to the light and absorbent Tencel fabric.

White Mountaineering’s laid back take on the samue, the traditional work attire of Japanese Zen Buddhist monks. The oversized shirt is made of lightweight denim with a washed finish and has beautiful patterns on its placket. It also has a built-in adjustable waist clasp.

Itten’s dope baseball shirt gives you layering and length in one elegant design. It has an apron with two front pockets that you can leave up front for layering or place on your back to add length at the rear, thanks to a pair of straps.

The Common Folk’s Spring Summer 2017 collection is a tongue-in-cheek mix of traditional Japanese silhouettes and athleisure, decked in the season’s colors and patterns. The headliner is a kimono-length reversible sukajan, but all the pants are fire.

Japanese brand Prospective Flow gave the traditional haori jacket a more casual trim as part of its 2017 Spring/Summer collection. The hemp and cotton shirts have a slim cut with dropped shoulders, cropped sleeves and a rounded hem. Available in indigo and black.