RS Recommends: The Best Summer T-Shirts to Wear in Hot Weather
Great T-shirts are a lot like house plants—if you take good care of them, they become a part of the family. The closet staple can be used as a fashion statement or a means to a comfortable end. But somehow, our favorites manage to do both.
But not all T-shirts are created equal and not all T-shirts are created to wear year-round. While winter months demand thicker, heavier-knit tees, you’ll want to consider new T-shirts for the summer, that let you go about your day without sweating through the fabric.
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What Are the Best T-shirts for Summer?
When shopping for the best T-shirts for hot weather, look for lightweight, breathable materials and silhouettes that are tailored without clinging to your body. In this simmering season, we also need our tees to be conductors of gentle breezes and fighters against sweat.
Thankfully, the following 10 brands have made it their mission to put as much energy into keeping you cool in this oppressive heat as they do ensuring you look cool—even when there’s no A/C.
1. Fresh Clean Tees Eco-Fresh
BEST OVERALL
Fresh Clean Tees
As its name suggests, Fresh Clean Tees is also about creating comfortable, breathable shirts that look good and stay fresh from day to night. Their “Eco-Fresh” option is a great T-shirt for summer, made from eco-friendly materials that are sustainably-sourced and 100% renewable. But don’t let the “eco” label fool you — this is no stiff and scratchy tee. In fact, it’s the completely opposite, with the cotton-modal blend creating a silky soft fabric that’s super lightweight and gentle on the body.
The T-shirt drapes perfectly — not too loose but not too tight — and this four-pack is a huge value at just $60. What we like: a percentage of every sale from these Eco-Fresh tees is donated to the Surfrider Foundation to help protect U.S. coastlines.
2. Goodlife Triblend Scallop Crew
EDITOR’S PICK
Goodlife
Thanks to a thoughtful blend of materials, Goodlife’s tees have a light, flowy nature that feel great on the skin. With the Triblend Scallop Crew, the combination of 50% polyester, 38% cotton and 12% rayon adds up to a breathable garment you’ll need on 95-degree afternoons. Available in fun shades like Barely Pink, Laurel and Riverside Blue, the shirt looks attractive and dark trims on the shoulders are an especially nice touch — and feels wondrous.
3. Hanes Originals Tri-Blend
Hanes
For decades, Hanes has been at the forefront of shirt technology (tagless tees, anyone?). While the Tri-Blend’s Ecosmart makeup (60% recycled polyester, 30% cotton and 10% rayon) may not be pioneering, the under-$15 pricing will surely earn the attention of budget shoppers. The simple look is only enhanced by double-needle stitching armholes, thus completing a lightweight silhouette that will forever be classic.
Buy: Hanes Tri-Blend Tee $7.00
4. Bombas Pima Cotton Crew
MOST COMFORTABLE TEE
Bombas
By now, you know all about Bombas’ premium sock quality (durable cottons, merino wools) and company ethos (buy-one, donate-one), but the brand is also focused on making active consumers feel as comfortable as possible in aggressive temperatures, with a line of comfy tees. With the Pima Cotton Crew, for example, this mission is accomplished with soft seams and a satisfying mid-weight construction available in five colors.
5. Vuori Strato Tech
BEST FOR ACTIVE LIFESTYLES
Vuori
Only seven years old, Vuori has stormed onto the conscience of the athleisure sect through wise advertising and well-made products delivered in individualized wrappers—almost like a Christmas present. Consider the airy Strato Tech tee a do-everything gift that protects you from the sun (UPF 30+ rating) while allowing the body to shine with its modern athletic cut.
6. Buck Mason Venice Wash Tough-Knit Tee
MOST VERSATILE
Buck Mason
Everything with the “Buck Mason” name on it has a weathered refinement to it. The label’s stores are covered in gray brick and hardwood floors. Its collared shirts and slacks have a militaristic edge to them. Even the tees, with their mid-weight cotton and nostalgic stylings, have some gruff. At a first glance, you’ll notice how small-batch dyeing gives their colors a vintage feel. But it’s with the shirt’s softness after a second and third wash that you truly fall in love.
7. Everlane Premium-Weight Relaxed Crew
Everlane
A label that has really kicked things into another gear since the pandemic’s start, Everlane proudly promotes its Earth-friendly initiatives while pleasing buyers with comfy, casual wears. One of our favorites in the line, the Premium-Weight Relaxed Crew, comes in a host of hues. We can’t get enough of the Ice Blue right now. But no matter the shade, each has the wider body, dropped shoulder and longer sleeve you need for the weekend.
8. Todd Snyder Made in L.A. Slub Pocket Tee
Todd Snyder
Renowned for his on-point collabs with sporty imprints like New Balance and Champion, Todd Snyder is a designer who makes timelessly modern clothing that’s approachable for everyone. And keeping with the brand’s theme of cohesiveness, the Made in L.A. Slub Pocket is a shirt constructed from 100% garment-dyed cotton that treats the skin with ease but is also equipped with a ribbed collar and buttoned pocket that gives your look a subtle elegance.
9. Lululemon Fundamental T-Shirt
Lululemon
One of the pioneers of the high-end athleisure explosion, Lululemon knows a thing or three about looking luxe while feeling loose and light. Much like the tech put into its iconic yoga pants, the company’s Fundamental tee works hard so you can look like you’re taking it easy. This shirt does it with stretchable, pillow-soft, odor-fighting fabric in an array of colors (from the industrial Bronze Green to the spring-like Breeze Dye Dusty Rose) for the gym, on a bike ride or in the VIP section of a music festival.
10. Public Rec Elevate Crew
Public Rec
“Versatility” is the name of the design game with Public Rec. You may already know this about the label if you’ve tried its soft, nimble All Day Every Day pants. Keeping with that same line of thinking, the Elevate Crew can go from the outside to the office without breaking much of a sweat. But even if there’s perspiration, the tee’s built-in antimicrobial technology is on the case with odor defense. As for looking the part, raglan shoulder seams and six smart color options take care of that.
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