Officially, Our Favorite Heavyweight White T-Shirt

SHOP $55, buckmason.com

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Let me tell you about my favorite T-shirt ever. It isn’t the T-shirt that we’ve raved about here before—although that one is admittedly great, I have luxurious tastes. I want a tee that feels as good as it performs, that looks like it was tailored just for me. That T-shirt, my friends, is Buck Mason’s Field-Spec 90s Boxy Heavy Tee.

Every man, woman, and probably child knows how important having the perfect T-shirt is. Without a proper foundation upon which to build your wardrobe, what are you left with? Nothing at all, except for an ill-fitting, awkward-looking outfit, thanks to your too-big, too-baggy, or too-small, too-tight shirt.

Once you have the perfect tee in your arsenal, everything else falls into place. Life is just better when even something as simple as a plain white tee looks like it was designed specifically for you. There are certain criteria the perfect shirt needs to have, though, and Buck Mason’s 90s Boxy Heavy Tee has 'em all. Let me break it down for you.

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I’ve been on board with what Buck Mason has to offer since I first tried the brand’s best-selling Field-Spec Cotton Heavy Tee. Why? Simple: It was the best-feeling T-shirt I’d ever owned. Personally, I can’t stand thin tees. If I can see the silhouette of your body under your shirt, your shirt is too damn thin, and probably also prone to holes and tears when you wash it. The fabric might be soft, but there’s not much of it; what’s softness when your shirt is that fragile, anyway?

Buck Mason’s Field-Spec Cotton Heavy Tee is crafted from the brand’s heaviest fabric—310 GSM cotton jersey—and has double the density and weight of the brand’s core tee collection. The newer Field-Spec 90s Boxy Heavy Tee is miraculously crafted with that very same fabric, and has a better fit—I’ll get to that in a second. But what you have to know is that this is the perfect T-shirt fabric, in my books. It’s as soft and stretchy as you want a shirt to be, with a washed, broken-in feel in the cotton jersey that still appears brand-new, unlike other pre-washed shirts, which can come with an already faded, vintage look. It doesn’t pill; it doesn’t shrink; it doesn’t lose its shape.

Don’t think this is too heavy, either. It’s a heavyweight shirt, yes, but one you can still wear even on the hottest summer days. It’s breathable, and it isn’t thick; you can still pack a layer or two atop it during winter with absolute ease. The “heavyweight” factor, in my books, pretty much just refers to its durability; through washes and wears, it still looks brand new. And I have the shirt in White, so that’s really saying something.

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Let’s talk about why this Field-Spec shirt is better than Buck Mason’s other Field-Spec shirts—and, of course, why it’s better than every heavyweight tee in general. Fabric aside, the most important thing about a T-shirt is the fit. You know how on The Bear, Chef Carmy looks way too good in a plain white tee? Yeah, that’s because the tee he wears looks tailored specifically to him. If you don’t want to bring all your T-shirts to a tailor, then you just have to find one with the perfect fit from the get-go. Buck Mason’s has one.

The brand’s classic Field-Spec Cotton Heavy Tee fits like a regular shirt; the hem is slightly long, which is nice for tucking into your pants, and there’s a slim-ish silhouette. Unless you size up, it isn’t baggy, and if you do size up, it’ll run even longer. But the brand’s Field-Spec 90s Heavy Boxy Tee, which I’m here today to talk about, is just-right from the get-go. The “90s” part of its name refers to the fit; it’s on the boxier side, so it has a shorter hem (not a crop, though; this’ll still cover your belly-button, trust me), a slightly longer, more relaxed sleeve, and a wider fit.

It’s important to emphasize that this is boxy, not baggy. You won’t be drowning in swaths of fabric; instead, you’ll look effortlessly trendy in a tee that easily lends itself to contemporary streetwear. The straight hem can still be tucked into your pants, whether you’re going for baggy jeans or elevated, pleated trousers, but it also looks good untucked for more casual vibes. The sides of this aren’t too wide, either; they just aren’t slim enough to hug your figure. Instead, the silhouette is universally flattering; because of the shorter hem, it’s obvious the shirt is designed to be boxy, and you didn’t just misjudge your size when buying a tee online. Again, the 90s aspect just gives this shirt a pre-tailored look; it’s like it was made specifically for you. Not too long, too short, too slim, or too baggy.

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There was a time when I was completely jaded by white T-shirts. I’d find one I loved and wear it with everything, all the time, as you’re meant to do with white T-shirts; after two or three washes, it looked off-white, dirty, dingy, and used, not to mention much less high-quality in feel than it originally was. This is decidedly not the case with Buck Mason’s Field-Spec 90s Boxy Tee. That’s a damn shirt built to withstand the test of time.

The wide ribbed collar is designed to be reinforced and sturdy, so it won’t stretch or lose its shape with wash and wear. (It’s also just a nice design detail.) Buck Mason goes the extra mile with a split-needle cover stitch on the shoulders and armholes; if you’re not familiar, that pretty much enhances the shirt’s flexibility and stretch factor, so you won’t ruin the shape of this shirt when you move your arms around, and you’ll have full freedom of motion when you wear it.

At this point, I’ve had my Field-Spec 90s Boxy Tee for a couple of months. It’s the only white tee I wear anymore. I’ve washed it plenty of times, worn it even more. I’ve sweat in it, worked in it, done everything in it, and guess what? It looks and feels brand freakin’ new, baby.

SHOP $55, buckmason.com

Photographed by Florence Sullivan