Best T-Shirt Colors - The 7 T-Shirts You Need

Many of my clients end up in a t-shirt at some point in the day, whether it be an actual sartorial choice or something they change into at the end of the workday. Plus, weekends beg for t-shirts. This means the average man who does laundry once a week needs at least seven well-fitting t-shirts in colors that complement their wardrobe. The color portion is the constant struggle. It is easy to find quality t-shirts with a good fit, but the colors that are available for men are very limited. Generally, a brand provides black and white options — both of which I rarely put on a man. Black is too harsh for most skin tones, while a white t-shirt looks like an undergarment.

The next most common color is blue, which flatters every single man, but doesn’t pair well with standard blue jeans — the go-to pant for most men. After blue, the next most popular color is grey, which is a solid choice, albeit a tad tame. It works with almost all short and pant colors (except grey of course). After those four basic t-shirt colors, brands provide a series of pastels that honestly look like shit on just about everyone.

If you’ve done the math, this leaves us with only two easy-to-find, flattering t-shirt colors: blue and grey. “Argh!” you say. “There are still five more days in the week.” I know. It’s okay. Here is how we get to those seven t-shirts…

The 7 T-Shirt Colors You Need

Medium to Light Grey
A Darker Grey
Dark Blue: Pair dark blue shirts with grey or tan jeans and shorts. It also works with light-wash denim.
Medium Blue: Don’t go too light or it can wash you out or look juvenile. James Perse does a great job of providing various blue shades.
Burgundy/Maroon
A Graphic T-Shirt in one of the colors on this list, i.e. washed out black, grey, blue, burgundy, or green.
Rich Green

Note: You can wear a black t-shirt if you have light brown to blonde hair combined with a mild tan or olive skin tone. If you don’t have this combo and you really want a black t-shirt, choose a washed out shade of black that basically approaches a more charcoal tone.

The Best T-Shirt Color

Yes, the right blue is the most flattering t-shirt color, but it is constantly and readily available, and everyone is wearing it. All that saturation is tiresome. Plus, a blue shirt rarely goes with blue jeans — your staple pant. So in my opinion, green and burgundy are the absolute best t-shirt colors. They are just as flattering as blue, but have more versatility and pairing perfection.

Despite green and burgundy being the most flattering and versatile t-shirt colors out there, they are rarely available, which is why so few of you have these color tees in your wardrobe. The upside of this is if you do invest in some green and burgundy t-shirts you will stand out while everyone else is in their blues. Since those colors can be hard to find, I’ve done the work for you. Listed below are the best t-shirts in green and burgundy available right now. Order a few and see what fits your body best.

BOSS Tiburt Slub Linen T-Shirt

BOSS $118

Mott & Bow Classic Crew Driggs Tee

Mott & Bow $35

Travis Mathew The Crew Performance T-Shirt

TravisMathew $59.95

Open Edit Men’s Crewneck T-Shirt

Open Edit $29

Goodlife Overdyed Scallop Crewneck T-Shirt

Goodlife $60

Cuts Trim Fit Split Hem Crewneck T-Shirt

Cuts $54

Vuori Strato Tech Tee

Vuori $54

Soft Cloth Malibu Crewneck T-Shirt

Soft Cloth ~~$58~~ $43.50-46.40

Soft Cloth Malibu V-Neck T-Shirt

Soft Cloth ~~$58~~ $46.40

Barbell Apparel Men’s Havok Stretch Crewneck T-Shirt

Barbell Apparel $58

Sunspel Solid Crewneck T-Shirt

Sunspel $90

Goodlife Tri-Blend Scallop Crew T-Shirt

Goodlife $60

Best T-Shirt Colors From Years Past

I originally wrote this post on the best t-shirt colors for men years ago and update it regularly due to its popularity. I’ve left these photos below for nostalgic purposes. Whenever I update older posts, I love to hold on to a collection of images as a bit of a time capsule so we can watch how our style evolves.