Note: I first published this post back in 2020. Five years later, I keep busting out this jacket each fall, and it’s still going strong, so I thought I’d give the article an update.

While the links in this post are affiliate links to Huckberry, through which we earn a commission should you purchase something, this endorsement was neither paid for nor solicited. I am a genuine owner and appreciator of the Flint and Tinder Waxed Trucker Jacket.

Fall is here, and that means crisp, cool mornings and evenings. For this season of chilly-but-not-yet-cold weather, you need a casual fall jacket — a segue piece that keeps you feeling warm and looking good before you start needing a heavier overcoat.

My recommendation is the Flint and Tinder Waxed Trucker Jacket. I’ve had mine for over ten years now, and it’s only gotten better with age. I’ve re-waxed it several times, and it’s developed a great patina. It’s still one of my go-to jackets when the temps dip. When it gets really cold, I’ll wear a pullover hoodie underneath it. That combo kept me warm and dry during a near-freezing, drizzly OSU-BYU football game that went into overtime a couple of years back. 

Below I’ll share a bit of history behind the trucker jacket style, as well as why the F&T version is my own go-to jacket for fall.

The History of the Trucker Jacket

A trucker jacket is a style of workwear jacket. You’ve seen a trucker jacket if you’ve seen a classic denim jacket. The first iteration of the trucker jacket was made by Levi’s way back in 1905. The “Type 1” jacket was made of denim (natch) and featured a single pocket on the left breast and sturdy metal buttons. Because trucking wasn’t a thing in 1905, this jacket style wasn’t originally called a “trucker jacket.” It earned that moniker as the years went on, automobiles replaced horse-drawn carriages, and the jacket became a go-to piece of outerwear amongst truck drivers and long haulers. 

Over the ensuing decades, Levi’s modified the original Type 1 style by adding pockets (another pocket on the right breast and two hand pockets on the sides) and changing the breast pocket and stitching styles on the front of the jacket. They also started making trucker jackets with sherpa collars. Cowboys working in colder climes took to this modification, and you still see ranchers sport denim jackets with wool or cotton sherpa collars today. Other denim companies like Wrangler and Lee started creating their own version of the trucker jacket, and workwear companies like Carhartt put their mark on the garment by swapping the denim for more weather-resistant materials like cotton duck. Today you can find the trucker in a variety of colors, styles, and fabrics. 

Why the Flint and Tinder Trucker Jacket Is the Perfect Fall Jacket for Dudes

Flint and Tinder has made their contribution to the storied history of the trucker jacket with their own iteration of this classic piece of outerwear. They took the old school Type 1 style with the single breast pocket, made it with flannel-lined waxed canvas sailcloth, and updated it with a modern fit. Both the canvas material and the jacket itself are made in America.

Here’s what I like about the F&T Trucker:

• Classic, rugged, masculine style. It just looks great.
• Warm and weather-resistant. The canvas fabric is waxed on both sides for warmth and insulation. The material resists water and wind, and keeps me comfortable down into the 50s, maybe upper 40s (depending on what I’m wearing underneath). You can re-wax the jacket to keep the water resistance strong over time.
• The flannel lining is super soft and comfortable, even (and especially!) when wearing short sleeves underneath. 
• Quality construction. After 10 years of heavy use, the jacket is holding up nicely.
• Gets better with age. The more I wear the jacket, the better it looks. It takes on a nice weathered patina over time.

I wear the jacket with jeans + tees, short- and long-sleeved henleys, and sweaters. It’s the perfect casual coat.

The Flint and Tinder Waxed Trucker Jacket is available exclusively on Huckberry, and they’ve got a bunch of different colors to choose from; my favorites are the field tan and the moss. Check ’em out — a decade in, I can honestly say this jacket is the real deal.

This article was originally published on The Art of Manliness.

The rugby shirt is an underrated menswear staple. Like denim or the leather boot, it started as tough, utilitarian gear and evolved into a style icon. Equal parts rugged and refined, rugby shirts straddle the line between athleticism and leisure, work and play, tradition and rebellion.

If you’ve never considered owning a rugby shirt — or thought they were just for Ivy League types or actual rugby players — it’s time to reconsider. They seem to be on the cusp of a comeback. Here’s why you should add a rugby shirt to your wardrobe and how to wear one with style.

A Brief History of the Rugby Shirt

This iconic shirt traces its origins to 19th-century England, when students at elite schools like Rugby, Eton, and Cambridge began codifying the game of rugby football. To endure the sport’s rough-and-tumble nature, players needed shirts that were hard-wearing and practical — a garment that could hold up under plenty of tackling, scrums, and rain-drenched pitches.

These early rugby jerseys were first made from wool, which was then swapped for thick, heavy-gauge cotton for greater durability. The shirts featured rubber buttons (to prevent the abrasions harder buttons could cause during collisions), long sleeves, and a contrasting twill collar that resisted stretching out during play. Over time, horizontal stripes, known as hoops, were added to distinguish teams.

By the mid-20th century, rugby shirts had jumped the fence from pitch to campus, a shift that grew out of school/team pride; initially they were like wearing a sports jersey, but they looked good enough that they grew into a bona fide style staple. Ivy League students adopted them as part of the burgeoning preppy look. In the decades since, they’ve become a wardrobe staple for everyone from punks and skaters to J.Crew models and Silicon Valley CEOs.

Why a Man Should Own a Rugby Shirt

They stand out without showing off. In a world where ordinary sweatshirts and sweaters predominate, rugby shirts, with their distinctive styling and colorful stripes, turn heads; they’re not loud, but they are different.

They balance rugged and refined. The rugby shirt’s athletic heritage gives it a certain ruggedness, but its collar, sturdy structure, and classic details add polish. It’s sporty without being sloppy, masculine without trying too hard. Rugby shirts elevate your casualwear while being as easy to throw on as a sweatshirt.

They’re versatile. You can dress a rugby shirt up or down. Toss it over jeans and sneakers for a fall tailgate or pair it with chinos and chukkas for a date with your gal.

They age well. Rugby shirts are genuinely durable, and with time, their fabric breaks in and develops real character. Like a good Oxford shirt or pair of jeans, it only gets better the more you wear it. Fraying cuffs, faded stripes, and softened collars tell a story.

When to Wear One

Transitional Weather. With their thicker but still breathable cotton fabric, rugby shirts thrive in spring and fall, when it’s too cool for a tee but too warm for a jacket.

Office Casual. Paired with chinos and boots, a rugby shirt anchors a smart-casual look suited to relaxed office settings.

Weekend Errands, Casual Dinners, and Coffee Runs. They’re comfortable enough to throw on and go, but refined enough to not look like you just rolled out of bed.

Outdoor Events. Tailgates, hayrides, early-morning soccer games, apple-picking — anywhere flannel might feel too lumberjack and a hoodie too juvenile.

Travel Days. They’re cozy for the plane, yet presentable for arrival. Plus, that twill collar means you don’t look like a slob when grabbing dinner after a long drive.

What to Look for in a Rugby Shirt

1. Heavyweight Cotton Jersey. Traditional rugby shirts are made from thick, durable cotton knit — something with enough heft to stand up on its own, but soft enough to feel broken in. Avoid synthetic, thin, or clingy fabrics.

2. Twill Collar. The hallmark of a classic rugby shirt. Usually white or off-white, this woven cotton collar contrasts with the knit body and gives the shirt structure. Bonus points if the collar stands up on its own without looking stiff.

3. Rubber Buttons or Hidden Placket. Original rugby shirts used rubber buttons, and that remains an authentic touch. Some modern versions hide the buttons altogether under a placket, which lends a cleaner look. Either option works.

4. Stripe Pattern (or Not). Bold horizontal stripes, or “hoops,” are a classic rugby shirt style detail. But solid versions or subtle patterns can be equally handsome — and sharper and more “formal.”

5. Proper Fit. Traditionally, rugby shirts were roomy for ease of movement. But too oversized and you’ll look like a kid wearing Dad’s clothes. Aim for a modern, athletic cut: fitted in the shoulders, a bit of room in the torso, and sleeves that stop at the wrist.

6. Reinforced Cuffs and Elbows. If you find a version with these details, you’ve got yourself a true workhorse. Not necessary — but nice.

7. Crests and Logos. Traditional rugby jerseys often carried a team crest on the chest. A small emblem can add authenticity, but oversized logos risk making the shirt look more chintzy than classic.

Dressing the Rugby Shirt Up or Down

Wearing a rugby shirt is stupidly simple.

For a casual look, pair it with dark or light denim and a pair of sneakers, and you’re good to go.

If you want to dress things up a bit from there, swap the jeans for chinos, tuck in the rugby shirt, add a leather belt, and swap the sneakers for chukkas, leather boots, or loafers. You’ve now entered smart casual territory.

Go ahead and add a rugby shirt to your wardrobe. They’ve got a rough-and-tumble pedigree, are durable and distinct, and with no more effort than donning jeans and a sweatshirt, will give you a more put-together look. 

This article was originally published on The Art of Manliness.

The Oxford cloth button-down — OCBD, for short — is a classic men’s style staple.

Born on Ivy League campuses, it’s got a preppy pedigree that’s been adapted and refined by musicians and artists, students and professors, craftsmen and architects. The OCBD is the rare piece of clothing that straddles the line between polished and casual, rugged and refined.

The Oxford button-down is stupid easy to wear — throw it on with jeans and nice sneakers, and you’ve got a look that couldn’t be simpler, yet still lands a cut above average casual. But if you want to expand your OBCD style repertoire, here are five tried-and-true ways to wear an OCBD with style.

1. Ivy League Classic

OCBD + Khakis + Loafers

This is the OCBD in its native habitat.

The Ivy League look pairs your Oxford with flat-front chinos, loafers, and, optionally, a navy blazer. Tuck the shirt in. Skip the tie for everyday wear, or add a knit one if you’re headed to an occasion with real napkins.

Keep the color palette light and collegiate: blue or pink OCBD, tan chinos, brown leather. It’s the kind of outfit that makes you look like you read The Great Gatsby and actually understood it. But it doesn’t try too hard.

When to wear it: Date nights, office settings without a dress code, fancy Sunday brunches.

2. Rugged Casual

OCBD + Dark Jeans + Leather Boots

The OCBD is built from thicker, textured cloth, which means it can hold its own in a workwear-inspired outfit.

Toss it on with a pair of well-fitting dark-wash jeans and lace up some leather boots — Red Wings, Wolverines, or similar. Roll the sleeves. Leave the collar unbuttoned. Maybe even let the shirt wrinkle a bit. You’re not on campus anymore.

If the weather’s chilly, add a canvas trucker jacket or a wool overshirt. This look works best when everything has a little weight and texture to it.

When to wear it: Grabbing coffee, casual Fridays, anywhere flannel might be a bit too much but a t-shirt’s not quite enough.

3. Smart Summer

OCBD + Shorts + Boat Shoes

The OCBD isn’t just a cool-weather staple. It earns its keep year-round — especially when you treat it like a lightweight summer layer.

Start with chino or linen shorts — nothing too baggy, nothing too tight. Roll up the OCBD’s sleeves or cuff them just below the elbow. Tuck or untuck depending on hem length and occasion. Finish with boat shoes or canvas sneakers.

Stick to lighter colors — white, pale blue, soft pink — and let the fabric breathe. You’re going for a look that says “off-duty architect” not “overdressed dad at the cookout.”

When to wear it: Lake days, summer dates, backyard barbecues.

4. Layered and Literate

OCBD + Crewneck Sweater + Wool Trousers

When the temperature drops, the OCBD slots neatly under thicker layers. Think of it as the intellectual core of your fall and winter fits.

Choose a mid-weight crewneck sweater in wool, cotton, or a blend — heather gray, forest green, navy. Let the collar of your OCBD show above the collar of the sweater. Add some tailored wool trousers or cords and a pair of suede chukkas or brogues.

The effect is clean but comfortable. You look like you know how to change a tire and recite some Frost from memory.

When to wear it: Casual business meetings, reading at the coffee shop, dinners where people light candles and use coasters.

5. Modern Minimal

OCBD + Neutral Chinos or Jeans + Clean Sneakers

Minimalism is about stripping things down to what’s essential and doing those few things really well. You can do that with an OCBD by putting together a look that’s crisp, quiet, and composed.

Start with a classic OCBD — white or light blue — and pair it with slim chinos or jeans in a neutral tone like navy, gray, or olive. Leave the shirt untucked for a more relaxed vibe, or tuck it in for sharper lines. Roll the sleeves. Skip the belt. Keep the palette tonal — no patterns, no pops of color.

Finish the look with a pair of clean, minimalist sneakers. White leather works best, but canvas or off-white suede can also get the job done. The effect is effortless, but intentional. Understated, but sharp.

When to wear it: Casual office days, dinner out at a spot that’s nice but doesn’t require a reservation, weekend get-togethers where you want to look sharp without trying too hard.

Final Notes on Fit & Fabric

You can’t wear an OCBD with style if it doesn’t fit. It should be trim but not tight. The collar should roll softly when buttoned. The sleeves should hit at your wrist bone, not hang over your hands like a wizard’s robe. And if it looks like it came from a shrink-wrapped plastic package at a department store, you’re doing it wrong.

Good OCBDs get better with age. They soften, they fade, they mold to you. They earn their patina like a leather briefcase or a cast iron skillet. So wear yours often. Wash it. Wear it again. Let it become your signature.

A man can get a lot of mileage out of a single shirt — especially when he knows how to wear it.

This article was originally published on The Art of Manliness.

I’ve noticed something you’ve probably noticed too.

Grown men dressing like boys.

In a typical American restaurant, you’ll find 30- and 40-something men dressed like their pre-teen or teenage sons: Air Jordans, a graphic tee, and an oversized flat-brimmed ballcap.

The puerility of men’s clothing is on full display at an American airport. You’ll see men my age shuffle toward TSA in elastic-waist joggers, video game t-shirts, and Crocs. Their kids are wearing nearly identical outfits.

I make the Clint Eastwood Gran Torino grimace at the sight.

Before you peg me as a middle-aged curmudgeon, my 14-year-old son notices the sad state of American grown-man style too: “Hey, Dad,” he’ll say, “that guy over there dresses like I did in 6th grade. He does not mean business.”

Are we just uptight squares who can’t let people enjoy themselves?

Maybe.

But I also think there’s a visceral recognition in both of us that your exterior appearance often reflects the state of your interior character. When a man dresses like a boy on the outside, there’s a chance there’s some stunted development on the inside.

Until very recently, cultures across the world — from sophisticated civilizations to remote tribes — connected a man’s dress to his development into maturity, sometimes even making a wardrobe change a rite of passage into manhood.

In ancient Rome, for example, where the toga was the common form of dress, there was a difference between a boy’s toga and a man’s toga.

At around 16, Roman boys swapped their purple-trimmed toga praetexta for the plain white toga virilis in a public rite of passage that marked their entry into manhood. The father led the boy to the Forum to register as a citizen and make sacrifices. Back at home, the boy dedicated his toys and protective amulet to the household gods. He was now a man.

Past cultures understood something we’ve forgotten: that how a man dresses shapes how he sees himself, how he acts, and how others treat him, and these dynamics in turn influence the culture at large.

So let’s take a look at the history of the distinction between boyswear and menswear, why it vanished, and why it’s worth reviving.

What Happened to the Tradition of Men Dressing Differently From Boys?

Across the last two centuries of Western male dress, boys’ clothing tended to be looser, brighter, and more utilitarian — made for getting dirty and handling rough-and-tumble play. Men’s attire, by contrast, was more tailored, sober, and symbolic of dignity and responsibility.

From the 1800s through the 1940s in the West, boys typically wore short pants with knee socks, paired with buttoned jackets or tunics in the late 19th century, and with blazers or pullover sweaters in the early 20th. White-collar men, on the other hand, wore full, formal suits. Short pants signaled boyhood; full-length trousers signaled manhood. When boys got their first long trousers — or received a watch or tie as a gift — these were signals that the young lad was joining the ranks of the men.

Headwear also marked the age divide during these eras: in the 19th century, boys wore flat caps, while adult men wore top hats or bowlers; by the early 20th century, men had shifted to fedoras, trilbies, or homburgs.

By the 1950s, boys began wearing jeans, t-shirts, baseball jackets, and Chuck Taylors for play, while still dressing in nicer trousers and button-down shirts for school. Adult men might throw on a GI-issue undershirt for chores around the house, but they didn’t wear t-shirts in public. During their leisure time, they opted for sport shirts, chinos, and cardigans, which were casual but still distinctly grown-up in cut, fabric, and styling.

The distinction between boyswear and menswear began to erode in the 1960s. The counterculture rejected the older generation’s values, including their fashion mores. Youth culture became the ideal. “Don’t trust anyone over thirty,” they said. And the subtext wasn’t subtle: “Don’t act like anyone over thirty. And definitely don’t dress like them. What are you? Your old man, man?”

Sociologists see this moment as the start of a broader shift in American culture. The idea that age brings dignity felt outdated. It became less desirable to seem respectable than cool, and grown men began to dress more like those who represented the locus of cool — the young.

Accelerating this shift was the growing casualness of culture overall. Dress codes loosened in workplaces and schools, and the expectation that you would, say, wear a button-down shirt and tie to a baseball game fell to the wayside. And it’s a lot easier to build generation-signaling style distinctions into more structured clothing than it is leisurewear; a t-shirt is a t-shirt.

Nonetheless, up through the 90s, boys and men still looked at least a little different — even when they wore similar things. There were Dad jeans and boy jeans. Dad sneakers and boy sneakers. Dad was more likely to be in a polo, his son in a tee.

But even those subtle distinctions faded in the 2000s. A lot of why men had continued to look different from boys is that they had to dress up and wear a different kind of clothing to work. But now offices further loosened their dress codes, and hoodie-clad Silicon Valley entrepreneurs became the new models to emulate. Then, when remote work exploded during the pandemic, men had even fewer reasons to even own anything but the most casual clothes — the kind least distinguishable from what young people already wore.

Add in the rise of athleisure — clothing least suited to signaling any age-based distinctions — and the result is this: boys and men alike now spend most of their time in joggers, sneakers, and t-shirts and look very much the same.

The Cultural Cost of the Flattened Age of Dressing

While changing style mores might be chalked up as a neutral, inevitable cultural evolution, there is a cost both to individuals and society as a whole when the sartorial line between boys and men is erased:

Men take themselves less seriously. Even when a culture’s formal rites of passage didn’t involve a wardrobe change, simply beginning to wear grownup clothes helped young men psychologically transition into manhood. Wearing clothes associated with being a mature man helped shift their mindset into the role they were stepping into.

A large body of research has shown that clothing impacts not just performance but also self-esteem, confidence, and mood. People wearing formal or “professional” attire report feeling more competent and authoritative. Those in casual or athletic wear tend to describe themselves as less assertive.

If people worry that men don’t seem very mature anymore — that men don’t act like men — at least part of the reason may be that they no longer dress like men. When men spend most of their time in sweatpants and t-shirts, in clothes that are indistinguishable from what their children wear, they may take themselves a little less seriously, have less of a sense that they really have arrived firmly in adulthood and need to find the solid traction attendant to that stage, and have less confidence in what they’re capable of.

When men are wearing the same clothes at 35 that they wore at 15, it may add to a feeling of being in developmental limbo and of all the life stages running together.

People take men less seriously. Research also shows that how you dress influences how other people perceive you. For example, job interview studies show that applicants in adult-coded attire — dress shirt, well-fitted trousers — score higher on perceived competence than equally qualified peers in casual gear. Teaching assistants earn more authority points with students when wearing a tie. When you look like the grown man in the room, people treat you like a grown man.

It’s hard to take a 40-year-old guy in Nike hi-tops and a flat-billed ball cap very seriously, and when men dress like boys, they may diminish their influence.

As a WFH dad who dresses most days in jogger pants and a t-shirt, I do wonder sometimes if my getup diminishes my sense of authority with my kids and the level of respect they have for me. Certainly, for better and worse, they bring a much greater level of casual familiarity to our interactions than I ever did with my parents, and how I dress is likely one reason for that.

Culture loses its grown-ups. If the erasure of the line between boyswear and menswear makes men feel less secure in their status as adults and diminishes their influence, that not only affects them as individuals but impacts the culture as well. Sociologists note that rites of passage serve both the initiate and the tribe; the individual receives clarity about identity: I was X; now I am Y. The tribe gains reliability — We know what to expect from Y. When rites disappear, both parties drift.

In a society where men never stop dressing like they did in high school, they may lack the confidence to step into leadership roles. And when men don’t look like leaders, it further erodes public trust in the institutions they’re supposed to represent.

Young people also miss out on the comfort and ballast that comes with entering the orbit of a man who seems grounded and mature — someone who signals, even without saying much, that adulthood is a real, distinct territory, and it’s worth arriving there. Youth crave contact with adults who carry gravitas — who are accessible but exude stability, wisdom, and welcome authority. But it’s harder for young adults to lend trust to would-be mentors when they’re dressed identically to their peers.

Why Men Should Dress (at Least a Little) Differently Than Boys

Despite the sweeping arguments above, I’m not advocating for men to return to wearing three-piece suits on the daily. I don’t even live out the “men don’t dress like boys” maxim very strictly myself. As mentioned, most days, you’ll find me wearing jogger pants and a t-shirt while working from home or running errands.

But, I do always try to dress a little nicer — and a little more maturely — any time I’m doing something that rises above grabbing groceries. And I do think it would benefit individual men, and the culture as a whole, if men dressed differently than boys — even just a little.

I’m envisioning a world where Dad’s clothes are just a bit more tailored and structured than Junior’s. Where, even in casual settings, a man is more likely to wear jeans than sweatpants, more apt to reach for polos, camp shirts, and Oxford button-downs than t-shirts. And when he does wear a t-shirt, it’s a solid-color, classic-looking one. In nicer settings, where he can get away with putting his toddler in a polo, he still wears a suit himself. He doesn’t wear Air Jordans or flip-flops past age twenty-five. He finds subtle ways to signal that manhood is a different stage of life than boyhood — and that he’s entered into it.

For help dressing like a grown man — without having to don a top hat — check out our decade-by-decade style guides in the AoM archives:

• A Man’s Guide to Dressing Sharp and Casual in His 20s
• A Man’s Guide to Dressing Sharp and Casual in His 30s
• A Man’s Guide to Dressing Sharp and Casual in His 40s
• A Man’s Guide to Dressing Sharp and Casual in His 50s

For even more age-appropriate, casual style inspo that doesn’t involve elastic pants and Crocs, also take a gander at our smart casual dressing guides:

• A Man’s Guide to Smart Casual
• Summer Smart Casual: 3 Getup Ideas for the Office, Date Night, and Weddings

Clothing has always been part of the way young men have made the transition into manhood. When you act like a man, you feel like one. When you dress like a man, people treat you as such. And when enough men do both, the culture benefits from having a few more adults in the room.

This article was originally published on The Art of Manliness.

There’s an undeniable power in simplicity. Few garments embody this principle quite like the classic white t-shirt. Whether it conjures images of James Dean leaning casually against a wall or Marlon Brando radiating effortless cool in A Streetcar Named Desire, the white t-shirt remains a timeless sartorial staple for men.

Yet, because it is such a straightforward garment, wearing it with style requires paying attention to a few key details. Here’s how to make this understated icon a versatile part of your wardrobe.

How to Wear a White T-Shirt With Style

Distinguish It From an Undershirt

The original white T-shirt was designed as an undershirt and introduced as standard military issue for U.S. Navy sailors around the early 20th century. Today, you don’t want your white tee to be mistaken for its antecedent. You want it to read as an intentional, independent piece rather than an unkempt afterthought. 

To distinguish your white tee from an ordinary undershirt, make sure the fabric is thick and opaque (more on this below) and opt for a crewneck over a v-neck or scoop neck. Both of those styles read as more undershirt-like, and the latter has more of a trendy feel. Stick with a crewneck for a more timeless, classic look.

Fit Is Everything

The first rule for pulling off a white t-shirt is getting the fit right. Unlike patterned or colored shirts that can distract the eye, the white tee leaves little room for error. Here’s what to aim for:

• Shoulders: The seams should align with the edge of your shoulders, not hanging over or riding up.
• Sleeves: The shirt’s sleeves should hug your arms lightly without squeezing, ideally hitting about halfway down your biceps.
• Length: The tee should end around your belt line, allowing for some fabric to comfortably tuck in or remain neatly untucked without looking sloppy.
• Chest and Torso: The fit should skim your chest and midsection without clinging or sagging. A tailored, athletic fit typically works best.

Because you’re going to be washing your white tee on a hot/warm cycle (see below), get one that’s just a bit big to allow for shrinkage. 

Fabric Matters

Not all white tees are created equal, and the fabric impacts the drape, longevity, and comfort of your shirt. Select a shirt based on these factors:

• Material: Aim for high-quality, 100% cotton or a cotton blend with a medium weight. Avoid thin, translucent fabric; it should be opaque enough to maintain your modesty and present a clean, crisp look.
• Thickness: Reserve thinner, cheaper tees strictly for undershirts. Your outerwear white tee should stand firmly on its own.
• Texture: Opt for smooth, finely-knit fabrics rather than ribbed textures. Go for a classic crewneck; slub tees always look a little sloppy, and that’s especially true for a white one.

Even when you choose a quality white tee, don’t wear an undershirt underneath. It typically shows through, creating distracting lines. 

Keep It Clean

A white t-shirt is a bright, blank canvas on which any soil or stain will stand out. It’s only stylish if it remains crisp and clean. Here’s how to keep it pristine:

• Wash Separately: Keep white tees separate from colored garments to prevent color bleeding.
• Spot treat stains. If you get something on your shirt, hit it with a stain-treater like Shout right away. Then wash it in the water temp that’s best for getting out the particular stain: warm/hot for oil-based and sweat stains; cold for blood and protein-based stains.
• Address pit stains: White t-shirts will readily accumulate yellow pit stains. To treat them, apply a paste made from equal parts hydrogen peroxide and baking soda directly to the stained areas and let it sit for at least 30 minutes, or soak the shirt in water mixed with OxiClean according to package instructions. Then wash it in warm or hot water with regular detergent.

Accessorize Without Overdoing It

The white tee is a canvas for subtle details:

• Watches and Bracelets: A simple watch or leather bracelet adds subtle personality without overwhelming the look.
• Necklaces: Keep necklaces minimal and refined. A thin chain or small pendant works best.
• Hats: A simple baseball cap looks great paired with a white tee. 

Building Outfits Around the White Tee

One of the greatest assets of the white t-shirt is its versatility. Here are several ways to style it:

The Classic Rebel

Channel the iconic James Dean look:

• Pair your fitted white tee with dark jeans. Indigo, black, and gray all work well.
• Add a rugged leather belt and boots.
• In cooler weather, finish with a timeless jacket, like a leather motorcycle jacket or denim trucker.

Casual Weekend

Relaxed but refined:

• Pair the white tee with chinos or well-fitting shorts.
• Choose understated white sneakers or classic canvas slip-ons.
• Add a woven belt or minimalist watch for subtle detail.

Smart Casual

Dress up without losing comfort:

• Layer your white tee beneath an unstructured blazer.
• Opt for dark denim or tailored trousers.
• Complete with leather loafers or clean white sneakers.

Layered and Functional

For cooler seasons or casual layering:

• Wear under a lightweight cardigan, a flannel shirt, or a denim button-down.
• Ensure the layers complement each other without overly competing.
• Pair with jeans, chinos, or even casual wool trousers for colder weather.

Worn with confidence and attention to the small details of fit, fabric, and style, the white tee needn’t be a boring default. It can serve as both a simple staple and a handsome statement. 

This article was originally published on The Art of Manliness.

The polo is a style staple and one of the most versatile shirts a man can own. Donning one is an easy way to level up your look when the occasion calls for something a notch above a t-shirt.

But that ease can lead to complacency, and the polo often ends up in some very unstylish territory.

A guy needs a collared shirt for an event, grabs one off the rack at Kohl’s, throws it on thoughtlessly — and ends up looking like a middle manager at Acme Co.

Maybe that’s okay if you’re about to give a PowerPoint presentation on Q3 sales, but a lot of guys would like to look sharper in a polo for social occasions, and even at work.

If you want yours to read as more stylish and handsome than boring and corporate, follow these five guidelines:

1. Dial in the Fit

Middle Manager Move: Oversized polos with sleeves hanging past the elbow and bodies billowing like sails.

Manly Upgrade: As with any garment, fit is king — and that’s especially true with the polo, where a loose, shapeless cut only adds to the shirt’s reputation as an afterthought. Instead of swimming in a sloppy shirt that hides your build, opt for a polo that flatters your frame with:

• A slim-but-not-tight silhouette.
• Sleeves that hit mid-bicep and hug the arm a little.
• Length that lands mid-fly — long enough to tuck, short enough to leave out.

2. Choose Classic Fabrics

Middle Manager Move: Shiny, synthetic polos with moisture-wicking sheen.

Manly Upgrade: Tech fabric exudes an air of the office and suburban-dad-dom. So save the shiny polos for the golf course, and choose polos made with traditional pique cotton or jersey knit. Jersey and pique cotton offer structure without stiffness and a texture that looks classic and inviting.

3. Dress It With Intention

Middle Manager Move: Wearing a polo as part of a generic business-casual getup — tucked into pleated khakis, paired with a braided belt and boxy dress shoes.

Manly Upgrade: You want to treat the polo like a grown-up essential, not a placeholder. Give some thought to how you wear it and what you wear it with by:

• Pairing it with tailored chinos, trousers, or well-fitting jeans.
• Adding refined-yet-relaxed footwear: loafers, chukka boots, clean sneakers.
• Accessorizing with a cool bracelet or watch (or both, like Clark Gable above)
• Tucking it in (if you want) but anchored with a leather or canvas belt.

4. Branch Out With Colors

Middle Manager Move: Wearing only safe colors — navy, black, or corporate baby blue.

Manly Upgrade: There’s nothing wrong with a polo in a basic color like blue, but when you’re trying to look more stylish and sharp than stiff and stale, branch into earth tones (olive, rust, cream), deep classics (burgundy, forest green), or even a light mint or pink for spring and summer.

5. Level Up With Layers

Middle Manager Move: Nothing but the polo up top.

Manly Upgrade: One-dimensional outfits are fine, and a necessity for the hottest months of the year. But when the weather allows, adding a layer adds visual interest to your getup. Polos can look great with a lightweight jacket, cardigan, or even a sport coat over them.

Don’t Let the Polo Phone It In

The polo shirt’s got plenty more potential than being the go-to uniform of the apathetic office worker or the off-duty regional manager. With better styling, it can look intentional and sharp — put-together but still laid-back. Wear it with some purpose, and it rises above the cubicle to become a sartorial statement.

This article was originally published on The Art of Manliness.

An important part of manhood has always been about having the competence to be effective in the world — having the breadth of skills, the savoir-faire, to handle any situation you find yourself in. With that in mind, each Sunday we’ll be republishing one of the illustrated guides from our archives, so you can hone your manly know-how week by week.

A suit is one of the most expensive clothing items, or just items, period, you’ll ever buy. As such, it should be thought of as an investment — something to proactively extend the life and value of. Though the lifespan of a suit varies according to how well it’s made and how often it’s worn, with proper care, a quality suit can generally last for years, and even decades. Treat your suit well, and you’re more likely to tire of it, or have its style go out of fashion (even the look of the most “classic” suits varies over time), than you are to have it wear out. 

That kind of care doesn’t have to be onerous or time-consuming: with a couple clicks to buy some nicer hangers and 60 seconds of brushing and proper hanging when you take it off, you can keep your suit looking sharp, make it last as long as possible, and save yourself a good amount of money in the long run. 

Related Resources:

• The 30-Second Suit Quality Test
• How to Hang Dress Pants So They Don’t Fall Off the Hanger
• How to Protect, Store, and Clean Your Clothing
• A Man’s Guide to Dry Cleaning

Illustrated by Ted Slampyak

This article was originally published on The Art of Manliness.

YOU DO NOT IRON A CREASE IN YOUR JEANS!

That’s been the golden rule of denim for years. Why? Simple. Jeans are casual. Workwear. Creases spell formality. Mixing the two? It’s like wearing a tuxedo to mow the lawn.

But my old man, Tom McKay, ironed his jeans religiously. Well, he wore ironed jeans. My mom did the actual ironing.

As a federal game warden, Dad’s work uniform was a pair of crisply ironed bootcut Wranglers, a pique polo, and cowboy boots. As a kid, I remember watching Mom iron a sharp crease into my dad’s jeans while she watched Touched by an Angel and thinking to myself, “What gives? Jeans aren’t business slacks!”

Fast-forward to me in my 40s, and I’m flipping through old photos at my folks’ house. There’s Dad in his razor-sharp creased Wranglers, and damn if he doesn’t look like he means business.

Tom McKay, meaning business in his ironed Wranglers, circa 1989.

But I also started noticing ironed Wranglers in other places besides my old family photo albums.

The troubadour George Strait rocks creased Wranglers like they’re dress pants (even wearing them with a tuxedo top). Cowboys in rural Oklahoma sport pressed denim like it’s their Sunday best.

Turns out, there’s a whole subset of cowboys who swear by starched, ironed jeans. Their reasons?

1. Protection: They claim the starch acts like armor. (Debatable — science says it might weaken the fabric.)
2. Looks sharp: A crease in your Wranglers says, “I’m ready to bale some hay, but I could also take my gal to Cattleman’s Steakhouse right afterward.”

Besides seeing them on 90s country music legends and cowpokes in Blanco, OK, I’ve also been seeing ironed Wranglers amongst the hip, young crowd. Bootcut Wranglers, ironed to perfection, are becoming a thing amongst fashion-forward cool dudes. Even the Wrancher — a polyester cowboy dress pant (another style staple of Tom McKay) — is gaining traction.

And so, curiosity got the better of me. I took the plunge and ironed my Cowboy Cut Wranglers. Reader, it’s a solid look. At least, I think so.

Here are a few looks I put together with my ironed jeans:

Calling this first fit “The Tom McKay”— ironed bootcut Wranglers with a pique polo shirt and a thick leather belt. Pops was a Land’s End polo shirt man, but he had a few Lacoste polo shirts too. He mixed Southwestern desert vibes with 80’s tennis preppy. The man had style!

Sporting my Grandpa Bill Hurst’s Western sport coat and bolo tie. Great for Sunday church services or when you’re solving a murder in a Cormac McCarthy novel. 

Repping my New Mexican heritage with the yellow Zia red sun t-shirt. Tucked-in, natch. Cowboy belt from Zilker.

It’s funny how life works. Here I am, channeling my dad’s 40-year-old style. Cat’s in the cradle, indeed.

A Few Thoughts On Ironing Jeans:

1. Stick to bootcut Wranglers. Ironing your jeans is a Western thing. Your straight-fit selvedge denim? Don’t iron them. Also, since you’re ironing your bootcut Wranglers, wear cowboy boots with them.
2. Iron them just like you would dress pants. See our extensive guide on how to iron pants. My mom recommended that you use a lot of steam to get that sharp crease in the jeans. I starched mine and liked the results. It might not be good for the fabric, but boy howdy does it provide a nice, crisp crease.
3. Dress high, medium, and low. Dress up your ironed jeans with a fancy Western shirt and sport coat, go Tom-McKay-business-casual with the pique polo, or take things down a notch with a tucked-in tee and a cool belt.

Want to shake up your style? Give ironed Wranglers a shot. They mean business.

This article was originally published on The Art of Manliness.

Thanks to its versatility, the t-shirt has been a style staple since the middle of the 20th century. You can exercise and do chores in a t-shirt, and you can also wear it as part of a smart casual get-up for a first date.

I love t-shirts. It’s what I wear most days working from home.

For most of my life, I never tucked in my tees.

Like many people my age, I thought tucking in your t-shirt was something that only your dad or the dorky kid at your school who had no fashion sense did.

Well, I don’t know if there’s something that happens in brain development when you hit 40, and turn into your father, but I’ve been tucking in my t-shirt a lot more these days.

And I’ll be damned; I think it can look pretty sharp in certain situations. Even if you’re not middle-aged or someone’s Pops.

Below, I offer some guidelines that I follow when tucking in my t-shirt so that the vibes it gives off are more 1950s Marlon Brando than 1990s Bugle Boy.

The Evolution of the Tucked-in T-Shirt

While we wear t-shirts as a regular piece of clothing these days, they were originally underwear. Because they were underwear, men would tuck their t-shirts into their briefs or boxers to create a seamless undergarment beneath their outer clothes.

During WWII, GIs would often remove their buttoned uniform top and just wear their undershirt with their uniform trousers. They kept their tee tucked in to maintain a clean, disciplined look even though they weren’t in full uniform.

After WWII, veterans continued to wear their undershirts with trousers while working around the house. They kept their t-shirts tucked in because, well, that’s how they’d done it during the Big One.

That’s how most men in the United States wore their tees from the 1950s onward: tucked in.

As time marched on and style became more casual in the U.S., more and more men stopped tucking in their t-shirts. Wearing their t-shirts untucked was a way to separate themselves from the more uptight generation of their parents. Contributing to the trend was the fact that fewer men served in the military after the Vietnam War, and thus didn’t get into the tucked-in tee habit while in the service.

There was a short resurgence of tucked-in t-shirts in the 1990s, but then it faded along with Beanie Babies.

You’re starting to see more people — particularly young people, of both sexes — tuck in their t-shirts again. A lot of it is driven by Gen Z and Gen Alpha’s nostalgia for the 1990s. My ten-year-old daughter tucks in her t-shirts (emblazoned with the Vans logo — didn’t see that resurgence coming either). She loves that “90s vibe.“ 

The Benefits of Tucking in Your T-Shirt

Since I started tucking in my tee more often, I’ve discovered three benefits to the practice:

A tucked-in tee accentuates your v-shape. Having the masculine v-shape — broad shoulders that taper to a narrow waist — is attractive. When you tuck in your t-shirt, you accentuate your v-shape; it gives definition to your waist and makes your shoulders look broader. 

A tucked-in t-shirt looks put-together. A tucked-in t-shirt provides a clean line between your torso and your legs. It looks a little sharper than an untucked tee, which bunches and wrinkles as it drapes over your waistband. When you tuck in your t-shirt, it looks like you mean business.

A tucked-in t-shirt is practical. Your untucked t-shirt can get snagged on things in your environment. When your t-shirt is untucked, you no longer have to worry about that. This is why I’ve even been tucking my t-shirts into my gym shorts when I work out. 

Guidelines for Tucking in Your T-Shirt

Get a properly fitting T-shirt. A t-shirt that is too big won’t look good tucked in. It will give you that early 1990s Bugle Boy dork look. You also don’t want to go too tight either. We’ve got the guidelines for proper fit here.

Note that a tucked-in t-shirt looks best on those with a fit physique. If you’ve got a paunch, a tucked-in tee will only accentuate it, and you’ll probably want to keep your shirt untucked. 

Keep it simple. Opt for t-shirts without prominent patterns, text, or busy designs. Go for simple stripes or a solid color. It will just look sharper. That doesn’t mean you can’t ever tuck in a graphic tee. I’ve got a few graphic tees that I tuck in occasionally, but the designs are simple.

Stick with long pants for your bottom garment. I’ve tried tucking in my t-shirt with a pair of khaki shorts and it didn’t look good. Too 1990s dad-ish. Stick with tucking your tees into long pants — jeans and chinos. The one exception for shorts that I make is when I’m working out. Tucking my tee into my shorty gym shorts makes me feel like a Golden Era bodybuilder. 

Layer with a jacket. Layering your tucked-in t-shirt is something that I like to do. It adds some depth and interest to your look. I like to wear a cotton field jacket when I tuck in my t-shirt. A jean jacket, chore coat, or unstructured blazer would work as well. 

Get a cool belt. Wearing a cool belt gives you an excuse to tuck in your t-shirt: you’re tucking in your tee so people can see your rad belt. My go-to belt when I tuck in my t-shirt is the Cowboy belt from Zilker (that’s what I’m sporting in the left pic above). I also like to rock a thicker, more traditional leather belt, which has a cool Thunderbird belt buckle that I found on eBay (right photo). Besides adding some visual interest to your tucked-in t-shirt fit, a belt also accentuates your waist a bit more, enhancing your v-shaped silhouette.  

Like I said above, I don’t tuck in my t-shirt all the time. But it’s nice to have it as a styling option to mix into my get-ups. Give it a try yourself, and see if it just might be one of those things that Dad got right.

This article was originally published on The Art of Manliness.

White jeans are a nice way to mix up the sartorial staple that is denim. 

Not everyone is a fan of white jeans on dudes, though. They don’t like how high maintenance they seem — that you have to keep them clean, since spills and stains will show up prominently on the white fabric. Or they think the look is too bold, too Euro, or too 80s. 

It’s true that white jeans are harder to keep spotless, but you don’t avoid wearing a white dress shirt just because it’s prone to stains, do you? Just be a little more vigilant. The intentionality and non-practicality of white jeans are part of what makes them look a little dressier and more stylish and refined than blue jeans, which makes them a great choice when you’re putting together a “smart casual” outfit.

It’s true too that they’re different, but they needn’t be different in a way that conforms to off-putting fashion stereotypes.

If you’re an average guy who’s thinking about trying white jeans for the first time, you’ve already summoned up the confidence to wear pants that will draw some extra attention, and probably don’t want additional attention due to the fact that you’re not wearing them well. 

If you want to wear white jeans in a way that will stand out, but only in a good way, just follow these guidelines:

1) Don’t wear them if you’re on the heavier side. Black is slimming. White is widening. White jeans on a big dude will just enlarge his legs and make him look bigger. Only wear white jeans if you’re on the trimmer side.

2) Choose white jeans with some heft and structure. There are other white pants out there — white chinos and trousers. But these are even harder to pull off than white jeans and can feel too country club and foo-fooey or too much like the garb of the neighborhood ice cream man or an asylum employee. It’s the texture and structure of white jeans that tip white pants into pull-off-able territory. So lean into that when choosing a pair, opting for ones that have some heft and structure (and won’t show your underwear).

3) Only wear them in the spring and summer. Some fashion-forward style gurus will tell you you can wear white jeans year-round. And it’s true that the “no white after Labor Day” rule has loosened in modern times. But white still reads very much as a warmer weather color. If white jeans attract attention in any season, they’re going to garner some head-scratching stares in the dregs of February. So only bust them out in spring and summer. It’s actually nice to have some seasonal clothes you take out and put away as the year progresses; it’s a hedge against the horror of the same old thing.

4) Wear them with a blue top. White jeans are a blank canvas; you can pair them with a top in pretty much any color, except white; a white tee or dress shirt + white jeans creates a look that’s too homogenous, unless you’re also wearing a colored jacket on top (but then you won’t be able to remove the jacket without turning the outfit into a full-on white-out).

While you can pair your white jeans with a variety of colors, for the most foolproof, eye-pleasing combo, wear them with a blue top. You’re simply inverting your standard blue-jeans-on-bottom, white-shirt-on-top look.

This pairing can take the form of white jeans + a casual shirt like a blue henley or a blue and white striped tee. A navy polo + white jeans is a particularly good look.

Another can’t-miss combination is white jeans + a blue button-down. Choose a light blue Oxford (you have added an OCBD to your wardrobe, haven’t you?) or a denim or chambray shirt. 

To up the formality level, add an unstructured blue sports jacket over your lighter blue button-down. A brown jacket works as well.

Once you’ve gotten more comfortable wearing white jeans, you can branch out to different color tops. Neutral colors (black, brown, gray), earth tones (tan, moss, olive), and pastels (mint green, pink) work well. Black or another solid, bold color does create a starker look, but this kind of color blocking can also draw the viewer’s eye upward, making you appear taller. 

As far as footwear for any of these get-ups goes, it’s fine to wear white sneakers, though this monochrome look can create the visual effect of your pants melting into your shoes; if you go white/white, it’s best if your shoes are a different tone than your pants. Navy canvas sneakers, like Converse, look good when you’re wearing your white jeans with a blue top. When you’re wearing a button-down shirt, nicer sneakers still work for a more casual look, but when you’re trying to smarten the outfit up, opt for chukka boots or loafers. 

If, even with the above confidence-increasing guidelines in your back pocket, you’re still not ready to wear bright white jeans, but want to dip your toes into the world of light-colored denim, try a pair in cream or off-white instead. 

This article was originally published on The Art of Manliness.