Best T-shirts for men: read the fabric line first

Past $200 CAD you can pay $200 CAD for pre owned Balenciaga or up to $450 CAD for Chrome Hearts, but you pay for the label, not the cotton.

Read the fabric line before the graphic. We checked the fabric lines on 16 shirts across boutique racks on 9 November. Look for the fiber length, the weight in GSM, and the country where the fabric was sewn.

Quick facts

• On within: 1,119 men's T-shirts in stock across six boutiques, with 16 read for this note from $36 to $450 CAD, read 9 November 2026.
• The plain winner: Sunspel Relaxed Fit Heavyweight Stripe Tee at $99 CAD, made in Portugal from 100% Supima cotton.
• The organic benchmark: A.P.C. Standard Rue Madame Tee at $125 CAD, made from GOTS certified organic heavyweight cotton.
• The entry point: OUT Classic Logo T-Shirt at $36 CAD, made from 180 GSM French terry cotton.
• The technical cut: ASRV AeroSilver Established Tee at $95 CAD, made in South Korea from 85% polyester and 15% spandex.
• The graphic range: Aime Leon Dore at $85 CAD, Stussy tees at $90 CAD and Represent Owners Club at $95 CAD, up to Supreme at $120 CAD.

What a high quality T-shirt says on its label

The fabric line reveals the grade of yarn and the density of the knit before you touch the cloth.

Weight appears on thoughtful listings as grams per square meter, written as GSM.

Sunspel's line names the cotton (extra long staple Californian Supima), the weight (heavyweight) and the country (Portugal). OUT's names the weight, 180 GSM. A listing that names more tells you more.

The plain tee: Sunspel, A.P.C. and Les Deux

At Due West, Sunspel is the plain tee to beat. The brand traces its roots to Nottingham in the mid nineteenth century, making underwear from cotton, merino and silk, then moving to its Long Eaton factory in 1937. Its Sunspel Relaxed Fit Heavyweight Stripe Tee, Hazelwood Dark Cedar at $99 CAD uses Californian Supima cotton brushed with carbon for surface softness.

Jean Touitou founded A.P.C. in Paris in 1987.

The A.P.C. Standard Rue Madam Tee, White costs $125 CAD in GOTS certified organic heavyweight cotton with a straight cut. It features an embroidered chest logo that stays discreet.

For an everyday crew neck, the Les Deux Blake Tee, White sits at $49 CAD at Due West. It is made in Turkey from 100% cotton with a regular fit that slips under tailoring. If you layer a shirt under tailoring, read our guide on white T-shirt outfits under a jacket.

The graphic tee: Stussy, Represent, Aime Leon Dore and Supreme

Shawn Stussy began shaping surfboards in Laguna Canyon in 1980, writing his surname on the boards with a broad marker. At Outlined, the Stussy 8 Ball White Tee and the Stussy Classic Black Tee sell for $90 CAD each.

Supreme opened on Lafayette Street in New York in April 1994. At Utopia, the Supreme Skeleton Tee Blue (FW23) is $120 CAD in size L. Teddy Santis started Aime Leon Dore in Queens in 2014, and the Aime Leon Dore X New Balance 827 Graphic T-Shirt White stands at $85 CAD.

Represent brings British street aesthetics with the screen printed Represent Owners Club Tee, Cream at $95 CAD at Due West. Aime Leon Dore's Aime Leon Dore Fleur Logo Tee Moonlight Ocean is also $85 CAD. Kith opened in New York in 2011, and the Kith Mosaic Tee White is $100 CAD.

The gym tee is a different shirt

A gym tee is built differently, and its fabric line says so. The ASRV Aerosilver® Established Tee, Black "ASRV" at $95 CAD blends 85% polyester with 15% spandex.

ASRV makes it in South Korea, with raglan sleeves, a slim fit and extended hems. Keep this shirt separate from your daily rotation, because technical synthetic weaves belong in the gym rather than under an overcoat.

A price past two hundred dollars buys a label rather than better yarn.

The logo tee

Logo tees run from $36 CAD to $450 CAD. The OUT Classic Logo T-Shirt Vintage Taupe costs $36 CAD (OUT is Outlined's own label, short for Our Unique Threads). It uses 180 GSM French terry cotton in seven sizes.

At the top, the price is for the name, not the fibre. The Balenciaga Love Earth Flatground Large Fit T-Shirt White is $200 CAD pre owned in size XXL. The Yorkville shop lists the condition on each item and guarantees it authentic.

Chrome Hearts shirts command top dollar for brand insignia. The Chrome Hearts x Dover Street Market T-Shirt Black is $400 CAD, while the Chrome Hearts Hollywood T-Shirt White costs $450 CAD pre owned in size M. These are cultural status symbols, so buy them for the print rather than stitch density.

What to check before you buy

Before paying for any shirt, inspect the collar construction, the seam tension, and the fabric tag. Check that the neckline ribbing sits flat without waviness. For pre owned shirts, confirm the authenticity line stated on the boutique listing.

If you want to feel the cotton in person, visit the boutique floors directly. Due West sits at 431 Queen St W in Toronto, open Monday to Saturday from 11 to 7. The Yorkville shop is at 132 Cumberland Street in Yorkville, open daily 12 to 8, while Outlined is at 25 The West Mall.

Common questions

What is a high quality tshirt?

A high quality T-shirt tells you what it is made of. The best fabric lines here name the cotton (extra long staple Californian Supima on the Sunspel, GOTS certified organic on the A.P.C.), the weight and where it was made.

Which brand is best for a tshirt?

Sunspel is the best brand for a plain shirt, using extra long staple Supima cotton at $99 CAD. A.P.C. gives you a straight cut at $125 CAD in GOTS certified organic heavyweight cotton. For graphic tees, Stussy is $90 CAD at Outlined.

What are some good quality men's t shirts?

The Sunspel Relaxed Fit Heavyweight Stripe Tee at $99 CAD and the A.P.C. Standard Rue Madame Tee at $125 CAD lead the plain category. The Les Deux Blake Tee at $49 CAD provides a dependable everyday option made in Turkey. Across the 1,119 men's T-shirts on within, focus on fabric weight and yarn length rather than label prestige.

Every business above is independent, was verified open as of August 2026, and nobody paid to be here. If one has closed or moved, tell us at hello@shopwithin.co and we will fix it.

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