Please feel free to advocate for a brand you like. I’m a 2 jeans 8 tshirts kinda guy too, and been struggling finding shirts that I’d recommend.
Everlane ($ garbage), American Apparel ($ bad with new owners), Alternative ($$ so-so). Best shirts were the BDG brand ($ soft, last 4 years with weekly wear) at Urban Outfitters but they’ve been discontinued.
+1 I bought a couple of Uniqlo active t-shirts. Man, are they good despite being cheap at 20$ a pop. Wear them for running, office or even under a blazer. Super convenient. Only downside - it's made of polyester, feels great on the skin but it isn't a natural fabric.
Personally, I’m a fan of Next Level v-necks when it comes to t-shirts. They’re quite inexpensive through Amazon. I hate doing laundry, so I usually have about a dozen. I’m 6’, 220lbs, and the athletic cut is great—incredibly soft, broader shoulders and chest vs waist (no straight cut). I typically go for the large when wearing normally, but keep a few mediums as a snug undershirt when wearing a buttoned/dress shirt. I usually get a few years’ use out of them.
Pants are almost always a pain for me—I can’t do skinny jeans as my ass and thighs refuse to cooperate with the stick-leg cut. I opt for Buckle/Salvage jeans here—not those Affliction abominations with the bedazzled ass pockets, mind you. They make a few cuts that are a stretchy type of denim, and they’re amazing. Feels just like wearing a pair of pajama pants. I usually have a couple pairs to cycle through between laundry loads.
Brands come and go and get bought/sold and change production-values on such a regular basis that what was true 2 years ago isn't true now, and I find keeping up with the new brands on a regular basis is annoying. I also hate clothes shopping. So I'm not very brand-loyal. I love my AG "Protege" pants, but I'd switch in a heartbeat.
I rather like what Stitchfix and Trunk Club are doing. Trunk Club in particular but it's pretty expensive. They only do high-quality items and they're hand-picked by a stylist who knows your style & body-type to go with your existing wardrobe. I get much more use out of my Trunk Club items than I do others. But I stopped using TC because it's so expensive and I have a solid base wardrobe at this point and know how to add new items on my own every so often.
Patagucci is an overpriced joke for most things, unless you abuse their warranty policy. T-shirts are essentially free. A pair of jeans should cost you $30 and last for a few years.
Their R1 hoody and climbing pants are the two items I've worn the most this year. Their design is great, and as these pants wear out, they'll fix them for me.
The R1 hoodie is well-designed, but for $200 you can buy 2 essentially identical hoodies from UnderArmor at full price, or a quality 800-fill down parka on sale. It is literally the climber version of a Gucci handbag.
For t-shirts I actually really like the v-necks sold at Old Navy. The ones that go for $15-20 (don’t get their lower priced ones, they’re flimsy) have lasted me about 2 years of regular weekly wear now. They also fit my form well, which was a deciding factor. The fine-threaded cotton doesn’t ball up, and colors haven’t noticeably faded.
I'll pitch in for Uniqlo for jeans, too. I picked up a pair overseas last year and they aren't showing a single bit of wear, despite a LOT of use. Compared to my Levis, which start showing wear in the crotch after a few months, they were totally worth the ~$35 I paid.
I'm similar, and I've settled on JCrew. Partly because they offer stuff that fits my stumpy build (I have a 27" inseam), but also because it's solidly good quality.
Comments
Please feel free to advocate for a brand you like. I’m a 2 jeans 8 tshirts kinda guy too, and been struggling finding shirts that I’d recommend.
Everlane ($ garbage), American Apparel ($ bad with new owners), Alternative ($$ so-so). Best shirts were the BDG brand ($ soft, last 4 years with weekly wear) at Urban Outfitters but they’ve been discontinued.
If you're like most people on this site (dresses like avg male SF dev)
$$$ - A.P.C.
$$ - Naked and Famous, Muji
$ - Uniqlo U line
+1 I bought a couple of Uniqlo active t-shirts. Man, are they good despite being cheap at 20$ a pop. Wear them for running, office or even under a blazer. Super convenient. Only downside - it's made of polyester, feels great on the skin but it isn't a natural fabric.
Muji clothes are nice, but wear out crazily fast.
Personally, I’m a fan of Next Level v-necks when it comes to t-shirts. They’re quite inexpensive through Amazon. I hate doing laundry, so I usually have about a dozen. I’m 6’, 220lbs, and the athletic cut is great—incredibly soft, broader shoulders and chest vs waist (no straight cut). I typically go for the large when wearing normally, but keep a few mediums as a snug undershirt when wearing a buttoned/dress shirt. I usually get a few years’ use out of them.
Pants are almost always a pain for me—I can’t do skinny jeans as my ass and thighs refuse to cooperate with the stick-leg cut. I opt for Buckle/Salvage jeans here—not those Affliction abominations with the bedazzled ass pockets, mind you. They make a few cuts that are a stretchy type of denim, and they’re amazing. Feels just like wearing a pair of pajama pants. I usually have a couple pairs to cycle through between laundry loads.
Brands come and go and get bought/sold and change production-values on such a regular basis that what was true 2 years ago isn't true now, and I find keeping up with the new brands on a regular basis is annoying. I also hate clothes shopping. So I'm not very brand-loyal. I love my AG "Protege" pants, but I'd switch in a heartbeat.
I rather like what Stitchfix and Trunk Club are doing. Trunk Club in particular but it's pretty expensive. They only do high-quality items and they're hand-picked by a stylist who knows your style & body-type to go with your existing wardrobe. I get much more use out of my Trunk Club items than I do others. But I stopped using TC because it's so expensive and I have a solid base wardrobe at this point and know how to add new items on my own every so often.
Patagonia has some good t-shirts. They are just plain and boring, but are of great quality.
http://www.patagonia.com/product/mens-capilene-daily-long-sl...
Patagucci is an overpriced joke for most things, unless you abuse their warranty policy. T-shirts are essentially free. A pair of jeans should cost you $30 and last for a few years.
Their R1 hoody and climbing pants are the two items I've worn the most this year. Their design is great, and as these pants wear out, they'll fix them for me.
The R1 hoodie is well-designed, but for $200 you can buy 2 essentially identical hoodies from UnderArmor at full price, or a quality 800-fill down parka on sale. It is literally the climber version of a Gucci handbag.
Underarmour and patagonia are VASTLY different in quality standards... I think you’re missing the point of this thread.
For t-shirts I actually really like the v-necks sold at Old Navy. The ones that go for $15-20 (don’t get their lower priced ones, they’re flimsy) have lasted me about 2 years of regular weekly wear now. They also fit my form well, which was a deciding factor. The fine-threaded cotton doesn’t ball up, and colors haven’t noticeably faded.
I'll pitch in for Uniqlo for jeans, too. I picked up a pair overseas last year and they aren't showing a single bit of wear, despite a LOT of use. Compared to my Levis, which start showing wear in the crotch after a few months, they were totally worth the ~$35 I paid.
I'm similar, and I've settled on JCrew. Partly because they offer stuff that fits my stumpy build (I have a 27" inseam), but also because it's solidly good quality.
https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=14944065#14947448
Presumably because people were buying once every four years?