I have a habit of purchasing T-shirts in multiples. Whenever I come across a shirt I truly adore, I tend to grab enough to last me a week. Back during the period famously referred to as “indie sleaze,” my wardrobe consisted solely of American Apparel 50/25/25 tees. Then, in the early days of Instagram, I stumbled upon an advertisement for Buck Mason and promptly bought a considerable number of those. Afterward, I discovered my preference for V-necks and transitioned to The Gap’s tagless Jersey shirts, which featured a delightful softness and just the perfect V-depth.
Last summer, I unearthed a new favorite while visiting a kitschy tourist shop in Maine. It sported the name of the town, Bar Harbor, printed on a sunny-hued blank from a brand called Comfort Colors. After only a few wears, I was so enamored that I checked the label to find out where it was from. Subsequently, I purchased a second one and have been gradually replacing each T-shirt in my closet with various shades from this brand.
Photograph: Martin Cizmar
Comfort Colors is not a nascent brand; it is owned by Gilden, which is about as thrilling and alluring as being owned by Country Crock margarine. However, I am not the first reviewer to spotlight the fact that Comfort Colors excels as a top-tier choice, although I might be the first to acknowledge this without subsidizing Maureen Dowd and Ross Douthat for a site that continues to dub new products the “Tesla of …” in 2025.
Regardless, the Comfort Colors T-shirt—specifically the standard 100 percent cotton model no. 1717—ticks all the right boxes for me.
These shirts are boxy without being excessively so. I own a few vintage Hanes Beefy T’s, and Comfort Colors offers a far more tailored fit, with sleeves that end an inch or so above the elbow instead of sagging down the forearm. They appear a bit boxier than they truly are due to the triple-stitched shoulders and double-stitched hemline and sleeves, which impart an overbuilt appearance. For someone in middle age, this is a style that suggests you recognize three Billie Eilish songs but aren’t attempting to emulate her fashion.
Comfort Colors tees utilize cotton sourced from American farms, though the spinning takes place in Honduras. The ring-spun construction lends both softness and durability. These shirts are considerably more breathable than any blend, even though they incorporate a relatively substantial 6.1-ounce fabric. This weight translates to one square yard of fabric weighing 6.1 ounces, making it just slightly heftier (0.1 ounces per square yard) than either the Hanes Beefy T or a Uniqlo Supima cotton tee. Most impressively, the American cotton ages gracefully. None of my half-dozen Comfort Colors shirts have shrunk, and each has softened and faded just a tad with every cycle in the washing machine.
