Men's Crew Neck Tee (Polos & T-Shirts)

A ribbed band sewn in a full circle around the neckline, sitting right at the collarbone, is the entire definition. Rowing crews wore these under their kit, which is where the name came from, and the closed round neck has not changed since.

That neckband carries the load. A good one is knitted in a one-by-one rib about three quarters of an inch deep and attached with a double needle so two rows of stitching share the strain. Cheap versions use a single row and a shallow band that gapes within a month. Fabric weight, given in ounces per square yard, tells you the rest. 4.5 ounces is thin enough to see through, while 5.5 to 6 hangs properly and lasts. Ring-spun cotton, where fibers are twisted and thinned before knitting, feels smoother and pills less than the cheaper open-end kind.

Cut the same neckline into a V and you get a tee that shows chest and disappears under an open shirt. Add a buttoned placket and it becomes a henley you can open for air. Run the same body out to the wrist and it is a long sleeve tee. Of the four, only the crew stays completely hidden under a buttoned shirt and completely uninterrupted across the chest. That means printed graphics live on this one.

Layering under sweaters, jackets and overshirts is where the closed neck works best, since nothing shows at the collar. Longer necks carry the high band well. Under an open button-up it fails, because the band peeks out and reads as underwear, and a thin one flatters nobody with a broad chest, since light jersey clings and shows every line.

Stretch the neckband gently and let go. Snapping straight back means it will hold; a band that stays slack is already finished. Then check the sides, because a tee knitted as a tube with no side seams costs less but twists at the hem after a few washes. Pull the shoulders square before it dries, since jersey sets in whatever shape you leave it.