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As the daughter of a French woman, I’m no stranger to a stripe. I’ve been wearing striped tees and turtlenecks since long before I had autonomy over my wardrobe — but now I wear the pattern by choice and with pride. And, of course, I’m not alone: Stripes are beloved by just about the whole Strategist team (without fail, any team meeting will include at least a couple of people in striped shirts), and lately I’ve noticed them popping up on everyone from Olivia Rodrigo and Timothée Chalamet to Doechii on the red carpet at the Grammys.
To help you find the best striped T-shirts to add to your wardrobe, I interviewed a range of fashion-minded people — including stylists, Substack writers, content creators, and my colleagues — about their favorite striped tees, both long- and short-sleeved. Our conversations turned up heritage Bretons from French brands; preppy, structured T-shirts that you can wear to the office; and relaxed tees that would look right at home on a sailboat (or at your next summer park picnic) — all of which you’ll find here with options for women and men at a range of price points.
Best striped tees for women
Like cashmere and turtlenecks, stripes are something that J.Crew does remarkably well — so this is one of many striped tees you’ll see recommended from the brand on this list. The tale of this tee began when Strategist writer Ambar Pardilla included it in her “Strategist Haul” (“I wanted a good boatneck, and this is a good boatneck,” she told us). Aided and abetted by one of J.Crew’s many sales, I bought the tee on her recommendation and can confirm it is a good boatneck, made ever so sexy by some three-quarter-length sleeves and a neckline that shows a peek of collarbone. Though a word of caution from Pardilla: “It’s a little on the shorter side, so I suggest sizing up.” (I’ve found the same, but as someone with a shorter torso, that means it hits me just right — exactly at the hip bone.)
Over the years, we’ve awarded Everlane’s Box-Cut Tee a number of accolades, including a spot in our guide to the very best black tees — and it turns out the striped version is a favorite of personal stylist Gab Saper, too. She’s recommended it to multiple clients, one of whom called it “the perfectly shaped T-shirt,” thanks to its balance of being fitted and not too fitted. Since the shirt is on the shorter side, it’ll hit on average around the hip bone. “That’s a length that I find really useful because it’s not so short that you can’t tuck it in but it doesn’t feel so long,” says Saper.
If you’re looking for a striped tee with a more streamlined silhouette, try Uniqlo’s mini tee. Like the Everlane T-shirt, it falls on the shorter side, but I find the length is just right on my short torso — so much so that I own six of the tee, one of which is striped. It falls right past my belly button and is soft enough to wear as a pajama top or as an everyday tee. I’ve even worn the darker colors I own to workout, and since it’s a blend of cotton and elastane, my arms have plenty of room to move around. Though my collection is already quite large, I can’t say that I won’t buy any more. Each tee costs $15, so I have a hard time saying no to new colors — and Uniqlo keeps releasing more.
Strategist senior editor Hilary Reid calls this one of her “all-time favorite summer T-shirts.” She owns two of them and reports that after lots of wearing (and washing) they look just about as good as new. “The fabric is truly tissue-light, which might make it seem like it wouldn’t hold up well after multiple washes and years of wear, but they’ve held up amazingly well over the five-ish years I’ve had them,” she says. Since the tee has one grouping of stripes rather than stripes throughout, Reid finds it feels slightly less casual than your average T-shirt, making it more of “a look” that works well on its own with jeans or shorts. Just note: A representative from Kule told me the brand is retiring the style, so now’s your last chance to add it to your closet.
Reid is also a fan of Kule’s The Modern, which she first tried in 2019 when we investigated the enduring appeal of the stripe and a number of new (at the time) stripes-specific brands. Kule’s Modern tee was the “best of the batch,” according to Reid, and while many of those start-ups have since closed up shop, you can still find Kule’s Modern tee in a large spectrum of colors. It’s this range and the tee’s high-quality, 100 percent cotton fabric (that’s substantial-feeling and not at all see-through) that makes the Modern a piece that stylist Conni Jespersen recommends to her clients again and again. After testing the long-sleeved version of the tee for the past four months myself, I can confidently second her recommendation: Whether being used as a bottom layer on cold winter days or as a colorful accessory to my favorite pair of jeans, the shirt feels simultaneously lightweight, breathable, and made to last.
Consider Sézane’s Colette Marinière if you’re looking for a T-shirt that doesn’t feel like a tee. Jesperson recommends it for the person who wants a put-together everyday piece or someone who “doesn’t work in a super formal environment, but wants to have an elevated, updated striped shirt to wear with their jeans and also with a trouser.” This is made possible by its three-quarter-length sleeves, boatneck, and very Breton button-detailing at the shoulders. From a bright green to classic navy and white, the shirt is available in so many colors that the most common piece of feedback Jesperson gets is “I liked it so much, I got it in a second color.”
As seen in Mya Gelber’s hunt for the perfect white tee and our guide to long-sleeved T-shirts, Cos’s clean cut T-shirt comes in a variety of striped versions, including a handsome royal blue and white and a classic navy and white. With its wide ribbed collar and heavy 100 percent cotton fabric, the tee is one of the thicker ones on this list. Saper says that thickness makes the tee feel like it costs $100 — even though its real price is less than half that — and helps it hold its shape more than your average tee. “This is a T-shirt I would never wear at home. This feels like one I want to save for an outfit,” she told me.
Compared to J.Crew’s boatneck above, Everlane’s mariner tee has a subtler boatneck, some longer sleeves, and a heavier and thicker cotton that’s substantial enough to wear without another layer. Pardilla owns two and says, “If I’m ever having one of those ‘I have nothing to wear’ moments, I put one on to feel less like a mess.” That’s possible in part because of the tee’s versatile silhouette that she describes as “not form-fitting in the slightest but not formless, either.” Best of all, you won’t have to worry about your bra strap sticking out because the boatneck is high enough to keep them covered.
After style blogger Bethany Everett-Ratcliffe tipped me off to a now sold out striped scoopback from Madewell, I called in a sample of this 100 percent cotton striped tee to try out for myself. With its heavyweight, lived-in feel and drop-sleeved shoulders, it reminds me of something you’d see in We Live In Time. Since it arrived, it’s become my favorite cozy tee to throw on when I get home from work, but I could easily imagine wearing it styled with a belt and a sweater around my shoulders to the office, as well. (If you like the drop-sleeved look but prefer something lighter-weight, try Uniqlo’s, which is slightly more affordable, too.)
Albeit on the heavier side, Madewell’s easy tee is still solidly in the T-shirt category. AYR’s half day tee, on the other hand, approaches the realm of crewneck sweatshirts, thanks to its substantial material and thick collar. It’s made of 100 percent cotton jersey that Strategist writer Dominique Pariso (who has gone on the record as one of our “sweaty writers”) says feels hefty without making her overheat. She’s worn it at least once a week since she bought it. Pariso went for the pomodoro, which she calls “a perfect tomato shade,” but the shirt is available in a ton of other colors, including a soothing grey and white and an on-the-nose mocha mousse and navy.
Saint James, a French brand that’s been making Bretons since 1858, makes just about as classic a striped T-shirt as you can buy. There’s their standard Breton, of course, but this heart-adorned option, which comes recommended by image coach and personal stylist Maria Serena Ceravolo, the founder of Spaghetti Wardrobe, is a fun and more recently released take on the style. Ceravolo received it from her boyfriend’s grandmother — “a classic, French, elegant woman” — and recommends tucking it into high-waisted pants.
Kule’s striped turtleneck is made of the same lightweight cotton as the Modern tee above, so it’s easy to layer and wear on its own, just like your favorite T-shirt. “The material is smooth and soft and hasn’t pilled through multiple wears and washings,” Strategist senior editor Winnie Yang told me. And since the most important part of a turtleneck is, well, its neck, this one could be described as the Goldilocks of collars: “The collar is neither too constricting nor too floppy, neither uncomfortably high (even for a short-necked person like me) nor some awkward in-between length,” Yang reports. Since she prefers a more relaxed fit, she sized up, but if you’d like it to be more form-fitting, go with your usual size.
Though this tee still has the cropped sleeves and boatneck-style neckline that have become synonymous with mariner-esque shirts, it’s a bit more rugged compared to something as preppy as, say, a Sézane shirt. In fact, Jesperson says, “Whereas Sézane is a little bit more of that French girl vibe, this one is a little bit more cool chic, kind of a Western California vibe.” I’ve been testing it out since September and have found it’s the perfect sturdy, canvasy shirt to wear to work and then out to a nice dinner with friends. Of course, nearly $130 is a lot to spend on a shirt, but this one feels more like a sweater than a T-shirt and has a knit-style detailing to match. Plus, Jersperson says, “I love the fact that you can’t see all the stains on it,” thanks to the darker colored stripes. “The upkeep is low and quality is high,” she adds.
Best striped tees for men
Menswear content creator Parker York Smith describes this tee as being like “something you’d find at a thrift store, in a good way.” Part of J.Crew’s vintage-wash line, the shirt is extra relaxed and comes prewashed. Though you’ll find it in the usual navy and white stripe variety, the shirt really shines for its multi-colored options, like a mint-chocolate-chip-esque mix of green, brown, and white.
At just $30, this Bronson tee is one of the most affordable Bretons I’ve seen and features the boatneck, sailor stripes, and heavyweight jersey that style is known for. Thanks to the thick material, “you don’t have to baby it” stylist Matt Rossi says, adding that the shirt, which also comes in a short-sleeved version, is “sturdy feeling, built to last, workwear inspired.”
Editor’s note: The long-sleeved version of this tee is currently sold out, but you still get the short-sleeved version.
Octobre Éditions (the menswear counterpart to Sézane) makes their striped T-shirt out of a heavier-weight cotton that is 200 grams per square meter, about a third the weight you’d find in a towel. Menswear content creator Mac Bass is a fan: “What I really like about a lot of the October Edition shirts is their sleeves aren’t too long, especially on the short sleeves,” he says, which means this one hits right at the sweet spot, the top third of his upper arm, which he says are on the longer side.
Like many of us at the Strategist, menswear content creator Keyshawn Frazier is in on the Gapaissance. Since he heard the Gap’s quality was getting better, he’s been filling his wardrobe with pieces from the brand, including cargo pants, a couple of jean jackets, and this striped tee, which he loves because he doesn’t have to be precious with it. The shirt can easily be thrown in the wash, and after a few months of regular wear, he says, “I haven’t noticed any wear and tear.”
Editor’s note: The exact version of Frazier’s tee is no longer available, but I found a similar option that’s still in stock.
Unlike many of the shirts on this list, this Tommy Hilfiger tee has some elastane to give it a little extra stretch. Frazier owns an older version of the shirt that the brand has since discontinued, but the new version features the same slim fit and cotton-elastane blend as the red-and-white striped tee you can see him sporting in a selfie at the top of this article. Though his shirt is newer, it reminds him of the Tommy Hilfiger shirts he sees again and again while thrift shopping. In fact, it was said thrift shopping that inspired his purchase: “I was like I’m getting so much Tommy in the thrift store, let me see what Tommy’s doing now … This is still in the same realm.”
You may have spotted the white version of this tee on The Bear, and, it turns out, it’s also regularly used at many of Rossi’s photoshoots. At $125, it’s on the expensive side, but that price comes partly from the way the shirt is made: from organic Greek cotton loopwheeled on vintage machines in Germany. As Rossi says, “This is that T-shirt you buy if you want to have that one T-shirt that’s your favorite T-shirt.” Plus, with its micro stripes, “it almost reads as a solid,” Rossi adds, so “it’s a little bit more approachable than a thick, solid stripe.”
Though Armor Lux hasn’t been making Bretons for as long as Saint James, it’s become a major player in the Breton world since it was founded nearly a century ago. My partner, Jack, picked this one up during a trip to Provence a couple years ago and says that even though he’s only been wearing it since he returned, “It seems like the type of thing that would age well.” The shirt is versatile: it’s lightweight enough that he can throw it on as a layer during cooler summer nights, and heavy enough to keep him warm inside on cold winter days. Compared to other more canvasy Bretons, he says, “This one has a little bit of stretch and is a bit more form fitting” in his usual size. So if you’re looking for a looser fit, you should size up.
Try YJack’s long-sleeved number if you’re on the hunt for a loose, relaxed-fitting tee that York describes as “quote, unquote, high end.” Though it features the similar sailor stripes and a “silky” cotton jersey that you’ll see in most Breton-esque shirts, this one has a ribbed crew neckline.
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