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The 13 Best Shirts for Men with a Muscular Build

Nick Hilden
By
A muscular man in a black t-shirt and blue jeans leaning against a fence.
ArtOfPhotos / Shutterstock

If you’re a dude who likes to get his swole on, it can be hard to find a shirt that actually fits your frame. These days the majority of shirts lean toward being looser around the midsection, so if you have a trim waist, bench-press boosted pecs, and boulder shoulders, the typical shirt is going to end up being awkwardly tight around the top and breezy as a sail around the torso. That’s why we’ve meticulously researched the best shirts for men with a muscular build.

This list leans into t-shirts and sweatshirts, but it also has suggestions for button-ups, flannels, and a few other cuts to make sure that you have all your shirt bases covered. All of these have been thoroughly tested by an authentically athletic dude, so you can trust our recommendations. To that end, let’s check out the best shirts for muscular men.

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Best Overall: True Classic Tees Classic 3-Pack

Three The Classic tees in black, gray, and white.
True Classic

For a great fitting, versatile, comfortable, classic t-shirt, it’s hard to beat True Classic Tees. They fit an athletic build perfectly and feel great. This 3-pack covers the essential black, gray, and white tees, but they’re also available in a wide range of other slick colors.

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Best Sweatshirt: American Giant Classic Full Zip

A man wearing an American Giant Classic Full Zip.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

This is the best sweatshirt ever made, period. No other sweatshirt is so perfectly thick, warm, and comfortable. It also fits a muscle body type exactly how you’d want it to, and though the price tag is high, its build quality is obvious. This is a sweatshirt you’ll have around for a long time.

Best Gym Shirt: Puma Fade Men’s Training Tee

A teal Puma Fade Men’s Training Tee on white background.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

It should come as no surprise that there are a lot of gym shirts out there that look great on muscular men—they are, after all, specifically for the gym—but these tees from Puma are a cut above the rest. Not only do they look great and fit exactly right, but their technical fabric is cool but not overly meshed like some other brands.

Best Yoga Shirt: Lululemon Drysense Training Short-Sleeve Shirt

A male model wearing an orange Lululemon Drysense Training Short Sleeve Shirt on gray background.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

The thing about Lululemon is that they always think of the little touches. This shirt not only fits and feels amazing, it really stands out because of details like extra stitching to keep it in place, and a discrete hoop on the back of the neck so you can hang it to dry without stretching out the elastic.

Best Lightweight T-Shirt: Fresh Clean Tees Crew Neck

A gray Fresh Clean Tees Crew Neck on plain background.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

If you’re living in a hot climate and want a t-shirt that’s supremely light and airy, Fresh Clean Tees’ shirts hit the sweet spot. Their fabric is super soft and comfortable, and they fit an athletic torso perfectly. The company also offers a subscription service so you can be sure of consistently looking your freshest.

Best Heavyweight T-Shirt: Hanes Beefy Heavyweight T-Shirts

A male model wearing a Hanes Beefy Heavyweight T-Shirt in Fatigue Green variant.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

You can’t go wrong with a classic like Hanes. Their beefy tees fit great, and they’re also extra-thick, which makes them both extra comfortable and extra durable. These are shirts you’ll have around for a while.

Best Curved Hem T-Shirt: Buck Mason Slub Curved Hem T-Shirt

A black Buck Mason Slub Curved Hem T-Shirt on plain background.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

This t-shirt not only fits the athletic build perfectly, but its curved hem adds a more modern touch to a clothing item that is about as classic as it gets. It looks more refined than its moderate price tag would suggest and comes in some really uniquely cool color options.

Best Button-Down Shirt: Woodies Performance Dress Shirt

A folded white Woodies Performance Dress Shirt.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

When you need to look more dressed up, Woodies’ dress shirts not only look and fit great based on their semi-tailored online process, but they allow you to personalize your style by customizing the collar, cuffs, and pocket, and even add a monogram. These are really sharp-looking shirts.

Best Heavy Long-Sleeved Shirt: Howler Brothers Stockman Stretch Snapshirt

A midsection of a male model wearing jeans and Howler Brothers Stockman Stretch.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Howler Brothers makes a slew of cool shirts, but there’s something about their Stockman that stands out. It doesn’t fit a muscular torso so much as it hangs from it in just the right way, giving it a cool, casual vibe.

Best Flannel Shirt: Pendleton Fitted Plaid Board Shirt

A blue Pendleton Fitted Plaid Board Shirt on plain background.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

It’s no secret that Pendleton makes awesome shirts, and it should come as no surprise that they’re still the king of the flannel. That will probably never change. While it’s hard to go wrong with any of their varieties, we think this fitted version of their classic board shirt is pretty representative of the company’s greatness. And of course, they fit a muscular build. They were originally designed with lumberjacks in mind.

Best Snap-Button Shirt: Pendleton Snap-Front Western Canyon Shirt

A Pendleton Snap-Front Western Canyon Shirt in grey/gold ombre variant.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Score two for Pendleton. When it comes to snap-button shirts, any snap-button Pendleton is going to be the best. The Western Canyon in particular makes for a great fit on a muscular male body. It’s equally great when your partner suddenly needs to pop all those buttons open in a hurry. The flannel tends to rile up the blood.

Best Fuzzy Shirt: Appalachian Gear Company All-Paca Fleece Hoodie

A blue Appalachian Gear Company All-Paca Fleece Hoodie on white background.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

If you’re looking for something soft, fuzzy, and outdoorsy, this is a great shirt. It hugs the athletic build just right, and it feels great on the skin. This is a good choice for a light extra layer while enjoying a hike.

Best Gym Sweatshirt: Nobull Performance Zip-up Hoodie

A midsection of a man wearing a brown Nobull Performance Zip-up Hoodie.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

What a supremely slick hoodie. Its performance fabric is incredibly soft, and it fits the fit gym-goer’s body incredibly well. There’s a uniquely streamlined vibe to it that you don’t normally see in a hoodie.

Editors' Recommendations

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Nick Hilden
Nick Hilden
Former Digital Trends Contributor

Nick Hilden is a lifestyle and culture writer whose work has appeared in the Washington Post, Esquire, Rolling Stone, Afar, the Daily Beast, Popular Science, Men's Health, Thrillist, Scientific American, Salon, Fodor's, Vice, Popular Mechanics, Runner's World, and more. He's usually on some random adventure in some random corner of the world.

Send all editorial inquiries HERE.

VRST’s Golf polos are ideal for on and off the course, including everyday wear
VRST Golf Polo worn on golf course

This content was produced in partnership with VRST.
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