Whether you’re a hard-boiled fashion enthusiast or a total menswear noob, basics are the necessary building blocks for every great wardrobe. These days, the best men’s clothing brands are pumping out adrenaline-soaked collections that send the hype machine into overdrive. But before you rush out the door chasing hot new designers or hopping on every trend you see on your FYP, you gotta set a firm foundation for your closet. Put another way—do you think style gods like Shai Gilgous-Alexander’s closet is full of bad underwear and zero plain white tees?

Hoodies, button-down shirts, https://talen.id/ socks, chinos—these are the building blocks of any great outfit. With the right styling, those foundational pieces can even play a starring role and take your looks to the even greater heights. But just because a plain white T-shirt boasts designer origins doesn’t mean it’s worth the money. That’s why we gathered the best men’s clothing brands to stock up on basics and beyond. If you’re looking for unbeatable value, quality, and versatility, the 12 labels listed here deliver all of that in spades.

Alex Mill

From boxy striped tees to drawstring chinos to rumpled Oxford shirts, everything at Alex Mill has a relaxed ease that’s built for 2023. You’ll feel less stressed upon contact.

Champion

Champion got it very right when it invented its durable, and shrink-proof, reverse weave fabric in the ‘30s. We’ve been wearing their hoodies since high school and don’t intend to stop now.

Dickies

Dickies might not be the first name in burly affordable workwear (that title probably goes to Carhartt), but it clinches the top spot here off the strength of its fashion-crowd-favorite chinos and just-as-legendary work jackets alone.

Gildan

What other T-shirt brand boasts a Frank Ocean name check and ultra-durable tees that cost less than $10 a pop? Gildan is beloved by screen-printers and streetwear dudes in equal measure for its consistent quality and affordability.

J.Crew

J.Crew is well past its early-2010s heyday of Italian blazers, selvedge jeans, and loafers, but under the direction of streetwear royalty Brendon Babenzien it remains the best place to find quintessential preppy staples at prices that belie the quality involved.

Levi’s

Levi’s isn’t just the best-known jeans brand on the planet—it literally invented the damn things. After all these years, it’s still the yardstick by which all other denim brands are measured.

L.L.Bean

Dads love a deal, and dads love L.L.Bean. That affection is largely due to the unbeatable value proposition the brand offers on the build-blocks gear your old man wears on the daily. Be more like your dad.

Patagonia

The house that kind-vibed outdoorsman Yvon Chouinard built still makes plenty of the fleece jackets it’s famous for. But if you’re an eco-minded fella with a hankering for adventure, don’t sleep on its juicy assortment of trail-ready basics, either.

Polo Ralph Lauren

Ralph Lauren makes a whole lot of clothes that are just the opposite of basic—think: exploded patchwork jumpsuits—but, c’mon, no one makes a better Oxford, rugby, or polo shirt.

Sunspel

Sunspel has been around since 1860, so it’s basically the basics king. Treat yourself—and your Tinder dates—to the vaunted English brand’s minimal-leaning tees and undies and you’ll feel a bit like royalty, too.

Todd Snyder

Todd Snyder’s basics are so sophisticated, even his weekend clothes and Champion sweats are nice enough to wear to dinner. (Oh, and he makes some killer suiting, too.)

Uniqlo

Come for the Christophe Lemaire-designed pants or the ridiculously warm puffers, but don’t leave without a stack of ribbed socks and soft cotton boxers—a.k.a. the real prize of shopping at Uniqlo.