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The Best Work Shirts for Men to Wear on the Job

These shirts are quick-drying, flexible and protective. Plus, they come with plenty of pockets.

three button down work shirts Courtesy

By Evan Malachosky

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The story of the work shirt begins in 1900 with Sears, which was then called Sears Roebuck & Co. The store sold a number of durable top layers called Working Shirts, a staple of the workwear category. They sold for $0.40 each or $4.80 for a dozen. ($0.40 then is equal to around $18 today.) As evident by the bulk ordering option, these were shirts Sears thought men would burn through and reorder often. After all, they were work shirts and being worn to blue collar jobs.

Around the same time, though, the US Military introduced its own version of a work shirt to its soldiers. Made from chambray, they were long-sleeved and came with two offset pockets on the chest, reinforced shoulders, double-yoked backs and roomy armholes for better mobility. These are a separate style, though, despite sharing the same name.

Products in the Guide

  • Patagonia Shop Shirt

    Best Overall Work Shirt

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  • Filson Short Sleeve Snap Front Shirt

    Best Upgrade Work Shirt

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  • Dickies Short Sleeve Work Shirt

    Best Affordable Work Shirt

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  • Red Kap Short Sleeve Industrial Work Shirt

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  • L.L. Bean BeanFlex Twill Shirt

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  • Carhartt Rugged Flex Rigby Short Sleeve Work Shirt

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What Is a Work Shirt?

Work shirts, as we know them now, date back to the 1930s, when Dickies introduced its matching sets. They comprised long-sleeve and short-sleeve shirts with matching pants for men in commercial or industrial workplaces, where uniforms might not have been provided. Sure, the long-sleeve options offered better coverage, but the short-sleeve iterations were more comfortable, easier to move around in and cooler, too, especially in workplaces where it can get more than a little hot, especially since the shirts were made from twill.

Nowadays, work shirts have buttoned fronts, standard collars (no camp or spread collars) and two symmetrical chest pockets. Most are made from simple twill, but brands have slowly integrated better technology — like moisture-wicking or temperature-regulating fabrics, as well as stain-resistant treatments and even waterproof coatings.

What to Look for

Although long sleeves were original to the work shirt, brands have since adopted short sleeves as the standard. You should stick with whichever option feels right. If you work with sharp or hot objects, a long sleeve shirt might be better for your job. If you prefer the flexibility a short sleeve shirt offers, go with it. That being said, you’re probably here because you prefer the latter.

To find the right short-sleeve work shirt, you need to know what materials it should be made from and what features it should have. First, the shirt should be at least partially synthetic. Synthetic fabrics hold up better in the wash — especially in industrial wash settings, which are often offered through folks’ employers. That doesn’t mean the shirt should be super stretchy or too soft, but it shouldn’t be 100 percent linen or cotton unless it’s quality stuff.

Your work shirt should also have some pockets — ideally two but one at the least. It’s helpful to have pen dividers to keep the ink from spoiling what it’s put next to but not necessary by any means. Hopefully, they do close, though, whether with buttons or velcro, because work often requires a lot of bending at the waist and losing everything you carry each time you bend over would become annoying fast.

You should also, even if you prefer skinny jeans over wide-leg pants, look for a relaxed-fitting silhouette. You’ll likely need the extra room, especially if you plan on lifting your arms above your shoulders. Plus, the extra room gives you more room to breathe, which prevents the fabric from sticking to your sweaty body.

Patagonia’s Shop Shirt checks all of the boxes. It’s mid-weight and made from a mix of organic cotton, recycled polyester and industrial hemp, which gives it soft but sturdy feel and the ability to stand up to repeated washes.

It can withstand intense wear, courtesy of its covered front buttons, locker hang loop and ventilated back yoke. The shirt will stay super breathable even if you’re working in a hot garage, and the shirt’s trio of pockets — two buttoned front ones and a side slot on the left shoulder — offer ample storage space.

Filson’s entry is a work shirt with Western flair. From its snap front placket and pockets to its front and back yokes, this shirt screams sunny days working on a ranch — and you really could wear this shirt there, because it only weighs 2.6 ounces and is made from a breathable (but durable) blend of nylon and polyester. For its weight, there are few shirts more protective than this one.

Both of the aforementioned iterations would not exist if it weren’t for Dickies. The brand, founded in 1922 in Texas, established this short-sleeve style when it introduced its matching sets, which were meant for commercial and industrial workers. They were easy to clean, repair and replace, making them the ideal option for everyday wear. The new version, a polyester cotton twill shirt with two pockets and a wrinkle-resistant finish, has buttons that won’t break, generous armholes and shoulders and comes in several colors designed to match the 874 work pants.

Red Kap’s signature work shirt is super simple — and affordable. At just $15, you’d be hard pressed to find a better value, even if you burned through three of these a year. Made with Touchtex Technology, these shirts will hold their color and shape, breathe better and require less maintenance because they’re wrinkle resistant.

L.L. Bean might not be synonymous with industrial-grade gear, but the brand’s BeanFlex Twill Shirt works well for, well, work. This functional work shirt gives when you bend or move but holds its shapes, and it looks as good off-duty as it does on the clock. That being said, it isn’t the most feature-packed. It’s soft and stretchy, sure, but the pockets are open and there are no additional slots for pens or pressure gauges.

carhartt rugged flex rigby short sleeve work shirtAmazon

Carhartt Rugged Flex Rigby Short Sleeve Work Shirt

When you think workwear, or at least American workwear, Carhartt surely comes to mind. The brand makes a number of long-standing items — like Dickies — but it does branch out into more technical territories from time to time. Case in point? The Rugged Flex Rigby Short Sleeve Work Shirt, which isn’t made from duck canvas or intense twill, but rather a lightweight cotton-polyester mix. It’s fast-drying, stain-resistant and stretchy.

In true Wrangler fashion, the RIGGS Workwear Chambray Shirt references the style’s origins. Back then, work shirts were made from chambray, a lightweight fabric with solid durability. But above being tough, it was truly breathable, which made work easier. This shirt won’t be as tough as hefty twill but because it is 4.5 ounces, it won’t feel too lightweight either. And it has all of the necessary elements: two button chest pockets and spacious arms and shoulders.

Sure, one might not want to shell out $300 for a shirt they’ll ruin at work, but this one by Iron Heart will break in so beautifully over time. It’s made from 5.5 oz. Japanese selvedge chambray, meaning it’ll fade and fray with constant wear — but not fast. It’s a damn durable design that you can feel confident wearing, courtesy of its triple stitched back yoke panel, felled seams and bartacked reinforcements.

Duluth Trading’s line of durable workwear, 40 Grit, features basics that don’t get in the way of themselves. For example, this fast-drying ripstop shirt features two medium-sized chest pockets (with button closures), back pleats for better range of motion and UPF 50+ protection. That’s it, but that’s plenty if you’re just wearing it to work.

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