The best men's work shirts don't need to touch the construction zone.
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Whatever happened to real men? You know, the burly guys who sat on steel beams and lassoed wild buffalo and…jackhammered stuff. (Right? Right.) Couldn’t be us, of course — if we’re being frank, our version of “working with our hands” is limited to pounding our keyboards on deadline and occasionally air-balling a three. But regardless of whether your worksite skews construction zone or corner cubicle, every guy’s vocational pursuits should include a holy grail of workwear in one of the best work shirts for men.
Sure, they sound innocuous (if not downright outdated), but work shirts — tops built for movement, durability and protection, often constructed from a stain-resistant heavy twill or wool and typically featuring symmetrical two chest pockets — have a long history in the everyman’s closet, and for good reason.
Documented all the way back into the 1930s and with roots in early western work wear, the work shirt has been a companion to laborers for decades, with specific reinforcements and temp-regulating tech to help dudes perform. And while the demands for your average guy are different than they were 100 years ago, the work shirt has evolved with us into a bona fide closet staple, used for layering as fall draws near and general workwear hero vibes.
Work Shirts Versus Dress Shirts: What’s the Difference?
Unlike traditional dress shirts, work shirts are, as previously mentioned, built for outdoor wear and tear, often featuring repellant qualities and heavier materials that put your average coffee-stained Oxford to shame. Other differences include dual chest pockets, oversized buttons (originally incorporated to make it easier to maneuver with work gloves on) and a relaxed or standard fit as compared to a more fitted dress shirt.
Now more than ever, they’ve been democratized into virtually every style imaginable, from preppy to proper blue-collar, all unified by a can-do attitude and some serious flexiness with a pair of loose trousers or denim cut-offs. To help you find the work shirt that’s right for you, we’ve compiled our favorites below. There are true hard-wearing pieces from Carhartt and Dickies, as well as high-fashion interpretations from labels like Drake’s and A-Cold-Wall. Below, the best work shirts for men to help you look fly on the job.
Like many of their offerings under Noah’s Babenzien, J.Crew has totally modernized the OG work shirt for 2023. That is to say, it maintains a rugged exterior, but you won’t look get clowned when you order a matcha latte while wearing it.
Filson, on the other hand, is more or less unchanged in their century-old ability to create hardwearing garments that’ll last you a lifetime. 8.5-oz. denim, reenforced forearms, Dual rear shoulder pleats — it’s enough to make even the most experienced foreman shed a tear.
Most workwear historians cite Dickies as the inventor of the modern work shirt. It probably explains why we’re so into their short-sleeve version. (That, and the fact that it’s $22. That too.)
Rosa Rugosa was spawned from multi-hyphenate Matty Matheson, so you know it’s going to be the real deal. Loving crafted in Canada from a rigid 7.5 oz twill fabric, it should easily stand up to all the grilling, motorcycle riding and other manly pursuits you partake in.
To be honest, we probably wouldn’t take this houndstooth work shirt by our friends across the pond Percival to the job site. A first date? That’s a whole other story.
Look, we never said what kind of work, okay? Made from beautiful linen madras and artistically shaped, this smock from sartorially-inclined Drake’s is for all the artists labouring away at their next masterpiece.
The military-inspired Ando Shirt may be a bit out of your average worker bee’s budget, but that doesn’t mean that the distressed overshirt can put in the hours.
We've put in the work researching, reviewing and rounding up all the shirts, jackets, shoes and accessories you'll need this season, whether it's for yourself or for gifting purposes. Sign up here for weekly style inspo direct to your inbox.
Paolo Sandoval is Commerce Editor at InsideHook, having previously contributed to Valet Mag. He writes and reports about style, running, grooming, wellness, menswear trends, cultural media and other pursuits tangential to looking and feeling like a million bucks.
