The overshirt occupies a space in a wardrobe that most men don’t fully appreciate until they have a good one. It’s not quite a shirt, not quite a jacket, and that ambiguity is exactly what makes it useful. Wear it open over a tee and it reads as casual but considered. Button it up and it functions almost like a light layer on its own. Cotton specifically is where we’ve focused here, because the right cotton overshirt has a weight and drape that more technical fabrics never quite replicate. It softens with wear. It looks better the third time you reach for it than it did the first. We’ve been looking at cuts that sit well across the shoulders without swamping the torso, and fabrics that don’t go shapeless after a few washes. Chambray, brushed cotton, oxford weaves. Each one earns its place for a different reason. These are the ones worth adding to a rotation and actually wearing out.