Acid wash has a complicated history and most men either avoid it entirely or get it badly wrong. The version that went wrong was the 1980s excess edition, pale and splotchy and screaming for attention. What we’re looking at here is different. These are tees where the wash treatment adds depth and character rather than noise, where the fading feels considered rather than accidental, where you actually want to wear the thing rather than explain it.

The key is restraint. The best acid wash tees work because the effect is subtle enough to read as texture rather than statement. Worn with dark jeans and a clean sneaker they look like you’ve thought about it without overthinking it. Worn under an open overshirt they add something to an otherwise flat outfit.

We’ve been selective here. Fit matters as much as the wash. A good tee in a bad fit solves nothing. These are the ones where both are right.