I confess it here and now. I’m an unabashed fan of the T-shirt.

The majority of my time is spent in uniform, one that wasn’t designed to be particularly comfortable. The fabric doesn’t breathe at all because it has to be extremely tear-resistant, and the pattern was cut by someone who has no clue about how the human body works.

When I get off work, the first thing I do is take a shower and then put on something more comfortable. For me, this is a pair of worn-in Levis, a battered set of Sperry Topsiders, and a white V-neck T-shirt.

I’m not allowed to wear only a white T-shirt in public (it’s a violation of uniform regulations, which extend to “civilian attire”) because a white T-shirt is considered to be an undergarment. To be honest, I don’t know any men my age who wear a white T-shirt under any other shirts, save for the occasional dress shirt. I’d certainly never thought of it as an undergarment growing up, but if that’s the way things have to be for another three months, I can handle it.

So when I go out, that white T-shirt is covered up by another layer. I’ve come to love my shirts from Threadless, not only for the design, but for their comfort factor. They’ve retained their shape after several washings, a testament to the time put into planning the cut and knit of the shirt.

My collection only extends to three shirts at the moment (The Communist Party, Canada Owes Me, and Damn Scientists), but I hope to get a few more in the future. There’s really something for everybody, including the disgruntled commuter, the ironic history buff with a sweet tooth, the cute nerd who plays with words, and the film buff/Simon and Garfunkel fan.

I’ll occasionally wear a polo, which was I once saw described as a T-shirt with a true collar and buttons. I’ve got a few tennis polos by Head (the racquet company) which fit the bill, but I don’t prefer them the way I do T-shirts.

So what is it about white T-shirts that I love so much?

It doesn’t have anything to do with the James Dean look from Rebel Without A Cause. Heck, Dean’s red jacket, white t-shirt, jeans, and loafers ensemble wasn’t even the best one he wore in that film. This was.

Dean isn’t even the first actor I think of when the words “white t-shirt” pop in my head. Marlon Brando is, but I’m not trying to imitate his style, either.

I think it just comes down to two things, simplicity of design, and purity of color. The jeans and white t-shirt look really is timeless if done correctly, and paired with the right accessories (shoes, belt, and a jacket) it can hang with the very best in casual wear.

I’m chomping at the bit to wear one again - at the beginning of the summer I picked up a vintage seersucker jacket, made by a local tailor, which will add just the right amount of Gregory Peck/Atticus Finch to temper the slightly rough-and-tumble look.