Thermal Shirts

Dressing in layers is the best way to stay warm over the course of a chilly season. Make no mistake, despite LA's reputation as being nothing but sunny, it does tend to get a bit nippy at night around this time of year. But layers don’t have to mean inconvenient sweatshirts and bunched-up sweaters that leave you reliving the days as a 5 year old in those awful suits you bundled up in for snowball fights.

Let’s face facts:

If warmth were your only concern, you would find yourself stealing Granddad’s BenGay-scented long johns, throwing on an overcoat and justifying your appearance to your girlfriend by citing cold weather or a bad back. Au contraire; as winter arrives, designers have gone out of their way to make some really sharp-looking and versatile thermals for guys who want the perfect hybrid of style and utilitarianism


American Eagle

You have 11 colors to choose from with this form-fitting and cozy cotton-blend fashion staple. And its subtle collar makes it very stylish, yet convenient at the same time. The price is just right too, so however you plan to incorporate it into your look this season, pick up at least two of these in neutral colors so you can wear it alone or use it as the backdrop for your layered, J.Crew catalog-look with a sweater vest or jacket and scarf.

Salvage

Salvage is selling a really unique version of a thermal shirt. This one comes in a pewter-looking gray with black lettering and a few vintage-style white specs, leaving its wearer looking pretty sharp with some jeans and possibly a cool motorcycle jacket. The key differentiator with this design is its ultra-thin texture combined with a touch of polyester to maintain its sleek shape, while still holding in the warmth as any quality thermal should.

Lucky Brand

Lucky Brand has a tag on this camouflage two-button henley that reads “Regulation Issue Gear.” This year, Southern California-based Lucky is not messing around in marketing their version of a 1960s vintage military-issue top. Aside from its obvious, classically cool yet subtle-enough-to-blend-in color scheme, the buttons add a bit of personality when worn undone and stretched out in V-neck style; the loose hem is really popular with a pair of flat-front chinos in army green or brown.

GUESS?

GUESS? always differentiates itself by adding its own little finishing touch on basic items. For example, their men’s jeans tend to have smaller seams at the bottom hem and the back pockets tend to be cut slightly different than the competition. GUESS? takes the run-of-the-mill T-shirt, substitutes some great quality lightweight cotton, uses an extra-petite collar and a unique print, and manages to sell a ton of something in a snap. Why should their split-neck T-shirt be any different? This thermal top splits the thin-seamed collar into a V-neck and has a trademark GUESS? stylish print across the left half of the chest. The final product is more simple than some of the others being worn around town, but a far cry from boringly basic.

Splendid Mills

Its unique cotton-blend makes this shirt softer than anything else, and the white stitching accentuates the seams quite nicely, giving it a nice touch without trying too hard to be trendy.