Ah, the T-shirt. The most simple and versatile of garments, worn by everyone from Mr James Dean to Bart Simpson. There is perhaps nothing in your wardrobe that has the ability to show (or hide) your personality quite like it. Whether you prefer yours printed with an artful statement or sweat-wicking enough to make a morning jog a modicum more pleasurable, a good collection of tees is a non-negotiable part of modern life (even if modern life at the moment consists of long walks to the fridge in between Netflix and Zoom marathons). As you’ll see in the variety of the crop that the MR PORTER team have chosen below, the perfect T-shirt means something different to everyone, and that’s something that will never change.

There are not many items of clothing as iconic as the Breton stripe tee. Having come to MR PORTER from the art world, Messrs Pablo Picasso and Andy Warhol immediately spring to mind as gents who embraced and owned the horizontal stripe. And for good reason – it’s as stylish as it is classic, not to mention a grown-up way of wearing a graphic print. So, here’s my treat to myself, a tee that can take me from smart to casual effortlessly. If you’re carrying a bit of excess, like me, avoid too wide a stripe and anything too fitted. Keep it breezy, which is apt, given that I’m in isolation beside the sea.

It makes sense that the last word in T-shirts, for me at least, should come proudly bearing its name. Patagonia’s iconic Responsibili-Tee is made from a 50/50 blend of both recycled cotton and post-consumer polyester. As such, there’s a hefty, substantial weight to the fabric, but without the high impact that fast fashion can have on the planet. It’s also a versatile piece, which will keep you warm when it’s not quite as balmy outside – or in the other room, where your housemate has left the window open – as you thought.

Let’s not be pretentious about this: a beloved T-shirt should be like that no-nonsense, judgement-free best pal who is there for you no matter what, even when the chips are really down. It will merrily absorb spaghetti Bolognese spills, dry your sweat (and, perhaps, tears) on an unfinished half marathon and silently nurse you through an apocalyptic hangover. Nike may have intended to craft sportswear tees for serious fitness freaks, but from gamers to broken-hearted weekend boozers, the brand furnishes a far broader church than that.

My choice T-shirt for the summer has to be this knitted stripe number from Mr P. Made in Italy from linen, it’s the perfect all-round piece for those warmer moments as you can wear it with a tailored pair of navy pleated trousers for a smarter feel or washed jeans for something a bit more relaxed. Roll on those lazy summer evenings…

A few months into my new job at MR PORTER, I treated myself to a Dries Van Noten T-shirt. While I not-so-patiently waited for it to arrive, I found myself doubting my first proper Fashion-with-a-capital-F purchase. I couldn’t figure out whether I’d bought it because I actually loved it or if I just wanted to be the sort of person who wore Dries Van Noten (sidenote: the sort of people who wear Dries Van Noten are the style standard we should all be aiming for). When it did finally land on my doorstep, I quickly realised it was the former. Trying it on only deepened my devotion; it is, and remains, the best-quality T-shirt that I’ve ever owned. I’ll be adding this one, with a starkly pretty print collage by artist Ms Mika Ninagawa and graphic designer Yoshirotten, to my growing collection next.