You’ve almost certainly got one. If you’re smart, you’ll have about five on a perpetual rotation in your wardrobe. But what are the best ways to wear a white T-shirt?

The most staple of your wardrobe’s staples is also its most versatile: it dresses up, it dresses down, it’s the blank canvas around which you can you build any outfit. That range brings with it, however, a wide margin for error, too – misjudge the fit or what your wear it with and you look less Marlon Brando, more off-duty David Brent.

To decode this seemingly blank slate, we’ve spoken to industry insiders for ways to wear the white tee, wherever you’re heading.

Open Shirt + White Tee + Dark Jeans

Layering is an art. And the white tee should be the canvas, says Laurent Coulier, head of menswear at Menlook: “Wear the T-shirt under an open casual shirt. There’s an element of tailoring involved, but the unbuttoned touch ensures your look is relaxed.”

Effortlessness isn’t the only benefit. “Staples such as a white tee and black jeans anchor colour and prints, so feel free to mix it up,” says Coulier. “Plus, several buttons fastened around the middle can provide a more continental option.”

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Tucked In White Tee + Trousers

Smart-casual dress codes can be difficult to navigate. Let a white tee be your pilot. “Tuck a crew neck tee into a pair of smart, relaxed-leg trousers,” says Coulier. “It nods to 1950s menswear, but can be updated with a pair of classic sneaks and a neutral worker’s jacket.”

If you’ve not yet dabbled in wide legs, tapered trousers work too. Just make sure the tee is snug (it helps if you know your way around a treadmill).

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White Tee + Selvedge Jeans

James Dean’s go-to move has outlived him. But by updating your cuts, you can bite his classic style in a contemporary way. “Take it back to basics with a slightly oversized white tee and a pair of indigo, selvedge jeans,” says Coulier.