The Underrated Yet Extremely Essential Basic I'm Buying on the Cheap

There are some fashion items that are so rudimentary that I can never remember to buy them, and when I really need them and tell myself to order them, I forget as soon as I see a bright, shiny object to order instead. Know what I mean? In this case, the thing I always forget to buy but always need (this time of year especially) is long-sleeve T-shirts—both solid and striped. The ones I wear the most usually have a crew neck, and I find that owning a combination of fitted and oversize ones will do you the most service.

My observation is that long-sleeve T-shirts often get overshadowed by short-sleeve tees, sweatshirts, and sweaters. But when you need to layer or when you need something that's not too warm but not too light, your best bet is a long-sleeve tee. In case you need to be reminded just how essential they are to an outfit, I found a whole slew of examples for you. And in case you need to stock up on them, I'm sharing 18 of my current favorites, most of which are under $100. Scroll to be convinced.

This story was published at an earlier date and has since been updated.