Searching for the Perfect Colored T-Shirt

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Scrolling through the endless bounds of the internet in recent weeks, I came across Colorful Standard, yet another one of those Scandanavian minimalist clothing brand (like Norse Projects, or Stutterheim) with one slight twist: they offer every item in stock in more than 20 different colorways.

The brand seems to split the divide that the more trend-driven clothing world appears headed toward. On one side, you have a bloc of brands longing to create high-quality lines of basics for those who aim to be understated and let the quality shine through. On the other side, you have the booming streetwear sector and all its polychromes and heavy graphics. Colorful Standard, a Danish brand, takes what it likes from both sides: timeless silhouettes and sturdy materials from the former, bright colors and an affinity for leisurewear from the latter.

Founder Tue Deleuran says he started Colorful Standard because he found it “hard to find really good colors in most fashion brands,” a fact I found to be painfully true when putting together this article. While many brands offer a few seasonal colors in their tees, finding a wide variety of rich, unique colors is not an easy task. Among fast-fashion brands, it’s a little easier, but you lose a good deal of quality and typically have to compromise any ethical concerns you have about how your clothing is made. Colorful Standard makes their clothing from 100% Organic Cotton and crafts it in Portugal, a region well known for sustainable textile handiwork.

Across all its product lines, Colorful Standard stocks a bevy of colors, from Paradise Peach to Petrol Blue to Bubblegum Pink, plus all the classics. This fact rings true especially when considering the excessively Scandanavian answer Deleuran gives us when asked why he started the brand: “It would be way nicer if everyone dressed in vivid colors instead of all of us just wearing black.”

I couldn’t agree more. Sure those white, black and grey staples are necessary, but so is a little something to show off some personality, to provide some contrast with your skin tone or eye or hair color from time to time. Don’t be the guy who is always wearing pastel shades; don’t be the guy who only abides the monochromatic. Instead, be the guy who always keeps a couple lurid, singularly cool colors in the chamber for when the occasion calls.

And the humble T-shirt is the gold standard for letting yourself run a little wild with the color spectrum. When done in nice fabrics and tailored cuts — like the ones you’ll find below — a tee can be casual and playful while still holding up an air of sophistication. If you wear a bright yellow hoodie or pink sweatpants, people might not take you seriously. But by all means dip your toe into the exotic color game with a purple tee.

Here are a couple of our favorite options from Colorful Standard, along with 10 tees from other brands that make particularly interesting hues of cloth.