There’s so much variety across the different styles of henley, so they’re truly a versatile, year-round piece. When measuring the arm length for a henley shirt, use a tape measure to note the distance between your shoulder blade (the bone, not the muscle), down to the end of your wrist. If you’re looking to buy a henley thermal, I recommend going with a lighter color, like white or off-white. As a general rule, you should always put the darkest layers on the outside, with lighter layers underneath.

Henley’s are fantastic year-rounded pieces that can take the place of the common t-shirt in your wardrobe. Most brands have measurements in both cm and inches, and most tape measures have each demarcation on either side, too. Just don’t mix the two up, or else you’re in for a very odd fitting shirt.Just like t-shirts, henleys make for great layering pieces, though they should always be worn on bottom, or closest to the skin. How to Wear a Henley Shirt Long sleeve henleys are more forgiving than other types of shirts because they look fantastic with the sleeves pushed up. So even if you get the measurement slightly off, just budge the sleeves up an inch or two and you’ll look like an effortless hunk. Button Up Henley thermals should be fairly form fitting, so they should always be worn as the bottom layer, or closest to your skin.

The same style rules apply to henleys as they do t-shirts: fit is king. The shoulder seams should cut right where your shoulder blade ends (not your shoulder muscle). Any extra room through the torso and arms will swallow you up and make a henley look sloppy, just like the same oversized fit does with t-shirts. If you’re going with the solo henley, match it to the rest of your outfit like you would with a standard t-shirt. Earth tones and neutrals are always a safe bet. How to Layer a Henley Thermal In the kingdom of shirts, the henley is the baron of brawn. It’s the most rugged of the lot. It's Ryan Gosling in Drive, his white henley stained with grease at the auto shop; it's cool and effortless, nonchalant and casual, the easiest thing in your wardrobe to shrug on and style.Lightweight, raglan and off-white are all key to the James Bond look — and to styles shown by Rag & Bone, Everlane, Allsaints and Tom Ford — but there are several other ways to wear this long-forsaken classic. Here, we’ve distilled the winners from the battle of the brands.