Think back to your first runs, when you still huffed and puffed through a 5K, glancing at your watch every minute and wishing it would stop. You’d reach down and touch your shirt—soft, a little damp, and almost certainly made of cotton. These days low-tech, plain-Jane cotton is something of a has-been, replaced by new-fangled synthetics and resurgent natural fibers like merino. But despite cotton’s drawbacks, there’s still a lot to love.
Some of our favorites, like a. Patagonia’s Flying Fish Organic Cotton ($35), are as simple as running itself. It’s printed with quirky, beautiful, outdoors-inspired graphics.
If blending in is more your speed, the soft-touch, made-in-the-USA b. American Giant Premium V-Neck ($37) is a solid option. Its heavier fabric, double-stitched neckline, and reinforced seams help it stand up to…
