I was at a Target in suburban New Jersey last Tuesday at 8: 17 AM looking for a navy button-down shirt I learned was secretly coveted by men’s style insiders. Target stopped selling it online and couldn’t find it at my local Target in Brooklyn either. I wore the olive one to a press event last week and got sized up by an impeccably dressed menswear buyer at Bloomingdale’s – this guy moves thousands of dollars of product every month for Christ’s sake – and he approached me while I was nibbling on a cheese plate to ask where I got it. “Target,” I replied.
He made me physically turn around so he could inspect the label. Then I knew I needed to own all the colours of these shirts. When I located a helpful sales associate in Jersey to help me track it down, she gave me a pitying look when I explained my predicament. “You drove all the way from Brooklyn for a $25 shirt?” Trust me friend, I questioned my life decisions too.
But here’s the thing about the weird world of men’s fashion: nobody else at the fancy retail stores these guys work at knows that there’s basically a consensus in the industry that certain items from Target’s Goodfellow & Co line are basicallyburglasses.It’s not sponsored, by the way – but, Target advertising team if you’re reading this, please feel free to send over a gift card. I just find it remarkable that every time I go to market week, a trade show, or any other industry-hosted function I always notice Target products on stylish industry folk who can literally afford to wear whatever they want whenever they want.
Take: trade shows.
I first realised something was up three years ago when I complimented a very particular and often snobby vintage dealer on his white t-shirt. It was perfection. Exactly boxy enough with the thickest cotton that still maintained that ever-so-subtle – that can’t really be a word but let’s pretend it is-shirtiness” – and slimmest slaveway wider than your average ubiquitous unbru unstained Target shirt, so it didn’t look like a generic undershirt. “Goodfellow,” he said smugly as I gawked. “Six bucks on clearance.
I bought two dozen.” It became this little game I like to play at these things ever since. “Spot the Target.” Granted, I usually win, but whenever I find something just that slightly less obvious I delight in texting coworkers. “I can’t EVEN. Why does that jumper look so familiar?” Anyway. Enough anecdotes.
You’re probably wondering what else the stylish folks are secretly shoppings at Target. And why these things consistently sell out. I asked around (literally – texted my industry friends) and talked to nearly a dozen men’s industry folks (some asked to remain anonymous because their jobs involve selling you wayyy more expensive versions of similar products) to compile this definitive list of Target men’s products with serious street cred.
First up: Goodfellow & Co’s Slim Fit Short Sleeve Button-Down Shirts ($19.99). Hear me out when I say that these might be the best fitting ready-to-wear summer shirts you can find for under $25. The cotton feels thicker than it has any right to – which is why so many box-store-brand shirts look like they’re made out of tissue paper.
They fit exceptionally well through the body – and aren’t too slim so they’re actually comfy – but most important: the sleeves are slim and fit close to your arm rather than puff out at the elbow like most other “button downs” trying to make you look like Jim Crockett. They come in simple conservative patterns and colours (small cheques, simple prints) which I actually appreciate because you can wear them with literally anything. “A lot of my clients are tall with bigger frames so I buy them in XL Tall,” one stylist I know who works with several NBA players told me. “They honestly fit better than a lot of the custom shirts I try.” The Standard Fit Sensory Friendly Jumper ($29.99) is one of the most talked about closet staples in knitwear circles. First launched by Target as part of their sensory-friendly adaptive clothing line, the intention was for these garments to use tagless labels, less stitching (and therefore seams), and be made from softer cotton to help kids with autism and sensory issues who might be bothered by traditional clothing.
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The unintended-yet-golden surprise? They feel insane. A friend of mine who works as an environmental sustainability expert at one of the biggest luxury brands in Europe told me on condition of anonymity he buys them out in every colour. “These are literally the same quality as our jumpers that sell for $350,” he said. “It’s insane.” Trevor (yes, that same college roommate I’ve referenced in like half of these articles) who now works as a fabric developer at Ralph Lauren texted me last autumn when he found them: “Why the fuck does this $30 Target jumper feel better than half our shit we’re making?” It’s not all shirts, either.
Target’s Goodfellow & Co Slim Fit Henley T-Shirt ($12) is another sleeper hit. Henleys are hard to pull off – I get ruined for you.” part? ), but Target somehow managed to do it. “I see them all the time,” one fashion director for menswear runway shows admitted to me. “We’ll have these dudes walking around in thousands of dollars of apparel for the presentation and then they’re wearing a Target henley because it fits so much better than the ones you can buy up here.” The material is stretchy enough to be comfortable, but doesn’t lose its shape, and the buttons don’t gap like they often do with cheaper versions. Go Big Boy, go.
Target’s Goodfellows Slim Fit Chino Trousers ($30) are respected for one reason and one reason only: they’re basically flagrant ripoffs of higher end styles. “We use these in photo shoots all the time,” one editor told me who will remain nameless…but works at a major men’s magazine. “I’ll have us shooting a $600 blazer with a $400 shoe and we’ll grab a pair of these chinos because they look almost identical to the expensive ones under photograph.” That’s because they are! From the weight of the fabric to how they actually drape on your body to tiny details like the front slash pockets and button-through back pockets, these guys got it right. Hell, even their accessories are getting spotted.
Their Goodfellow Aviator Sunglasses ($15) are beloved by folks that constantly lose or break expensive pairs. (Hi, it’s me.) “These shit,” a showroom manager at a high-end eyewear brand said laughing. “They’re obviously not the same, but come’on!” He later told me he keeps a pair in his car at all times. “If I need some cheap-ass sunglasses for basic UV protection and don’t want to feel stupid in raccoon sunglasses I’d much rather pay $15 and have them look decent versus $200 for something I might leave in my car and find smashed next week.” Even their Goodfellow Flex Wrinkle-Free Dress Shirt ($25) is a thing. “Packable, easy to care for, and they actually don’t look like shit on TV,” a celebrity stylist who requested anonymity because let’s be real.. IF YOU WORK WITH FAMOUS PEOPLE PEOPLE KNOW WHO YOU ARE. told me when I asked why he stocks up on them for clients’ travels. “I swear by them for travel,” he said. “They layer well, don’t wrinkle (even when they say they do), and are cheap enough that I don’t mind if they lose them or give them away.” Speaking of under $25, my latest obsession is their Pair of Thieves SuperFit Boxer Briefs ($15 for 2 pack). Look.
I’ve tried every premium brand of underwear out there. And I’m still trying – all in pursuit of finding the Holy Grail of everyday underwear. And I’m here to report that we may have found it.
Pair of Thieves’ bfs are – quite simply – the best.
The cotton/modal/spandex blend moves with you all day long, they don’t roll at the waist, and actually prevent the dreaded thigh ride up that most underwear fails to stop. Even my denim bro-buyer at Bloomingdale’s noticed them on me when I pulled my trousers up to reach for something high up on a shelf last week. “Pair of Thieves from Target, huh?” he said. “Best you can buy, seriously.” Hell if I know.
All I know is that between my stylish industry friends and I, we’ve managed to deduce that there’s something uniquely satisfying about stuff that fits, looks good, and doesn’t break the bank from Target. People in the fashion industry are the last ones you’d expect to tell you where to shop based on value. But somehow, Target got it right.
Sure, they have hits. They have plenty of misses too. Their suit separates will never fly in industry circles, their shoes (with few exceptions) are cheap for a reason, and same rule applies with their denim: some cuts work, most don’t.
But the stuff that blows my mind – and clearly the minds of all these closet insiders – works because Target hits this weird sweet spot where the product is good enough that nobody complains they got something at Target but it’s cheap enough that you don’t care if they do. Unlike your Grandfather Window shirting at Marshall’s or your Downtown Premium White Shirt at H&M, you can style these Target items with things that are expensive and no one is the wiser. Target quietly sells you some of the best apparel money can buy, and style experts are nodding along because while the target may be literal bullseyes, their aims are far from foolish.
