The Best Rugby Shirts Are Your Fall Layering Hack

We’ve been celebrating the mall brand renaissance all year, and Abercrombie & Fitch’s take on the Rugby only fans that flame. Here, the brand has eschewed some of its current trend-following design cues and wisely gone for a classic silhouette more akin to the outdoors gear it made decades ago. The result is soft, fits well, and is an affordable way to dip your toes into the world of rugby shirts without too much commitment.

Best Rugby Shirt for Brisk Fall Days: L.L.Bean Wicked Soft Cotton-Cashmere Rugby Sweater

Colors: 3 | Sizes: S-3XL | Fabric: 95% cotton, 5% cashmere

Sometimes, you need to take a rugby shirt off the pitch and into your day-to-day life. For these instances, L.L. Bean’s Wicked Soft Cotton-Cashmere Rugby Sweater has your back. Equal parts sweater polo and rugby shirt, it pairs ultra-soft cashmere with rugged looks that will kill on date night or at the Sunday flea. And somehow, it still holds up to the elements: This cashmere is machine-washable, so you don’t need to baby it if you do end up taking part in your local scrum.

Best Rugby Shirt for Fashion Guys: Wales Bonner Organic Cotton-Jersey Polo Shirt

Colors: 1 | Sizes: S-XXL | Fabric: 100% cotton

If anyone can turn prep on its head, it’s Grace Wales Bonner. Her embroidered logo, shoulder-paneled rugby shirt brings a touch of class that only designers like her can summon from such a simple silhouette (just look at her upgraded take on the Adidas Samba.) The cotton is also 100% organic, and those thin red stripes are incredibly satisfying given that most rugby shirts come in blockier stripes, if not a single block color.

Best Rugby Shirt for Preppy Goths: J.Crew Striped Placket Rugby Shirt

Colors: 3 | Sizes: XS-XXL | Fabric: 100% cotton

Available in just white, black, or a foresty green, this banger from another mall brand, J.Crew, pairs solid, quiet colors with subtly striped plackets and a pleasing, tiny stitched badge on the wrist. The soft, well-fitting cut can easily be dressed up or down, a phrase you’ve heard a lot, but is actually important this time: One of the best things about the modern J.Crew is that you really can wear it whenever, wherever, and however you want. We more than suspect that ethos comes from Creative Director (and Noah founder) Brendon Babenzien and his eclectic, prep-infused street style.

Best Rugby Shirt for the Scrum: Barbarian Traditional Collegiate Stripe Rugby Jersey

Colors: 4 | Sizes: XS-3XL | Fabric: 100% cotton