Baseball Tee: How the Raglan Sleeve Moves

In 1815, at the Battle of Waterloo, a British officer named FitzRoy Somerset lost an arm. Decades later, as Lord Raglan prepared for the Crimean War, he brought the problem to his tailor John Emary, the founder of Aquascutum, who cut the sleeve and shoulder as one continuous piece. That is the whole origin of the baseball tee, and I find it oddly touching.

The diagonal seam from armpit to collar is the raglan. It found a home in baseball because the roomy shoulder suits throwing, and the contrast color came later: Vogue traces it to players' practice shirts in the 1960s, with teams wearing their identifying colors. By the 1970s, Led Zeppelin, AC/DC and the Rolling Stones were selling raglan tees at their concerts.

A quick test for any one you own: lift your arm over your head and watch the diagonal seam that runs from underarm to collar. If it lies flat and the shoulder does not bunch, the fit is right. If fabric piles up at the neck, try a size down.

This is the version closest to the original, a pale body with sleeves in a second color. Daydreamer's Star Raglan Sleeve Baseball Tee is cream with wine three-quarter sleeves and small stars on the sleeve. Free People's Lacey Raglan Top swaps in periwinkle sleeves with a lace texture, which makes it the softest of the four. We The Free's 2nd Base Three-Quarter Sleeve Tee is cream with brown sleeves and a brown ringer neckline, and Darlin's Old Skool Raglan Tee is a white pinstripe with navy sleeves, a red collar and a chest wordmark. Tip: pick the sleeve color that already lives in your closet, because it will go with more than the cream does.

Stripes make a baseball tee feel a little more grown up. Veronica Beard's Mason Baseball Tee is long sleeved in navy, plum and cream stripes with a navy collar, and it is the one I would wear under a blazer. LIONESS's Bloom Striped Baseball T-Shirt is fitted and slightly cropped, with gray stripes on the raglan sleeves. Frankies Bikinis' Game Day Pointelle Baseball Tee is a cream pointelle knit with navy and lavender striped sleeves, and LESET's Margo is white cotton with coral sleeves and collar in a relaxed fit. What I would skip: pairing a striped sleeve with a striped skirt. Let the tee be the pattern.

Once the weather turns, long sleeves earn their place. In August 2025 Zoë Kravitz wore a baseball tee in New York with a sheer midi skirt and black ballet flats, per Who What Wear, and that is the outfit I would copy with any of these. LIONESS's Kravitz Baseball Tee is cream with crimson sleeves and collar and an asymmetric hem, while the brand's Bronx Long Sleeve Top is pale blue with deeper sky-blue sleeves, fitted and cropped. We The Free's Tinsley First Base Long-Sleeve Tee is an oversized cream slub tee with coral-red sleeves and a rounded hem. EDIKTED's Tommi is a fitted gray cotton tee with stretch and black sleeves and neckline. Tip: wear the oversized Tinsley half tucked into straight jeans, and keep the fitted ones for under a jacket.

These four are shorter, and they like high waists. The Laundry Room's Cherries Embroidery Raglan Baby Tee is a cropped bone tee with red cap sleeves and tiny embroidered cherries. Daydreamer's Number One Raglan Tee is cropped white with coral three-quarter sleeves and a small graphic, and the brand's Star Cropped Raglan Sleeve Tee has bright blue cap sleeves and little stars. Anna Sui's Raglan Cropped Tee is cream with black three-quarter sleeves and a pink star logo. Tip: a cropped baseball tee looks sharpest with a waistband that sits at your natural waist, so the gap is a sliver, not a stripe.

These look like they have already been worn for years, which is the point. Daydreamer's Pine Ridge Cubs Burnout Raglan Tee is washed indigo with three-quarter sleeves and script lettering. The brand's On Base Burnout Raglan Tee is faded white with washed blue sleeves and a New York graphic, and its It's Bigger in Texas version pairs vintage white with nutmeg sleeves. Ragabond's Love Letters Raglan Tee is a faded charcoal-olive with cream long sleeves and script embroidery. Tip: let a washed tee stay loose over leggings or wide denim. These look wrong when pressed and tucked.

When I shop for a baseball tee, I look at the seam before the color. A raglan sleeve was invented so an arm could move, and when the seam sits right, the tee feels like nothing. Then choose the contrast: a sleeve color you already own in a sweater or a bag will make the tee look planned. If you only buy one, start with cream and a darker sleeve, because it works from a ballpark to a dinner.