As I scour the market to put together pieces on the very best men’s style essentials to amp up your wardrobe — and my own, of course — I tend to look for brands that put a distinct spin on tried-and-true favorites. Take one of the best men’s henleys, for instance. Yes, it’s a rugged classic that stands the test of time and looks great on any guy. And yes, you can find options aplenty through one of the best online menswear brands — Billy Reid, of course (a longtime favorite of this Brooklyn style blog).

But can something as functional as a henley be reinvented in a way that’s ever-so-slightly (just slightly!) refined? The team at Billy Reid — led by the Alabama-based design icon himself, of course — seems to think that yes, one of the best henleys for men can get a fresh outlook, a new feel, and with the Billy Reid Slub Tuck Henley, I’d say they’re absolutely correct.

Just like the famed Billy Reid Bond Peacoat — which was recently updated for spring in a new waxed cotton design — the right tried-and-true staples of rugged everyday men’s fashion feel a little more elegant in the hands of Billy Reid. And the award-winning designer’s new Billy Reid Slub Tuck Henley is the right middle ground between ultra-rugged and just refined enough, with details that elevate it above the average piece of knitwear.

The Billy Reid Slub Tuck Henley uses a slub 100 percent cotton fabric for texture and visual appeal, but that fabrication also gives it a sort of year-round weight: As ready to wear on its own or beneath a denim jacket on cool spring nights as it might be when paired with a midweight flannel shirt come early fall or even mid-winter.

In fact, the use of trochus buttons also gives this henley a bit of an elevated touch. How’s that for a new twist on a reliable standby?

The elongated three-button placket also gives the handsome Billy Reid Slub Tuck Henley the appeal of a band-collar shirt: Feel free to wear it underneath a Billy Reid blazer, for instance, if the mood strikes you. The Lichen Green color is a personal favorite of mine, with an earthy appeal that pairs as readily with light wash denim as it does with dark brown chinos or perhaps even light khaki chino shorts.

With its lightweight, textured and substantial yet airy fabric, pls elevated details beyond even the best men’s henleys, I’d say the new Billy Reid Slub Tuck Henley has all the bells and whistles needed to amp up your casual layering game this season, this summer and well beyond.