Here at Coolector HQ, we’ve got a low tolerance for inauthentic gear. We’re talking about those big-box brands, owned by even bigger holding companies, that cut corners and churn out apparel that just misses the mark. So, when we find a brand that started for all the right reasons, we take notice. Enter PONCHO, an Austin, Texas-based outfit that’s making the sort of shirts we actually want to wear.

This isn’t a brand born in a boardroom. It was born outdoors, founded by a team of lifelong outdoorsmen—the sort of guys who hear “extra buck” and instinctively think of whitetails, not profit margins. The origin story is pure gold: founder Clay, a former Alaskan fishing guide, got terminally fed up with the fishing shirts available. He was tired of apparel that fit like “parachutes at best, and trash bags at worst,” cluttered with useless loops and straps that only got in the way.

Upon returning to civilisation, he got to work, operating under a mantra we can fully get behind: ‘everything you need, nothing you don’t.’ The result was The Original Poncho fishing shirt, a piece that finally balanced performance, comfort, and a fit you’d actually be seen in.

Today, the small Austin team has expanded that ethos beyond fishing, crafting premium shirts for hunters, ranchers, bull riders, pitmasters, and frankly, anyone who isn’t afraid to roll up their sleeves. PONCHO is making shirts for the best days of your life. Check out 15 of the best below: