How to choose a short sleeve dress shirt for summer

If you ask us what our favorite dress shirts are, there’s a good chance that we will reference a short sleeve variety. Often made in a slightly more casual cloth and usually in a unique printed pattern, short sleeve dress shirts can be a ton of fun. But how should you go about buying a short sleeve dress shirt for summer?

Here’s the rundown on how to build one out:

Color

Stick to lighter colors for during the day and darker varieties if you intend to wear it during the evening. We tend to recommend printed patterns because they often have a very playful feel to them. However, any one of our available shirt fabrics can be made up in a short sleeve style.

But we would advise against wearing a traditional business cloth, like a pinstripe. It’s just going to look a little odd in a short sleeve cut.

Customize

For a modern look, aim for the sleeve to end mid-bicep. And definitely choose a contrast fabric for the inside of the collar (perhaps the placket too) and match to the side gusset — a short sleeve shirt looks best worn untucked so you may as well show it off.

Also, opt for a button-down collar to keep the collar points in place since you probably won’t be wearing a neck tie (just remember to unbutton these when washing).

Wrap up: buying a short sleeve dress shirt for summer

Remember, a short sleeve dress shirt will inherently be more casual than a long sleeve variety. Therefore, lean into it versus trying to dress it up. And when it’s really hot outside, feel free to wear a short sleeve shirt under a casual sport coat or summer-weight suit.

And on the topic of staying cool in your men’s attire, here’s a handy article we wrote on keeping your cool while wearing a suit or sport coat in the summer.