As the weather heats up, you may be tempted to put on a short-sleeve button-up shirt, if anything but to air out your sweaty pits. Let’s face it, when it’s sweltering out, rolling up your long-sleeve shirt just ain’t gonna cut it.
The thing is, the short-sleeve button-up can be a tricky thing to pull off right, and unless you know what you’re doing, it can very well be your biggest warm-weather fashion disaster. But have no fear, for Alice is here with some pointers on how to wear short-sleeve shirts to help you look and stay cool, with your dignity intact.
Right: J.Crew
Don't: Baggy and saggy, with sleeves that pitch out at an angle like a tent.
Do: Get the fit right. Always make sure that the shirt’s shoulder seam hits squarely on the edge of your actual shoulder, and that the rest of the shirt fits trim but never tight.
The sleeve is obviously an important detail to nail, so be sure that it fits close to your arm with just enough room to help you move. There’s no chance that you’ll be sprouting extra arms, so no need to have all that excess fabric.
DON’T: Wear a shirt that’s too long (on the body and sleeves).
DO: Keep the right hem balance. Short sleeve shirts are best worn untucked or casually tucked. That means you don’t want the shirt hem to fall too low or too short, but hit just the right length, around midpoint between your waist and crotch. If you can see a couple of inches of the fly stitching at the bottom, you’re in good shape.
For your sleeve hem, aim around the mid-bicep level.
Right: J.Crew
DON’T: Button all the way up. This can be pulled off as an edgy/arty look for the fashion-forward/creative set, but if you don’t run with that crowd and/or don’t have the attitude to make it work, you’ll just look hella dorky, and not in an ironic way, either.
ASOS
DO: Keep the top two buttons open to underscore the laid-back vibe. Undoing just the top button tends to look a bit stiff, but two hits just the right balance. Any more than that, you just crossed the line from cool to tool (don’t be that guy). Bonus style points for rolling up the sleeve hem for a little attitude.
Right: J.Crew
DON’T: Wear the slinky stuff – leave that to dad (but do steer him away from it if you can).
DO: Keep things tailored and current with shirts cut from softly washed fabrics like cotton, linen, poplin, oxford, and chambray – just like your favorite long-sleeved sport shirts, but summer-ized with a shortened sleeve.
Right: Antony Morato
DON’T: Be afraid of the Island Shirt (except this scary one on the left).
DO: Celebrate the easy spirit of warm weather with a splash of flowers and plants (tropical theme optional)… or any kind of print, for that matter. It’s a good time to show some playfulness and have a little fun. As long as you get the fit right, it’s pretty hard to mess up on the print – yes, even ones with pineapples and dancing hula girls.
Now stay cool and enjoy your summer!
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