The best short sleeve shirts will work well with casual and formal looks. After all, nothing should stop you from wearing a short sleeve shirt to work in the summer and then wearing it out straight after!
Finding the best short sleeve shirt takes more work than you might think. The most important aspect, of course, is fit, you can find muscle fit short sleeve shirts or slim fit short sleeve shirts, but there’s more to it than that. So, let’s go over everything you’ll need to know to pick out the best short sleeve shirts.
Why Buy a Short Sleeve Shirt?
Perhaps the better question is, why not buy a short sleeve shirt? They get a hard time in some fashion circles, but a short sleeve shirt is ideal for mixing business and casual. Better still, a well fitted short sleeve shirt will show off all those gains you made down the gym!
What Month is the Best Time to Buy Short Sleeve Shirts?
The best month to buy short sleeve shirts is either March or September. March works if you’re buying for the coming warmer months, as you can get your wardrobe ready in time for late spring and summer.
September onwards, however, can be an ideal time to stock up on short sleeves shirts for the following year. Plenty of companies will put them in sale to make room for winter stock, meaning you can pick up on some amazing bargains.
How Should a Short Sleeve Shirt Fit?
How a short sleeve shirt fits depends on several factors, including your body type and the overall look you want to achieve. That said, everyone should look for an appropriately fitting shirt, as baggy really isn’t a hot look.
A short sleeve shirt should have a fairly tailored look, regardless of whether you’re wearing it formally or casually. The bottom hem should be low enough that you could wear it tucked in or untucked. Ideally, it should reach the top of the pockets on a well-fitting pair of jeans and cover your bum at the back.
How Long Should Short Sleeves Be?
Sleeve-wise, you’ll want them to end about halfway down your biceps. For muscular and athletic builds, you’ll want fairly snug sleeves that don’t restrict your movement or feel too tight.
The top hem should sit just in front of your shoulders, while the yoke (the back panel) should sit just above your shoulder blades. If you plan to wear the shirt formally, you should be able to fit two fingers inside the collar when the button is done up.
Most shirts give their size based on the neck measurement. However, this isn’t a great way of sizing a shirt because you might have a large neck and smaller chest, or vice versa. Anyone who’s picked a shirt out based on their neck size will know this problem all too well.
Finally, let’s consider the buttons. After all, we’re looking at button-up shirts! It’s easy to forget that a shirt’s buttons influence its overall appearance, particularly if you’re after a tailored fit.
You want the shirt to hug the right places without the buttons gaping. This really isn’t a great look, as it clearly shows the shirt you bought is too small. There are different ways to solve this, but the easiest is to buy a shirt with some level of stretch in the fabric (more on this later).
Our Tapered Menswear short sleeve shirts tick all these boxes for muscular or athletic builds. We’ve designed them to give the right level of tailoring while not being restrictive, meaning you can show off all those hours at the gym without looking like you’ve bought a shirt that’s 3 sizes too small!
What’s the Best Material for Short Sleeve Shirts?
Short sleeve shirts look great in any material, providing the fit is right. For all-day wear, cotton is the most logical choice because it’s breathable and comfortable. Of course, finding a shirt that’s high-quality cotton is another matter entirely!
Depending on the look you want to achieve, it might be worth finding a shirt with some amount of stretch in its material. This is usually achieved through weaving in something like Elastane, the common name for synthetic fibres like Lycra and Spandex.
Our men’s short sleeve shirts are 3% Elastane to give them amazing 4-way stretch. It means our shirts hug in the right places but give you complete freedom of movement. After all, you shouldn’t have to compromise between comfort and style.
What is the Best Colour for Short Sleeve Shirts?
Choosing the best colour for your short sleeve shirt is entirely subjective. It can depend on plenty of factors, including the rest of your outfit, level of formality, and even your skin tone. Let’s go over some of the best colours for short sleeve shirts.
Blue
Blue is a pretty standard colour for shirts and works great for formal and informal looks. It goes well with a range of colours, including brown, grey, pink, and more.
We make our short sleeve shirts in light blue and navy, giving you plenty of flexibility over how you style them.
Black
You can’t go wrong with a black short sleeve shirt. It’s arguably less common for formal looks, as it can look a bit off with a black suit. For a casual look, though, a black shirt is great. Pair it with black jeans and maybe a denim jacket for a sleek everyday look.
White
Again, you can’t go wrong with white. Every man should have a well-fitting white shirt in his wardrobe because it goes with everything. While it’s entirely up to you, it’s always best to make sure the material is on the thicker side, as it’s much easier to see through a white shirt than with other colours.
Pink
Pink used to be considered a bold choice for men, but that line of thinking has pretty much died off now. It’s a great option for anyone putting together a more sophisticated look, whether you match it with a blue or grey suit or a pair of jeans.
How To Wear A Short Sleeve Shirt - Styling Tips
The most important short sleeve shirt styling tips we can give involve the fit. We’ve described this extensively above, so there’s no need to go over them again.
Short Sleeve Shirt Styles
Other than that, here are some short sleeve shirt styling tips:
- A short sleeve shirt paired with suit trousers or chinos is a great summertime business look. Consider pairing with some loafers, and leave the jacket at home!
- It’s fine to wear a short sleeve shirt with shorts, providing the shorts also fit well.
- If you’re tucking it in, be sure the fit around the waist is perfect. The last thing you want is for the material to bunch up.
- For casual looks, consider swapping the t-shirt out for a short sleeve shirt. It gives an extra edge to the outfit and makes you look much more sophisticated.
Styling a short sleeve shirt follows pretty much all the same principles as a long sleeve shirt. The only real difference is that a short sleeve shirt won’t work as well with something like a waistcoat or vest.
While nothing is stopping you from combining these two items, it might look a bit odd. If you’re adamant about wearing a vest, switch over to a long sleeve shirt instead.
Can You Wear Short Sleeves with a Suit?
Absolutely, you can shake up the suit game by slipping into short sleeves. When the sun's out or the setting leans casual, a short-sleeve shirt, when paired with a well-fitted suit, can be a standout choice. Comfort meets class in this ensemble, offering a refreshing spin on the usual suit-up routine.
Your sartorial flair is showcased, particularly when the colours are thoughtfully matched and the shirt is crisply tailored you cant even tell you're wearing short sleeves underneath!
Can I Wear a Vest With Short Sleeves?
Absolutely, a vest can be paired with a short-sleeve dress shirt for a sharp look. The traditional boundaries of menswear are actively being blurred, giving you the freedom to mix it up.
A vest worn over a crisp short-sleeve dress shirt breathes new life into classic attire, especially when you've got the right fit!
My only issue with this choice is make sure that if you are wearing a white shirt you cannot see the vest underneath, this will only happen with poor quality shirts where the fabric is more see through.
Where to Get the Best Short Sleeve Stylish Shirts
Sure, we might be biased, but we think our Tapered Menswear short sleeve shirts are the best choice for muscular or athletic men. They’re designed specifically to work for these body types, giving you a tailored look that shows off all your best assets.
Best Short Sleeve Button Down Shirts
Which colour you start with really depends on the rest of your wardrobe. But, as you can imagine, black and white are essential first steps into any shirt collection. You’ll find both in our range and they share all the same fit and material benefits combined with the quality you can expect from our brand.
Best Short Sleeve Shirts for Hot Weather
Again, there’s no one answer for the best shirts for hot weather. However, if it means a jacket off situation, we recommend going with summery colours such as light blue, pink and white. If it wasn’t already obvious, black should be a no-go unless you want to melt!
White gives the cleanest look and works well with all kinds of summer colours. You could easily pair it with some beige chinos for an Italian summer look or with some grey linen trousers for a more formal outfit. The best thing about white shirts is that they’ll go with pretty much anything and scream summer.
What Type of Short Sleeve Shirts Look Good?
Who would have thought there was so much to consider when picking out the best short sleeve shirts?
The type of short sleeve shirts that look good are right here at Tapered Menswear. This comprehensive guide provides an in-depth understanding of the appeal and utility of tapered short sleeve shirts for men.
Our shirts, celebrated for their superior fit and design, not only accentuate the wearer's physique, but also provide comfort and versatility for any occasion.
From daily wear to formal events, they blend elegance and function seamlessly. Whether you're more inclined towards classic prints, solid colours, or bold designs, there is a tapered short sleeve shirt that can meet your personal style.
Overall, for any man seeking style, comfort and a perfect fit, Tapered Menswear's short sleeve shirts are a clear choice.
Check out our Tapered Menswear collection because you won’t need to look any further for the perfect short sleeve shirt.
Our revolutionary cut provides a 10" drop from chest to waist.
Fully fitted in chest and shoulders whilst tapering sharply down, giving a tailored look. No more bagginess in the waist.
Enhanced Darts
Expertly tailored darts at the back, for the perfect fit.
Stretch Cotton
Super soft, breathable and allows complete freedom of movement.
Perfect for the office.
With our non obtrusive logo stitched subtly on the wrist makes our TAPERED Fit Shirt ideal for formal occasions.
Tapered Fit Shirts are the true solution to your shirt fitting problem. If you want a shirt that fits your body like it should, check out or best selling shirt here
