How To Style This Season’s Short Sleeve Shirt Trend
Marmite, man repeller, dad fashion. Whatever you want to call it, this is a trend that’s going to be divisive. If your initial thoughts are “absolutely not”, bear with, it is really rather wearable. The short sleeve shirt is everywhere right now, from the collections of Givenchy, Gucci and Stella McCartney to mid-range brands like Matteo and Farm Rio. As with most trends, there are varying levels of wearing it, from full-on American dad on holiday – palm-inspired prints and embroidered vintage logos – to more feminine and understated Broderie Anglaise, pastels and block colour linens.
You only have to see the holiday posts from Insta stars such as stylist Angie Smith and content creator Lucy Wiliams to be inspired on how to wear them, from over a ribbed bikini on the beach to wide-leg trousers for breezy summer days.
It’s worth looking to some great independent brands who, we feel, are doing the trend best. There’s Tombolo, which is primarily a menswear brand but crosses over into womenswear nicely, whose USP is the cabana shirt. They have so many styles to choose from, from blue and white linen designs that make us want to book a holiday to Santorini immediately, to vintage-esque chocolate brown silk with sweet embroidered palm trees and monkeys. Orton is another brand delivering the trend, we particularly love their fruity embroidered option – perfect slung over a colour-popping one-piece and a zesty-hued sarong.
Scroll to shop our favourites and for three easy outfit ideas…
Look 1: Paired With Summer Tailoring
Scandi brands do genderless fashion so well and we have fallen hard for Swedish brand A Day’s March’s collaboration with artist Lisa Larsson. Her Bon Vivant linen shirt is peppered with embroidered illustrations that has us daydreaming of long lazy lunches in warm cobbled streets of southern Europe – think lemons, fish and bottles of vino.
We love it worn open over a white ribbed vest and paired with loose fitting off-white slacks for a polished edge. Raffia and gold accessories will elevate the look for the perfect vacay dinner date look.
Look 2: A Printed Co-ord
Stylist Angie Smith’s summer wardrobe is something else – if there’s one person on the ‘gram guaranteed to make us part with money for clothes, it is her.
Here she wears Align’s Halen shirt with matching shorts over a simple, classic black bikini for an easy beach look. Whilst the tropical print is pretty vibrant – fruit, seashells, palm trees – the ice cream colour palette keeps it soft and easy to wear if you’re just looking to dip your toe into the trend. Plus, you will get plenty of wear out of each piece separately, which just makes fashion maths sense.
Look 3: Glam Evening Look
Proving the short sleeve shirt can be glamorous is Alémais with their stunning Trippy Troppo print. On the surface it looks a little like an Italian-inspired tile print, but look closely and you’ll see charming motifs of fish, mermaids and toucans.
Style with barely-there sandals and a colour popping zesty bag
BEST OF THE REST
From blow the budget investment pieces to high street heroes and indie brands you’ll treasure forever, these are the brands doing the short sleeve shirt trend well…
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