There’s never been a better time to re-up on the best short-sleeve shirts for men. Yes, it might have been a stormier spring, but with Memorial Day in the rear-view mirror, it’s only a matter of time before your tees start feeling a little too thick, and your shirtsleeves a little too long. And on that day, there will only be one cure for it: the short-sleeve shirt.
Once mostly just a canvas for kitschy prints, florals, and retro stripes, today’s best short-sleeve shirts are anything but attention-seeking. These days, the real flex is in the fabric. Open-weave knits and fine cottons let you make a statement that isn’t just “Look at me!” In 2026, camp collars aren’t as hot as they used to be—crisp point collars are rising in popularity. The look is a little sharper, a little more confident, and a lot less Assistant-to-the-Regional-Manager than you’d think. Regardless, from louche linen numbers to chest-pocketed work shirts, there’s no shortage of ways to wear one.
To that end, we’ve rounded up a few of our favorite short-sleeve shirts, across all the categories that matter most. If you’re in the market for a superlative summer shirt, you’re in the right place.
The Summer Short-Sleeve Shirt Hit List
In This Guide
Button-Up Shirts
So you’ve OD’d on camp collars the past few summers and feel like sharpening things up. Time to pivot. Enter: the classic-collar short-sleeve button-up. No, it won’t make you look like Blake from Workaholics or Milton from Office Space—unless you pair it with pleated khakis and a Swingline stapler. Worn open over a tee on weekends or under a jacket at work (to then heroically reveal your short sleeves when things heat up), the standard short-sleeve shirt—in madras, seersucker, chambray, whatever—will complement most anything you’re wearing, and help you still present as tailored, even in the shirt equivalent of a tee.
