When we covered how to roll your sleeves right for your dress shirt last week, we received some messages from readers. Most of them asked why guys don’t just wear a short sleeve shirt instead of rolling up their long sleeves to work. We decided to answer with this post.
Short Sleeve Shirts Are CASUAL
Stepping into most workplaces, you would hardly ever see men dressed in short sleeve shirts, and the main reason for that is that short sleeve shirts are considered CASUAL. According to GQ, there is no such thing as a short sleeve DRESS shirt even, so they definitely cannot be considered formal. In fact, there are maybe a handful of countries where the heat of the summer has made wearing short sleeve shirts acceptable at the workplace.
Short Sleeve Shirts And Ties Are A No-No
If you see someone in a short sleeve shirt wearing a tie, you immediately think of the NASA-control-room look, the airline pilot, Mormon missionaries or the creepy IT/geek look that TV promotes these days. However, the problem with wearing a tie with a short sleeve shirt is that it throws the balance of the look, especially in a formal situation, so avoid it like the plague in the office (though you shouldn’t be wearing short sleeves in the first place).
No Flaring Short Sleeves
With the exception of Hawaiian shirts, if you want to pull off a casual short sleeve shirt, be sure to first and foremost get the right fit for your body type. For a short sleeve shirt, take note of the sleeves themselves- they should fit well and not flare – to give a much cleaner look.
Be Bold With Your Casual Look
Since a short sleeve shirt isn’t for the office, there is no need to stick to solid and subtle colors. Feel free to add in some patterns like ginghams, checks or stripes to give your look more personality.
Overcoming The Summer Heat
You probably feel that wearing dress shirts to work during the summer months, with temperatures sky high, feels like madness. This is why you should invest in some cotton dress shirts that allow you room to breathe and do not compromise comfort for style. In the words of Cary Grant – “If I want to wear short sleeves, I just roll them up.” Rolled up sleeves looks a lot more professional than short sleeves at the workplace.
In conclusion, short sleeve shirts can be great casual wear, but stick to the long sleeve dress shirts for the workplace.