Short Sleeve Madras Shirt

The right to bare arms

It seems that for many of us states side, Mother Nature skipped over spring and kicked summer into full thrust. Usually when summer hits, guys get lazy and tend to wear shorts and t-shirts… and that’s cool if you are just lounging at home watching baseball. Should you need to venture into public to meet with friends, however, it’s time to put on some real clothes. A get together at a bar for happy hour can easily lead to a night on the town, and shorts and a tee just aren’t going to cut it. Polo shirts are one alternative, but another is the short sleeve button down shirt. Like polo shirts, the short sleeve button down has caught a lot of flack over the years. When done poorly, you either look like a NASA control room technician from the 60′s or a Mormon missionary… and that’s cool if you are indeed one of those two groups of people. When executed properly, however, you have a sleek look that is seasonally appropriate. Let’s go through the basics.

Keep It Slim

Similar to a polo shirt, a short sleeve button down should fit close to the body and the arms. The shoulder seams should not extend past the beginnings of your shoulder and the sleeves should hit mid-bicep. If the sleeves are a tad long, roll them like Tommy here.

Short Sleeves Means Short Tails

I am not the most strict when it comes to fashion rules, but there is one that I ALWAYS abide by: never leave shirts with long tails untucked. So many guys think that they can just untuck a dress shirt and make it casual. They generally look like they are wearing shirt dresses and jeans. When it comes to short sleeve button downs, look for shorter shirts. If the shirt comes past your crotch, it needs to be tucked. If it falls just past your belt, then leave it untucked. It’s as simple as that.

There’s More Than Just White and Blue

Go for some color.  Madras is a staple for the season, and a shirt like the one above is easily paired with jeans and white sneakers. Over the past year or so, patterned blocked shirts known as “fun shirts” have been increasing in popularity. They feature a different pattern or color on each part of the shirt and are a cool change of pace from your standard shirt.  A tie with a short sleeve button down can look cool on some and affected on others so tread cautiously there.

Making Madras Work : Men of Habit

As excited as I get for winter so that I can start wearing tartan, I’ve recently realized that I get even more eager for spring/summer so that I can start wearing madras again. There’s something about madras that really makes me feel like I’m wearing something that’s authentic and vintage. It’s a thin and almost tissue-esque fabric at times, which makes is a great choice for when the temperature reaches those outrageous highs. Because the colors are usually washed out in a madras shirt, you get these plaids that look like they’ve spent years on the beach even though they’re right off of the rack. A perfect alternative to a simple oxford shirt, if you ask me.

Tim’s look is exactly how I plan on wearing madras before it starts to get scorching hot. The asymmetrical-zip leather jacket is one of my favorite pieces for the season because it has a great masculine vibe and is amazingly versatile. Partially hidden under the jacket is one of the best madras shirts of the season. Whether worn underneath outerwear or on its own, this is one of your best bets for an affordable sport shirt this spring. The classic red, white, blue, and yellow color palette is a great choice for those who are looking to buy their first plaid shirt for the summer. Paired with some aviators and desert boots and you have a great rugged look that can take the heat.

Ray shows off the often overlooked and underrated short sleeve madras shirt. While many guys are afraid to wear a short sleeve button-down, we’re all for them when you know how to wear them properly. If you get one with a good slim fit, like this piece from Gant by Michael Bastian, you can wear as if it was a more complex version of a polo shirt. The green in his shirt works nicely off of the Stone Island chinos, which have been garment dyed in a way that gives them an almost waxy feel.

While many guys will tell you that it’s time to put your boots in the back of the closet, I think it’s foolish to go to that extreme. As both of these looks demonstrate, you can wear your boots in the spring and look great while you do it. Clark’s desert boots are as classic as a casual boot come, and they’re probably your best bet if you want to wear something a little more heavy duty than the rest of your footwear collection. For those who are a bit more adventuresome, Mark McNairy has some top notch, ass-kicking pebble grain leather boots this season. You can wear these year in and out and they’ll never lose their touch–no need to evade the puddles either, these guys have some top notch rubber soles.

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