# Short-sleeve button down shirts



## nolan50410 (Dec 5, 2006)

I know many here hate the short sleeve button down shirt with a passion. My wife refers to them as "Dilbert" shirts, which I find quite amusing. However, this summer I have bucked my polo shirt trend and purchased 3 short sleeve button downs from Neilson's in Oxford. Two of them are madras and the other is a micro check that looks like solid lime green. I have noticed how much cooler they are then polos or long sleeve sport shirts with the sleeves rolled, which is awesome with our Mississippi summers. It seems there are 4 rules to follow in order to not look like a complete asshat. 1) Never tuck them in. 2) Never wear them with long pants. 3) Always wear sandals, flip flops, or boat shoes and nothing remotely dressy. 4) Never wear them with an undershirt. If you keep it looking casual then they work quite well. I like the dad gum things, what do ya'll think?


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## Tucker (Apr 17, 2006)

I'm wearing a short-sleeve button-down madras shirt from BB today, and I'm batting a thousand on your asshat criteria. 

Gotta change my sig.

Edit: Changed it.


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## Acct2000 (Sep 24, 2005)

I consider them about the same as a polo shirt. 

I wear them tucked, etc. just like Tucker does. I avoid wearing them with ties, though. Maybe once a year, when I'm on duty at our church (no Air Conditioning) and it's oppressively hot, I might wear one with a tie, although I have not done so in at least a couple years.


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## nolan50410 (Dec 5, 2006)

LMAO Thats awesome


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## bd79cc (Dec 20, 2006)

I have some short sleeve button-down sport shirts, and I agree with your observations and guidelines. They really are cooler in the warm weather!

What about wearing them with jeans? An early to mid-1960's look I remember seeing a lot of was: short sleeve BD sport shirt + blue jeans or light-colored cotton twill jeans or narrow-wale corduroy jeans + white crew socks + penny loafers.


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## Frank aka The Minotaur (Nov 12, 2004)

bd79cc said:


> IWhat about wearing them with jeans? An early to mid-1960's look I remember seeing a lot of was: short sleeve BD sport shirt + blue jeans or light-colored cotton twill jeans or narrow-wale corduroy jeans + white crew socks + penny loafers.


I myself am wearing jeans with a short sleeve dark blue (somewhere between French and slate blues) ocbd.


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## tripreed (Dec 8, 2005)

I think a distinction needs to be made here. There is a different between a short sleeve dress shirt and a short sleeve "button-up" shirt. A short sleeve dress shirt would probably be made from oxford cloth or pinpoint oxford and would likely just look like a regular OCBD with short sleeves. I, and I would suspect others, object to these. However, a short sleeve shirt in a different material or pattern (madras, gingham, seersucker, etc.) falls more into the category of "sport shirt" (as others have mentioned), and here I believe that fewer will find objections. I will never purchase a short sleeve dress shirt, but I have about 5 short sleeve madras shirts hanging in my closet that I: 1) Wear with long pants, 2) Wear tucked in, and 3) Never wear with an undershirt.


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## wnh (Nov 4, 2006)

I'm a recent convert to the short-sleeve button down, but the shirt has to be just right to keep me looking like I'm twice my actual age. I've only got one currently, but I wear it 1) tucked in, 2) with long pants, 3) with pennies (though still casual), and 4) with a beater (or "A-shirt" if you're the sensitive type). There's a relatively recent picture up in the WAYW thread -- or you can venture into the Lobster Belt thread if you're willing.

It is a nice change of pace from a polo, and I think actually a little more casual when worn untucked with shorts.


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## wnh (Nov 4, 2006)

tripreed said:


> I think a distinction needs to be made here. There is a different between a short sleeve dress shirt and a short sleeve "button-up" shirt. A short sleeve dress shirt would probably be made from oxford cloth or pinpoint oxford and would likely just look like a regular OCBD with short sleeves. I, and I would suspect others, object to these.


I am inclined to agree, though I do think Kevin Costner pulled it off well in JFK. But perhaps that's only because it looks like something that a person would wear in the 60's, whereas today it just looks like, well, Dilbert.


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## Topsider (Jul 9, 2005)

IMO, the key to avoiding the "Dilbert" look is to avoid wearing short-sleeved shirts that would look like dress shirts if they were long-sleeved (solid colors especially). Madras and other casual fabrics work much better. As noted, leaving them un-tucked helps, too.


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## Tom Buchanan (Nov 7, 2005)

Did anyone catch the Discovery channel show "When We Left Earth" last night?

I think almost every man in the Mission Control room during the Apollo flights was wearing a short sleeve buttondown with a narrow tie. 

Of course, that was the late 1960s in Houston, and the men were engineers employed by the Government. If you want to look like a 1960s engineer, it is a good look.

There are also some famous pictures of Ian Fleming wearing short sleeves and a tie. They were probably taken in Jamaica where he spent winters.

When I was younger, I wore a short sleeve university stripe shirt with an emblematic duck tie to Summer family events. Under a blazer, no one could tell the sleeves were short. These days, no one would bother to wear a tie to a Summer family event. Not in my family at least.


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## Acct2000 (Sep 24, 2005)

I think the key to avoiding Dilbert is just to avoid wearing them with ties. As an average summer casual shirt, there is a place for the regular short sleeve OCBD. A lot of people on our forum overthink this stuff, at least in my opinion.


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## mpcsb (Jan 1, 2005)

OK so I'm really old in that I was taught there is no such thing as a short sleeved dress shirt. All short sleeved shirts are sport shirts. I wear short sleeved sport shirts to work with khakis, tucked in, with loafers and socks because that's our business casual. I've never considered them dress shirts, even the oxford cloth ones, and I would never wear a tie with one (no insult meant to the great NASA guys who did such a great job). When the temperatures are over 90 degrees F with over 90% humidity I don't do the long sleeved dress shirts to work. Besides when I wear a short sleeved sport shirt I get to work on my farmers tan - LOL


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## eagle2250 (Mar 24, 2006)

While I have not worn a short sleeve shirt that was not a knit polo in perhaps 30 years or more, you folks are sorely tempting me to discard that trend. Particularly with regard to madras shirts. The color/pattern options for short sleeve versions are much better than the few long sleeve madras shirts that can be found. However, they will be tucked, paired with long pants, and real shoes (Topsiders, etc count) and socks. Call me "Dorkbert", if you must!


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## Naval Gent (May 12, 2007)

Tucker said:


> ...*asshat* criteria.


That's a new word for me, but I looked it up. Your usage is an appropriate one, I think.

Scott


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## Tucker (Apr 17, 2006)

Naval Gent said:


> That's a new word for me, but I looked it up. Your usage is an appropriate one, I think.
> 
> Scott


Just using his term (see original post). "Asshat" is not a word I normally use.


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## eg1 (Jan 17, 2007)

To complete the "asshat" trifecta, make sure you rock the bolo tie ... :icon_smile_wink:

And just in case you were wondering, yes, I have them, and yes, I have done it (though not in about 15 years or so)


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## Naval Gent (May 12, 2007)

Tucker said:


> Just using his term (see original post). "Asshat" is not a word I normally use.


I'm sure of it. But I think you know what I mean. A fitting descriptor of the criteria.

Scott


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## Ron_A (Jun 5, 2007)

Personally, I'm not a fan of these shirts, but they can look okay -- even good -- on others. I'm not sure that I agree with the "rules", as stated, because a short-sleeve madras shirt -- tucked-in with khakis and topsiders or loafers -- seems perfectly acceptable. Again, I'm just not a fan of this particular look on myself. In fact, I have a RL polo madras plaid "popover" shirt that I really want to like, but I just can't bring myself to wear it very often.


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## Frank aka The Minotaur (Nov 12, 2004)

forsbergacct2000 said:


> I think the key to avoiding Dilbert is just to avoid wearing them with ties. As an average summer casual shirt, there is a place for the regular short sleeve OCBD. A lot of people on our forum overthink this stuff, at least in my opinion.


x2

If someone can give a valid reason why an open collar short sleeve ocbd in white or blue or ecru or yellow... is inappropriate with khakis for a party or even casual business, I'm all ears.


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## fruityoaty (Jan 18, 2008)

nolan50410 said:


> It seems there are 4 rules to follow in order to not look like a complete asshat. 1) Never tuck them in. 2) Never wear them with long pants. 3) Always wear sandals, flip flops, or boat shoes and nothing remotely dressy. 4) Never wear them with an undershirt.


I mainly stick to polos in the heat, but I do wear a short-sleeve button down occasionally. When I do, I do happen to follow your four rules. I also unbutton the collar buttons and let the points run wild. Keeps the unkempt look consistent.

I'm still working on my other asshat behaviors.


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## nolan50410 (Dec 5, 2006)

fruityoaty said:


> I mainly stick to polos in the heat, but I do wear a short-sleeve button down occasionally. When I do, I do happen to follow your four rules. I also unbutton the collar buttons and let the points run wild. Keeps the unkempt look consistent.
> 
> I'm still working on my other asshat behaviors.


I also unbutton the collar buttons. I've enjoyed the prevalence of the word "asshat". Glad to introduce the word to AAAC. I use the word occasionally, mostly to describe the look of myself wearing a bowtie.


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## paper clip (May 15, 2006)

tripreed said:


> I think a distinction needs to be made here. There is a different between a short sleeve dress shirt and a short sleeve "button-up" shirt. A short sleeve dress shirt would probably be made from oxford cloth or pinpoint oxford and would likely just look like a regular OCBD with short sleeves. I, and I would suspect others, object to these. However, a short sleeve shirt in a different material or pattern (madras, gingham, seersucker, etc.) falls more into the category of "sport shirt" (as others have mentioned), and here I believe that fewer will find objections. I will never purchase a short sleeve dress shirt, but I have about 5 short sleeve madras shirts hanging in my closet that I: 1) Wear with long pants, 2) Wear tucked in, and 3) Never wear with an undershirt.


I agree on almost all points with Trip. I do wear a v-neck undershirt with them. I love short sleeve madras or plaid shirts. I find 'em cooler than polos. Tucked in with pants, untucked with shorts.


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## RTW (Jan 7, 2006)

I have no problem with short-sleeve button-down sportshirts. I have four short-sleeve seersucker shirts (two striped, two gingham check) and two short-sleeve madras shirts. I wear them tucked with a v-neck tee underneath. Nice alternative to the ubiquitous polo...


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## Asterix (Jun 7, 2005)

I have quite a few of them that I wear but definitely without a tie. :icon_smile_big:


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## Topsider (Jul 9, 2005)

As the saying goes, a picture is worth a thousand words.

The guy in the middle with the cufflinks wins hands down, IMO.


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