Short-Sleeved Shirt Sheds Uniform Image for Vacation Styles

Le Monde reported that the short-sleeved shirt once carried a uniform association with service-sector jobs such as directing traffic, driving buses, and selling appliances. The garment frequently featured embroidered logos, name badges, and colors described as faded pistachio, worn-out mauve, or spoiled salmon.

In most stores and public offices, the short-sleeved shirt as a uniform has been replaced by the polo shirt, according to the article. This change has opened the possibility of wearing the shirt outside mandatory contexts.

Monde described an American vacation version with an open camp collar or shark collar, made from cotton gabardine or rayon. The same style appears in linen or poplin, worn with a tank top and high-waisted pleated trousers or left untucked. Hawaiian shirts with colorful patterns and the guayabera from Cuba, Mexico, and the Dominican Republic were also cited as examples of short-sleeved shirts used in seaside or relaxed settings.

The article concluded that the issue lies not in wearing the garment but in being required to wear it.