A SHIRT THAT'S ANYTHING BUT CAMP

A subtle rebellion against restrictive '50's shirt and tie attire

When the thermometer shoots up, along with the humidity, there’s nothing more comfortable to wear than a camp shirt. Nostalgic in styling, the camp shirt is a short-sleeve, button-down shirt with an open, unstructured, collar that lays flat. The effect creates a low-slung V-neck.

According to Proper Cloth, the origins of the camp shirt can be traced back to 19th-century Filipino and Cuban shirt styles. It was introduced to the United States largely by Cuban men who migrated to Miami and New York in the late 1950s and ’60s during the exodus after the Cuban Revolution. Style-wise, the camp Shirt is related to the “Cuban Guayabera,” the classic bowling shirt, the safari shirt, and the Hawaiian Aloha shirt.

The style actually became a subtle declaration of rebellion against the restrictive suit and tie attire that American businessmen often wore to the office. And that rebellion took off! Sean Connery, John F. Kennedy – even Martin Luther King adopted the camp shirt as a summer wardrobe staple.

A camp shirt should fit a tad boxier than a standard shirt. After all, the vibe is all about carefree comfort. And blame it on the flat collar, but it’s O.K. to flash a little more chest than usual.

Some of our favorites this season include: Corridor’s Rainfall SS Pink,

Abercrombie & Fitch’s camp collar linen-blend embroidered shirt and

J. Crew’s “secret wash” poplin short-sleeve shirt.