“J.Crew’s linen shirts return every spring and summer for a reason,” says GQ style commerce writer Gerald Ortiz. “The fabric is top-notch, they come in a variety of silhouettes that fit just about everyone, and they’re available in a gang of great colors and patterns.” Ortiz says that the linen fabric feels especially cool to the touch and silky smooth. “For the price, quality, and variety, why would you go anywhere else?”
Best Upgrade Linen Shirt: Drake’s Linen Spread Collar Shirt
Materials: 100% linen | Sizes: XS – XXL | Fit: Tailored
Drake’s remains a stalwart in the sartorial field. We love the British label’s sharp suits, shaggy sweaters, and meticulously crafted button-ups. Naturally, its linen shirts are top tier, as well. Unlike many cheaper linens, they’re made with a thicker, more substantial linen that achieves that elusive rumple—not wrinkle—that’s indicative of a higher-quality linen. With an impeccably clean, yet still airy, fit, mother of pearl buttons, and flawless single-needle construction, the quality is, unsurprisingly, very impressive. What sets the Drake’s shirt apart is something you won’t even see and that’s with the collar. It’s constructed with a floating interlining which give the collar structure and prevents it from going unattractively limp. Because, while the charm of a linen shirt is its wrinkles, nobody likes a wimpy, shriveled up collar.
Best Linen Camp Shirt: Bather Traveler Shirt
Materials: 100% cotton | | Sizes: XS – XXL | Fit: Boxy
Sometimes, a style of shirt works well in linen. And sometimes, it absolutely thrives in linen. Camp shirts are the latter—and Bather’s riff is one of our favorites, period. It starts with an assertive, unambiguous camp collar before moving into three (3!) pockets at the front—including two at the hem that offer more utility than you might imagine—and ends with an easy-going flat hem that works well buttoned or open. The linen fabric is robust, which lends it just a bit of structure, but because it’s linen, it stays airy regardless of the thermometer reading. Just because it’s called the Traveler shirt doesn’t mean you won’t love it at home.
This isn’t the first time we’ve waxed eloquent on Bather’s signature button-up: way back in 2022, GQ contributor Eugene Lardy penned the definitive ode to the style, which ended his quest to find the platonic summer shirt. Lardy praised the shirt for how cool it looked, sure, but also how cool he felt wearing it, “like a welcome midday breeze” was gently buffeting his torso. “What I initially thought was going to be a fairly straightforward camp shirt,” Lardy wrote, “ended up revolutionizing my summer fits. I can’t take it off. Its breathable construction makes it ideal for warm weather layering, and those nifty trio of pockets offer a level of functionality I never knew I was missing.”
Best Linen T-Shirt: Alex Crane Sun Tee
Materials: 100% French Linen | Sizes: XS – XXXL | Fit: Relaxed
We’re not going pretend like there’s anything wrong with wearing a plain-Jane cotton T-shirt in the summer—the more threadbare the better. Compared to linen, though, cotton isn’t actually all that breathable, and it dries like paint. Which is precisely where Alex Crane’s perfectly nubby pure linen joint comes in. It’s made with 100% sustainably-grown linen, which adapts to rising temperatures faster than you ever will, and washed with biodegradable softeners to help it feel like a beat-up tee you already know and love. Just, y’know, better.
