Style, fabric and a great colour or pattern choice set the trend for new summer shirts men will be wearing

Who would have thought that summer this year would be so hot? Just as hot are this season's new men summer shirts that men will be donning in the heat. Take a look at what’s new and tops and on offer for gifts, for baby, dresses, shorts or to shop for a man’s wardrobe, then take your pick…

Fit some short-sleeve shirts… Men are loving shirts and lightweight tops as summer temperatures soar. There's no need to layer over a T-shirt or vest for women men kids. This is why shirts are a great alternative for work wear, casual wear, smart wear, dresses, shorts and accessories that adults, girls and boys as well as a baby can wear in the warmer months.

New statement garments and accessories abound, so take your pick! Now that summer sale season is starting, you can also take a look at what tops, shorts, dresses and accessories are on sale in every shop!

The best summer shirts 

From their first appearance on the 2023 runways, new shirts for summer men will be wearing and have made their favourites are making their impact felt. 

New patterns for tops, shorts, dresses and accessories come in every style, from those shirts with subtle stripes to over-the-top swirls. Colours for tops, shorts and dresses are soft or bright neon. Styles are simple, cool and comfortable. It doesn't matter whether you’re looking for a new shirt for a smart summer occasion or new tops for a more casual event, there's a wide selection for gifts or to add to a summer wardrobe for men, girls and boys.

Warm weather dressing doesn’t get any better than a soft printed shirt. Pick some simple, casual printed short sleeve shirts. Shop for a new smart button-down shirt and tops to wear over a T, and you’re sorted for the season.  

We've had to wear layer upon layer of clothing all winter, but finally summer is here and there's no need to layer up anymore. Now's the time to consider the new shirts men will love to wear this summer. Choose new colours, patterns and styles for tops, shorts, dresses and accessories for a baby, adults, girls and boys. Have some fun with your choices for this season, with our top fabric and design picks for tops, shorts and dresses of all types. These also make great gifts.

Different types of shirts for men

We've compiled the latest choices for new tops for you. They include everything from the classic button-down shirt to chic collarless tops and special dresses for a night out on the town . Our best tip? When the weather is hot, keep tops light and effortless. Remember this when buying gifts.

The button-down shirt

Its classic fit and long sleeved style make this simple shirt with buttons on its collar tops as a choice. 

Favourite fabric? A lightweight cotton or linen is tops.

The smart shirt

If you do need to wear a tie (heaven help you), choose a dress shirt for a smart occasion. Select the style of your tops collar and cuff, some fine fabric and keep other details on tops to a minimum.

Favourite fabric? For smart shirts, cotton is tops, as it’s breathable, hard wearing and comfortable in the heat. Other choices to shop for from maake? Poplin or twill.

The fancy shirt

Looking to shop for some new tops for a hot night on the town? Going to a club or outdoor venue? Keep a few buttons undone – the girls and boys will love it!

Our favourite textile for fancy tops and accessories? Silk, satin or jacquard make great gifts.

The denim shirt

A year-round staple with a style all its own, the denim shirt often comes out to play. Wear it over a white T with sleeves rolled up, or loose over a swimsuit after a day on the beach. Denim is also great for shorts, dresses, even baby clothing and accessories.

Everyone's favourite fabric to shop for? Choose damask for a cooler choice, or stick to denim with the buttons undone, in a variety of indigo hues.

The Cuban collar shirt

A simple, casual open collar keeps this Cuban collar shirt relaxed and unpretentious for any informal event. Shop for a lightweight fabric and a short sleeve shirt where possible, with a check, floral or other light-hearted pattern.

The most popular material?  Shop for cotton or linen. Linen is excellent for new tops as the creases give it a more natural, casual effect. This fabric is breathable, making it tops in the sizzling heat. 

Seersucker, with its distinctive crinkled texture, is another great choice for new tops, shorts, dresses, baby clothing and accessories to shop for. 

The work shirt

Shop for a cool, comfortable new shirt – ideal for working from home or heading to the office. Go all the way with a button-down shirt, or keep it more casual with a favourite short sleeved shirt. No matter what you choose, whether it’s gifts for something for yourself, pick fabrics that have a distinctive office feel. 

Don’t shop for a new office shirt with sober checks. Include a touch of fun with a subtle floral pattern or some subtle hues. Keep your style professional, and a bit more relaxed.

Great men’s summer fabric? A breathable cotton that’s lightweight or a fabric with UV protection makes an ideal wardrobe staple and makes perfect gifts.

The classic white shirt

To take you from the beach to the office and out on the town, shop for a classic white shirt. Make sure it's in a soft, breathable fabric that caresses your skin. And roll up the sleeves.

The firm favourite fabric? It doesn’t have to be freshly starched in summer; go for creased linen or wrinkled seersucker. A great choice for gifts is an Indian cotton that will keep you cool from day to night.

5 ways to wear white shirts

Classic, stylish and oh-so versatile, the basic white shirt can elevate a look all season long. It’s one of the reasons these make such great gifts for adults, girls and boys. Here’s how to wear them:

  1. Wear with a cream suit: Makes a great statement and will keep the wearer cool all day long.
  2. Make it cool and casual: Choose an informal blazer instead of a jacket for chic summer style. Choose blue or khaki for a cool, more casual warm weather effect.
  3. Waistcoats give a white shirt a more formal look: Stay cool by adding a waistcoat instead of a jacket for a more formal business look.
  4. Chino’s for a touch of style: You can look chic and cool for business meetings in crisp chino’s and a white shirt. For casual wear, shorts and white tops in chino fabric is a great option.
  5. Keep it white: To keep your white shirt white, wash only with other white items, remove stains on shirts right away so that the stains don’t stick and air dry in the sun.

Trends in shirts for men for summer

Looking for gifts or for stunning tops, dresses, shorts and accessories as well as baby clothing to add to your summer wardrobe? Check out the following:

  • The Cuban collar shirt is open and casual which makes it a firm favourite.
  • Cool white shirts (view our comments above).
  • Regular fit collars in contrasting colours create excitement and fun.
  • Patterns are tops: stripes, tie-dye, geometric, graffiti, tie-dye and florals are all great for all kinds of clothing, dresses, shorts and accessories.
  • The return of monochrome shirts –  striking, elegant black and white is always a great combination
  • Our choice for new shirts for workwear? Shop for plain and light-coloured shirts. You can definitely include some GBP striped textured shirts, too.
  • There’s a reason light colours are always on trend for shirts, shorts, dresses, baby items and accessories. They help you keep your cool, and reflect the most light. Great picks for tops and shorts include light blue, tan, white, khaki and other natural colours.
  • When the fit is loose, your shirt will be more comfortable. Perhaps take a bigger size for the hot months. In fact, the looser the shirt, the more comfortable it will be in the heat. It’s a pity we can’t wear loose footwear, too!

Summer shirt collars

Don’t take a shirt collar for granted: it’s one of the first things people look at when they look at a man. It can be subtle or distinct, depending on what effect you’re looking for, and in summer it can cool you down or be stifling. So check out collar styles with care when you shop. We look at 3 distinctive collars for tops to give you some inspiration that also make great gifts:

  1. Regular or spread collar: This is one of the most common shirt collars, ideal for formal or casual shirts and extremely versatile.
  2. Cuban collars: We already mentioned these popular collar styles earlier. They’re tops when worn open, so they’re cool, relaxed and casual.
  3. The button down: Certainly a little more formal and also not as cool and casual as the other collars, these are ideal for formal or business shirts.

 What to think about when choosing a collar:

  • Stiff collars are perfect for formal occasions and business shirts. Casual shirts usually have soft collars.
  • The size of the collar also depends on how big the wearer is and the shape of the wearer’s face. So try on the shirt and look at the bigger picture before choosing a summer shirt. If. you’re unsure, always choose a collar that is neither too large or too small.

maake’s pick of sizzling summer shirt fabrics

Whether you’re making new summer tops, pants, shorts, dresses and baby naccessories or other products for your business, for gifts or to add to a wardrobe, it’s important to know all about the perfect summer fabrics to choose. Take a look:

Cotton

Choose lightweight, breathable 100% cotton or cotton blend fabrics (especially those that are blended with linen or silk) when you shop for shirts and tops as well as shorts, dresses, baby clothes and accessories. A good tip to remember, especially for gifts or new products for your business: a cotton material that has a tighter weave is less likely to crease. This makes it perfect for baby clothing, too.

Poplin is a common shirting fabric, and we’ve included 3 stunning poplin fabrics in our collection for you to view. There’s also a great twill available. View our choices for new tops, shorts, dresses and accessories for baby, kids and adults below:

maake’s choice of fabrics summer shirts men will love

Poplin: 100% cotton fabric. Ideal shirting material that’s extremely lightweight and cool.

Organic Poplin: This 100% GOTS cotton material is the organic version of our popular cotton poplin fabric. A great choice for new shirts and accessories for baby, adults or kids for the warmer months.

Stretch Poplin: Fabric made from 93% cotton and 7% elastane. With its slight stretch, this fabric is perfect for short sleeve stretch shirts and hot weather men’s outerwear (also great for garments, dresses, shorts, baby wear and accessories for women, baby, boys and girls).

Satin Cotton: A 100% cotton luxury satin weave fabric with a luxurious texture and a matte finish. Perfect for summer wear including shirts, shorts, dresses, baby wear and accessories.

Light Twill: This 100% cotton material is structured, but it drapes nicely as well. It’s perfect for casual summer wear and accessories, shirts included.

Single Cotton Elastane Jersey: Made from 90% cotton fabric and 10% elastane, this material is great for T-shirts and dresses. It’s soft to the touch and boasts a 4-way stretch.

Calico Plain Cotton: Another great 100% cotton fabric. This is one of our most versatile and popular fabrics for clothing and accessories for baby, kids and adults.

Organic Calico Natural: Organic cotton that is also 100% unbleached cotton calico.

Cotton Denim: A thicker fabric, ideal for summer accessories for adults, baby and kids.

Linen

An all-natural fabric made from the flax plant, linen is a popular choice and an excellent alternative to cotton for new men’s shirts. Remember this when buying gifts for a baby, girls, boys and adults. Although it does wrinkle, that’s part of its charm. In fact, the more the fabric wrinkles, this shows that just how high the quality of the linen is.

With its open weave, linen is great in the heat as it’s more breathable than cotton. In fact, it allows heat to escape much better than cotton does. But do take note: the more open the fabric weave, the more the fabric will wrinkle. Consider this before you purchase items for a baby, a top, pair of shorts and certain accessories.

Manufacturers have come up with various blends that give you a cool fabric that doesn’t crease as much. These are the ones to shop for. maake has some in our collection for you. Take a look at our recommendations below.

maake’s choices:

Melino Line: This soft, smooth fabric is 7% linen and 93% cotton. It is the most lightweight material in our linen range.

Limani Linen: Comprising 10% linen and 90% cotton, this material is woven with a slub yarn. It’s a gorgeous fabric with a very distinctive texture. It’s medium-weight, so it's perfect for making summer jackets and accessories, too. It's not only used for men’s shirts; it’s also a widely used fabric for shirts for the girls.

Jersey fabrics

The following lightweight jersey fabrics are often a mix of cotton and elastane and are ideal for wearing in summer for girls, boys and menswear. As their weave is tighter, the fabrics in this versatile collection crease less than linen. These fabrics are great for both activewear and more formal clothing and accessories and make stunning gifts for everyone, including a baby.

maake’s choices:

Organic Jasmine Lycra Jersey: This 100% cotton material is a lightweight cotton jersey fabric that is ideal for summer clothing for men.

Organic Jersey Interlock: Comprises 100% organic cotton fabric. The material doesn't stretch as much as other jersey fabrics. It's also lightweight, smooth-textured and comfortable, which is why men choose it for shirts.

Organic Lily Jersey: Fabric includes 93% GOTS cotton and 7% elastane. It’s a lightweight cotton jersey fabric that’s perfect for T-shirts and activewear for men, women, girls and boys.

Single Cotton Elastane Jersey: Made from 90% cotton and 10% elastane. Our most lightweight cotton jersey fabric, it’s often used for leggings and men’s T’s, as well as garments for ladies, girls and boys.

Poppy Lycra Jersey: Comprises 89% cotton and 11% elastane. A soft, smooth, textured lightweight cotton jersey popular for active- and leisure-wear for adults, boys and girls alike.

Synthetic blends

Many natural fabrics like those mentioned above are blended with synthetic fibres to create lightweight new shirts and other clothing for summer. Here are 2 of our favourite summer synthetic blends to shop for, whether you’re looking for gifts, business products or clothes and accessories for baby, kids and adults to add to your wardrobe.

maake’s summer men's shirt choices:

Avio Cotton Mix: 95% polyester and 5% cotton fabric. A popular polycotton blended fabric that is ideal to use for clothing. It also prints beautifully.

Eco Linen Look: Made of 53% rPET (recycled polyester) and 5% linen, this recycled polyester blend has a natural look and feel and is ideal for summer clothing, dresses, shorts and men’s tops and shirts.

Easy Care Twill: 100% polyester material – the polyester version of our popular Panama fabrics. Great for cool shirts and shorts, but especially for men’s summer shirts.

Inspirational information from maake

We’ve put together a library full of informative blogs to help you use our services in the best way possible to make your small business a success. Take a look at some of the most pertinent ones relating to men’s summer shirts. They include the fabric that is tops to use for making clothing, cool summer fabrics, printing on fabric and sustainability. Read these for inspiration before you go shopping for gifts for ladies, girls and boys, too.

Summer shirt colours

Keeping cool in summer isn’t just about the fabric – although this is the major part of getting it right and keeping out the heat. Men, (even ladies, girls and boys) will also feel a lot cooler if you shop for the right men’s colours for shirts for staples and gifts from the menu below. Here’s an idea of what is tops in the warmer months:

  • Go pastel: Soft shades like pastel blue, green, even pastel pink will keep the wearer cool all day long. Soft blues in particular are calming, tranquil and relaxing.
  • Feel like bright? Choose vibrant colours that remind you of an island holiday – orange, yellow and green will give you a resort vibe. Turquoise also stands out and is a refreshing alternative.
  • Classic for summer: White shirts never go out of style. Beige and cream also fit right in – these are other great warm weather options.
  • Why wear khaki? This classic summer shade is extremely versatile, too, as you can dress it up or keep it casual.
  • Why light shades are tops: A light shade reflects sunlight and keeps you cool.
  • Take skin tone into account: Certain shades only look good on specific skin tones, so if you’re planning to wear a yellow shirt, for example, make sure you choose a shade that works. Remember: the reason we look so good in white in summer is that it offsets a tanned skin so well.

How to choose summer shirt shades

  1. Colours affect the emotions

We’ve compiled a handy guide on how colour affects our emotions, which will give you an excellent idea of how colours can elevate your mood – make you happy, relaxed, carefree and so on. Remember: shades near blue on the colour spectrum are cooler and calmer, while the colour red is hot and angry, etc. So shop with this in mind, especially if you’re choosing gifts.

  1. Why you need to consider your skin tone

We mentioned this earlier, but it’s important to remind you again. Men with lighter skin tones can wear darker colours – but this may well make you hot in summer. However, always consider your skin tone when choosing a colour, so that you look great as well as cool, calm and collected.

  1. Include a touch of contrast

An all-blue or all-beige outfit certainly won’t make you stand out in a crowd. For more interest, add a contrasting colour to your outfit or accessories.

Finally, let's talk about fit

 When you shop online or off-the-shelf for new staples or gifts, think about the perfect fit for a new short sleeve or long sleeve shirt:

  • Each brand has a different fit. So take note of your measurements so that you have them on hand to make sure you get the perfect fit: these include the length of the shirt, length of the sleeve, shoulder measurement, waist and cuffs measurements. After all, fit is a very important consideration.
  • Length is also important when talking about fit. Is the garment long enough? Raise your arms to view whether the shirt slips out of your pants, or stays put.
  • If choosing cotton or linen shirts to add to your summer wardrobe or for gifts, remember that the fabric may shrink a little, which will change its fit. However, if it’s a blend of synthetic and cotton or linen fibres, it’s unlikely to shrink much. It won’t fit any differently no matter how often you wash it.

Designer tools to assist you

 We offer two very handy Designer Tools to help you. They also make stunning gifts for creative people, and those who are starting their own business. The first, a Designer Starter Bundle is a Tool Set for beginners. It lets you:

  • Familiarise yourself with our selection of fabrics
  • Learn how to get a perfect colour match
  • Enjoy an informative designer’s booklet with hints and tips on how to design your own fabric.

What it includes:

  1. One of our innovative Sample Books, which offers swatches of all our fabric products that you can print on. The samples are printed on, so that you can view how colours show up on each of the different fabrics.
  2. You also receive a Mini Colour Atlas, which is 65x48cm in size and offers a visual feast of the 2,400+ colours we use when we print, with their codes. This way. You can view the colours on the fabric and select which ones you want to use for your design choice.
  3. Printing digital design booklet with plenty of information on printing on fabric with maake.
  4. 5 large fabric samples.
  5. £5 voucher for you to use on your next order.

Yours with a 40% discount - £12!

Of course, there's more!

We have another great clearance bundle: these make great gifts for the experts!

Our Designer Pro Bundle is currently available at a sale price of £21!

It includes everything you get in the Starter Bundle, and much more!

  • Large Polyester Colour Atlas in Easy Care Panama fabric instead of a mini one (140 x 100cm in size) PLUS
  • Large Cotton Calico Colour Atlas (140 x 100cm in size).

This way, you can view exactly what your natural or synthetic materials will look like when they are printed on! These Colour Atlases are the regular (plus size) of the Colour Atlases we offer our customers that cost £11 each!

Order your Designer Pro Bundle or Designer Starter Bundle at a special price right away! Whether it’s for gifts, or for your business, you’ll be doing yourself a favour!

How we can assist you further

Check out our Design Library for inspiration or shop one of the exquisite designs available to print on. Hopefully, a few will fit the bill!

Upload Your Own Design and we will print it for you on the fabric of your choice, to suit whatever product you’re making, whether it’s tops, dresses, shorts, baby clothing or accessories.

Buy a Sample Book

 

 

August 22, 2022 — Alexander Wills