Guide to Men's Overshirts: 6 Stylish Way to Wear an Overshirts

Most men – if not all men – know what a shirt is. A garment, with buttons, cuffs and a collar, often made of cotton, that can be worn tucked or untucked, buttoned or unbuttoned, that it is a staple of men’s wardrobe and one of the essentials of the Casual style!

Some though, might not know what an overshirt is and what are the exact differences between a shirt and an overshirt. So, before anything else, let’s say that overshirts are extremely comfortable and now, let’s find out their main characteristics and let’s see six ways to style overshirts and easily introduce them to our most inspired outfits!

The Shirt

The shirt is one of the most versatile clothing items and it is very easy to find one for every occasion; from the most festive and formal to the most rough and physically demanding. Button downs and button ups, Mao collar shirts, Denim and Chambray shirts, Flannel shirts, Formal shirts, Cuban collar shirts, summer Linen shirts, Casual shirts and even heavyweight workwear functional shirts. Even in the case someone wants to exercise wearing one, there is the short-sleeve baseball shirt! Just name the event and the right type of shirt will appear!

The Overshirt

Lately, overshirts have become one of the main trends of men’s clothing – and not only, as an overshirt can be easily worn by everybody, regardless of age, size or gender! Overshirts have instantly turned into a go-to clothing item, as they combine the classic elegance of the shirt with the practicality and the easygoing feel of a jacket, a sweater or a hoodie.

Overshirts (that wrongly, according to some, might also be called shackets) are a hybrid that depending on the fit, the style and the fabric, can be worn throughout the year, apart from these hot days where a lightweight, unbuttoned, linen shirt is the only viable choice!

Cotton overshirts, denim overshirts, corduroy and fleece overshirts (both heavily trending at the moment), flannel overshirts, polyester jacket-like overshirts and nylon functional overshirts can be easily spotted at the menswear collections of the best fashion brands; from the high end to the most affordable end!

6 stylish ways to – effortlessly – style and layer an overshirt!

1. Casually

Put on a blue, black or olive green overshirt and pair it with a pair of Chinos, Khakis or Cargos. If you want to move towards the Casual side, opt for a henley or a classic grandad wool-made beige-shaded shirt to wear under your overshirt and put a pair of All Stars, Vans or Axel Arigatos on. If you want to take a walk on the formal side, a slim-fit blue button-up under the overshirt, formal trousers (black, blue, grey or checked), a pair of Weejuns Larson Penny loafers made of durable leather or a pair of Grenson Joel Derbys and you will end up with an outfit that is both comfy and refined; apt for the early work and the late night drinks!

2. With denim

Even long hours of (focused or diffused) thinking cannot help to produce an answer to the following question: what cannot be combined with Denim? Everything marries happily with denim and overshirts are not an exception. Wear your all-time favourite jeans, your favourite t-shirt (or hoodie), your favourite shoes (Kappas, Doucal’s or Tod’s?) and see for yourself! If you are cold, add one more layer. A lightweight puffer vest or a trucker jacket will surely do the job!

3. With Winter Hybrids!

Evolution…what a lovely word! And fashion is evolving! New hybrids are appearing and are making our lives easier. Different elements tied together create a new kind of flexibility, comfort and elegance! Pick a pair of hybrid – yet eternal – pair of winter trousers, a burgundy merino wool crewneck sweater or a vivid red turtleneck, your white shocks, dr. Martens or Clarks, your overshirt and one of your mother’s long silk scarves! The first push towards evolution is given by tradition!

4. With the Classics!

The best thing about classics is that they never grow old. It is the case of ‘42 Casablanca, Renoir’s flowers, Rodin’s hands or the staples of the Casual style. Get the best overshirt you can put your hands on, head straight back home and style it with all the classics of your wardrobe! Plain white tees (they are one of this year’s main trends!), wool cardigans, olive green vests, blue shirts, cargos, high-waist straight fit jeans or Chinos and Desert or Chelsea boots! Explore all the possible combinations and they won’t be saying Play it Sam they will be saying Wear it Sam!

5. With soft and earth tones!

For quite some time now, soft, peaceful, earthy, whitey, off-whitey and beigy tones have taken over. Opt for a pair of white or beige trousers (denim or Chino-like), a white shirt and the overshirt that suits your aesthetic standards, add a pair of shiny black moccasins or a pair of boat shoes and let the earthy vibes carry you away!

6. Own it! (Your own way!)

The same seven notes are enough to produce all the wonderful music we listen to and love. In the same way, we all dress with the very same clothes but we all create different outfits.

The best and easiest way to personalise an outfit and express the real you? You already know it! Accessories. A little golden ring at the little finger is more than enough, a beanie worn your way, a wonderful belt emerging from your half-tucked shirt suffices, Monokel Havana eyewear, an old watch and your outfit will scream uniqueness… Whatever the accessory might be, it will automatically become your overshirt’s new mate!

Fashion’s current sustainable approach (Some interesting numbers!)

• European consumption of textiles has the 4th highest impact on environmental and climate change
• In 2019, the apparel industry emitted approximately 1.01 gigatons of carbon dioxide equivalents into the atmosphere…Emissions are estimated to increase to 1.6 gigatons by 2030 if no drastic action is taken

• The average European throws away 11kg of textiles every year

Fortunately,

• The sales of Unsustainable fast fashion have decreased almost a 50%

and

• The value of the ethical market worldwide, according to Statista, is estimated to reach almost £8.14 billion by 2025

Update the classics! Re-introduce into our lives and outfits, historical clothing items! Craft eternal pieces of clothing with the latest, most sustainable and eco-friendly methods! Commit to an ethical way of being. These are the ambitions, the goals and the struggles of fashion brands that labour non-stop to make a difference and bring change.

Dockers® one of the leaders – if not the flagship – of Casual style, has developed a suite of production techniques to reduce water consumption, creates its own fabrics, crafts using recycled materials and through its social platforms and webpage disseminates useful information.