Hot weather button up shirts suitable for manual work and exercise

[One Drop]

I had a look around and didn't see a thread pertaining to shirts suitable for work and play in hot weather, when sportswear and t-shirts don't cut the mustard.

I prefer natural fibres over synthetics and find the mixed Merino wool / Tencel and the like combinations to be the coolest and most comfortable options out there, that are also the most wear resistant and easily laundered and taken care of.

Merino polos are also a good option but I haven't found one that isn't too warm in real hot weather, they are great for causal wear or less that realy hot weather but don't work for me on hikes and dog walks.

The only option besides the T-shirts I've found that work for me are button up nylon shirts designed for hiking, hunting, and ranchwear. Of those the hiking options are very limited, and are mostly fugly to my eyes and look **** when worn anywhere but on the trails, and hunting stuff out of place anywhere but on the hunt. Because I love the American Western aesthetic I turned to Western ranch wear and finally tried a Schaefer Outfitter RangeTek Western Guide Snap shirt when I finally saw one come up on eBay (I can't justify the shipping costs to Europe from their site, unless I'm buying a large quantity of stuff, which I don't need at the moment, already owning a great waxed cotton jacket I got from them a year or so ago).

https://schaeferoutfitter.com/colle...ducts/rangetek-western-guide-snap-shirt-khaki

It's the best of its type I've ever found, and looks super crisp and even dressy to boot. The cut is perfect, so much more range of motion than the hiking shirts I've worn, and the features like the snaps, wide sleeves that be easily rolled up and then back down without creasing, the vented lining around the shoulder area, the collar that snaps down invisibly, the hidden interior zipped chest pocket, the long length for tucking in, and the Nylon / Spandex slight stretch material make it a superior garment for what its designed for.

I waited until I had worn it in really hot weather, the pictures below are after wearing for hours in + 30°C heat and high humidity, it performed really well, wicking away moisture and drying very quickly. The billowy cut and back vents are super efficient in helping keep cool and the shoulder lining keeps it from sticking to your back, a thing I hate with cotton shirts i hot wether. It doesn't smell bad after a a day's wear, not as good in this regard as Merino blends (wool is naturally anti-microbial), they claim to add an anti-microbial treatment that seems to work well enough.

I wish it was available in a larger choice of solid colours, as I'm not crazy about their patterns, but they seem to change the colours available year to year. I might pick up a Sage Green one in the future, but for now the Khaki one I bought will do the trick. The Western trim sets it apart from traditional Safari shirting just enough to not make me look like I'm in an Indiana Jones movie when wearing a Western Fedora, LOL.

If anyone has similar recommendations I'd be grateful to hear from you!

Please pardon the pictures and the the grim face, I'm the worst selfie taker in the world, especially when trying to get a a hat in frame at the same time.

The hat is my Akubra Sombrero, I took it out just for the photo, I wear a Sunbody that I sometimes soak for really hot days.

 

[jchance]

That’s pretty cool. I would have grabbed a thick oxford shirt in cotton from my closet and wear during a hot summer day without a second thought. Oxford weave is fairly large and lets a lot of air flow in and out. The thickness is for wear resistant, I don’t like the feeling of thin shirts. Linen would have been too thin for my liking. Light blue would work for not getting it dirty-looking.

Alternatively, in the old days, people used to wear denim shirt or denim-looking shirt. They look great and very wear-resistant. The color doesn’t look dirty even if you get a bit of dirt or mud on it.

 

[One Drop]

That’s pretty cool. I would have grabbed a thick oxford shirt in cotton from my closet and wear during a hot summer day without a second thought. Oxford weave is fairly large and lets a lot of air flow in and out. The thickness is for wear resistant, I don’t like the feeling of thin shirts. Linen would have been too thin for my liking. Light blue would work for not getting it dirty-looking.

Alternatively, in the old days, people used to wear denim shirt or denim-looking shirt. They look great and very wear-resistant. The color doesn’t look dirty even if you get a bit of dirt or mud on it.

Yes, I wear denim, chambray, and less often cotton or linen, but not if I'll be exerting myself at all. Bright blue chambray is one of my favourites, goes with so many things and looks smart and casual at the same time.