The Journal
The Camp
Collar Shirt
The open collar of summer. What a camp collar shirt is, why it replaced the stiff shirt after May, and how to wear one without looking like a postcard.
The short answer
A camp collar shirt, also called a Cuban collar shirt, is a short-sleeve shirt with an open, flat-lying collar, no collar stand and no top button, cut straight at the hem to wear untucked. It is the summer alternative to a stiff collared shirt: dressed enough for tailored trousers, easy enough for the beach. Fit rule: shoulders exact, body relaxed, hem ending around mid-fly.
The open collar
One collar decision separates dressed from done for the day.
What is a camp collar shirt? A shirt whose collar lies flat and open against the chest, with no stand, no stiffening, and no top button asking to be closed. The neckline stays open by design, the hem is cut straight to sit untucked, and the whole shirt reads at ease in a way a dress shirt never manages with its sleeves rolled.
The trap is the print. The camp collar earned a costume reputation through parrot shirts and hotel pools. Worn in a textured solid or a quiet stripe, with trousers that hold a line, it is the most useful shirt of the warm months: open, deliberate, and better with every degree.
Flat collar. Straight hem. Nothing asking to be buttoned.
The texture playSkip the print. Keep the texture.
The modern camp collar move is texture over graphics: crochet, open knit, a woven stripe. The collar stays easy, the surface does the talking, and the shirt works over a plain tee at noon or on its own past seven.
Read CloselyThe Formulasix decisions, then done
01The collarFlat, open, unforced. If it has a stand and a stiff point, it is a different shirt.
02The fabricCrochet, open knit, linen, seersucker. Breath first; shine never.
03The patternTextured solids and quiet stripes. Leave the postcards at the hotel pool.
04The fitShoulder seams exact, body relaxed, hem straight and ending mid-fly.
05The trousersPleated linen or a Gurkha. The tailored bottom is what keeps the open collar dressed.
06The layerA plain white or cream tee underneath when the knit is open. Skin at the collar, not the chest.
The postcard, vs the texture
The vacation costumeParrots, hibiscus, a shine to the rayon. Reads like a rented mood that ends at the airport.
Textured, quiet, openA crochet or striped camp collar in green, burgundy, cream. Reads chosen, and works past the vacation.
vs
- 01On the beach. Open over trunks or a tee. The camp collar is native here; nothing to overthink.
- 02Lunch in town. Buttoned low, linen or Gurkha trousers, loafers. Dressed without a single stiff piece.
- 03Dinner outside. The darker camp collar, buttoned one more, trousers pressed. Open collar, closed argument.
- 04The city evening. Camp collar under an unstructured blazer works when the shirt is a textured solid, not a print.
- 05Cooler hours. When the evening turns, the knit polo takes over. The camp collar is a warm-weather instrument.
In the SunThree Scenesnoon, five, after dark
Noon at the lidoThe green medallion crochet over a cream tee, sand trousers, espadrilles. Texture in the light, air through the weave.
Five on the terraceThe burgundy stripe, buttoned low, olive pleated trousers. The palette deepens with the hour.
Ten in the piazzaThe brown open-knit over a white tee, charcoal trousers, loafers. Open collar, evening pace.
Where to StartThe Camp Collar Piecesin stock, textured, quiet
01 / The statementMedallion Crochet Camp Shirt, Green
Shop 
02 / The stripeStriped Crochet Camp Shirt, Burgundy
Shop 
03 / The open knitStriped Open-Knit Shirt, Brown
Shop “The camp collar is not a costume. In texture and a quiet palette, it is the most useful shirt of the summer.
Camp collar vs Cuban collarThe same collar by two names. Camp collar is the American term, Cuban collar the British one; both mean the flat, open, standless collar on a straight-hem shirt. Revere collar appears in tailoring contexts. If a listing says any of the three, it is this shirt.
Camp collar vs knit poloTwo answers to the same heat. The knit polo holds a collar line and reads dressier; the camp collar opens the neck and reads easier. Polo for dinner and the office-adjacent evening, camp collar for daylight, sand, and the terrace. A summer wardrobe wants both.
Questions, answered
What is a camp collar shirt?
A short-sleeve shirt with a flat, open collar that has no stand and no top button, finished with a straight hem meant to be worn untucked. The open neckline and relaxed cut make it the standard warm-weather alternative to a structured dress shirt.
Are camp collar and Cuban collar the same thing?
Yes. Camp collar, Cuban collar, and revere collar all describe the same flat, open, standless collar. The names vary by region and by whether the writer comes from tailoring or retail; the shirt is the same.
Are camp collar shirts in style?
Yes, and they have moved past the loud-print phase. The current form is textured and quiet: crochet, open knit, woven stripes, muted colors. Worn with tailored trousers, the camp collar reads considered rather than costume, and it photographs well in daylight.
How do you wear a camp collar shirt?
Shoulders exact, body relaxed, hem untucked and ending around mid-fly. Pair it with pleated linen or Gurkha trousers and loafers or espadrilles. Leave one or two buttons open; add a plain tee underneath if the fabric is open-weave. Avoid tucking it or closing it to the throat.
Can you wear a camp collar shirt in the evening?
Yes, in a darker textured solid or stripe, buttoned one higher, over pressed trousers. Under an unstructured blazer it passes at relaxed dinners. For dress codes beyond smart casual, switch to a fine-knit polo or a collared shirt.