May 22, 2025
The Cuban collar shirt is the first item to check off your summer shopping list. The silhouette is not new, but until recently, its image was more of a golf dad wearing a hula dancer print on the Atlantic City Boardwalk than a summer wardrobe essential. The shirt has seen a resurgence of style in recent years. I’m wearing it whenever the temperature rises above 80 degrees F.
You can call it whatever you like (camp shirt or revere collar). I could continue, but all roads lead back to the guayabera, its spiritual forerunner. As you may know, it is a piece of traditional menswear from Latin America and the Caribbean. Folklore says that it was created by a Cuban husband who asked his wife for a shirt with many pockets so he could store his things while working.
The shirt’s most distinctive feature is its open collar. It has four pockets on the front and two horizontal stripes of pleating or embroidery. The collar on a Cuban shirt is almost completely flat and designed to be worn without any buttons undone. Since the 1950s, this style has become a staple for casual clothing in warm seasons.
The Cuban collar shirt was previously lumped with florals or anything featuring a hula dancer because it is so summery. It’s not that we hate, but now is the time to move forward. Instead, this summer, choose bold, asymmetrical patterns, embroidery, pockets and textured fabrics that are inspired by the original guayabera. Our picks will help you get closer to summertime cool.
Lululemon Airing Easy Camp-Collar Shirt
Lululemon is a master at creating casual silhouettes using technical fabrics. This shirt looks at first like a standard relaxed cotton shirt. It’s made from a four-way stretch, moisture-wicking , and performance fabric. The tie-dye is available in three solid cool-toned colours.
Todd Snyder Irish-Linen Camp-Collar Shirt
This Irish linen shirt, with its cool, crisp, thin fabric, will keep you stylish in the heat of summer.
Tombolo Monkey Business Shirt
Tombolo makes a Cuban collar shirt unlike any other. Its fun, splashy designs will make you ask, “Where did I get that?” The sweater is a neutral beige and cream colour, so it goes with any shorts or pants.
PJ Paul Button-Down Casual Shirt
Amazon offers a textured, stylish Cuban shirt by PJ Paul Jones for only $25. It can arrive at your door in a single day. This shirt looks great in jeans, khakis, or swim trunks.
Marine Layer Stretch Selvage Embroidered Shirt
Embroidery can elevate any garment. So feel free to sweat and wear this shirt a bit rougher–you will still look great.
Banana Republic Standard-Fit Linen Resort Shirt
Banana Republic is the only brand that can easily pull off a Cuban collar shirt. The clean, minimalistic linen shirt is handsome when a few top buttons are undone, allowing you to show off your summer tan. It looks great with loafers and pleated trousers.
Buck Mason Wornwell S/S camp shirt
Buck Mason’s beauty combines the brand’s California cool with the classic 1950s American Cuban collar. This loose, boxy collar is versatile and comes in many summery colours.
Far Afield Stachio Summer Men’s Menu Short Sleeved Shirt
Summer vibes turned to the maximum. This lightweight summer shirt is perfect for unbuttoned wear. It features embroidery of all the things you love about this season.
Percival Cuban Shirt
Percival is known for making shirts that are anything but basic wardrobe essentials. This shirt is no different. Seersucker is lightweight and breathable, and the chest pocket is perfect for sunglasses.
Prada Double Match Heavy Cotton Short-Sleeved Shirt
What could be more fun than wearing a Cuban collar shirt? A Cuban collar shirt with two graphics. Prada’s ultra-cool cotton style is made for those who are bold and brave.
Why You Can Trust Esquire
We won’t say that something is great until it really is. Esquire’s fashion and ecommerce teams carefully curate each product featured in our roundups.
You can be assured that when it comes to Cuban collar shirts, we hand-select styles that we have personally tried and loved. We also select styles that our stylish colleagues at Esquire endorse as their own. These Cuban collar shirts were the result of a great deal of trial and error.
Each choice on this (and other) list is based on years of wearing different things, seeing what we love and what we don’t. We have spent years trying out different styles, deciding what we like and dislike, and then settling on the best. There are no two men who have the same taste. Your proverbial mileage may vary. If you want to know where to begin and get advice from people who are (possibly) too concerned about this stuff, then look no further. This is the place for this kind of stuff.
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