Types of Shirts

Fashion Terms   Types of T-shirts   Types of Clothes

Most people know what a shirt is, but may not be completely familiar with various elements & versions.  A shirt is a cloth garment for the upper body and they come in many different shapes and sizes.  You may be surprised at the number of different shirt styles in the market.

Here are a few different shirt types to consider.

A-shirt or vest or singlet (in British English) – essentially a sleeveless shirt with large armholes and a large neck hole, often worn by labourers or athletes for increased movability. Sometimes called a "wife beater" when worn without a covering layer.

Baseball shirt (jersey) – usually distinguished by a three quarters sleeve, team insignia, and flat waist seam.

Blank T-shirts

Blouses - A blouse typically refers to a loose-fitting, often lightweight, upper garment that covers the upper body, including the chest and back. They are designed with various styles, cuts, fabrics, and embellishments, making them suitable for both casual and formal occasions.

Camisole – woman's undershirt with narrow straps, or a similar garment worn alone (often with bra). Also referred to as a cami, shelf top, spaghetti straps or strappy top.

Camp shirt – a loose, straight-cut, short sleeved shirt or blouse with a simple placket front-opening and a "camp collar".

Crewneck Shirt

Crop Top - a short length shirt (short in the torso not necessarily the sleeve).

Cycling Shirts - cycling shirts are for riding a bicycle.  They are tight fitting tops that help reduce wind resistance for the rider.

Dinner shirt – a shirt specifically made to be worn with male evening wear, e.g. a black tie or white tie.  Learn about dress shirt fabrics on the Fashion Blog.

Dress shirt – shirt with a formal (somewhat stiff) collar, a full-length opening at the front from the collar to the hem (usually buttoned), and sleeves with cuffs.

Guayabera – an embroidered dress shirt with four pockets.

Halfshirt – a high-hemmed T-shirt. (If you are overweight, it may be a good idea to stay away from this style of shirt).

Halter top – a shoulderless, sleeveless garment for women. It is mechanically analogous to an apron with a string around the back of the neck and across the lower back holding it in place.

Heavy shirt – a shirt with the heavy size that covers up under the neck
onesie or diaper shirt – a shirt for infants which includes a long back that is wrapped between the legs and buttoned to the front of the shirt.

Henley shirt – a collarless polo shirt.

Hoodies - sweatshirts with a hood.

Jackets, coats and similar outerwear (sort of a shirt at times).

Long-sleeved T-shirt – a T-shirt with long sleeves that extend to cover the arms.

Mock Neck Shirt

Nightshirt – often oversized, ruined or inexpensive light cloth undergarment shirt for sleeping.

Poet shirt – a loose-fitting shirt or blouse with full bishop sleeves, usually with large frills on the front and on the cuffs.

Polo shirt (also tennis shirt or golf shirt) – a pullover soft collar short-sleeved shirt with an abbreviated button placket at the neck and a longer back than front (the "tennis tail").

Racerback Shirts

Raglan Sleeve

Redshirting - not exactly a type of shirt, but something you may wish to learn about.

Ringer T-shirt (Ringer Tees)– tee with a separate piece of fabric sewn on as the collar and sleeve hems.

Rugby shirt – a long-sleeved polo shirt, traditionally of rugged construction in thick cotton or wool, but often softer today.

Shirtwaist – historically (circa. 1890–1920) a woman's tailored shirt (also called a "tailored waist") cut like a man's dress shirt; in contemporary usage, a woman's dress cut like a men's dress shirt to the waist, then extended into dress length at the bottom.

Sleeveless shirt – a shirt manufactured without sleeves, or one whose sleeves have been cut off, also called a tank top.

Spaghetti Strap Tops

Sweaters – heavy knitted upper garments with long sleeves and sometimes cuffs.

Sweatshirt – long-sleeved athletic shirt of heavier material, with or without hood.

Top shirt – a long-sleeved collarless polo shirt.

T-shirt – also "tee shirt", a casual shirt without a collar or buttons, made of a stretchy, finely knit fabric, usually cotton, and usually short-sleeved. Originally worn under other shirts, it is now a common shirt for everyday wear in some countries.

Tube top (in American English) or boob tube (in British English) – a shoulderless, sleeveless "tube" that wraps the torso not reaching higher than the armpit, staying in place by elasticity or by a single strap that is attached to the front of the tube.

Tunic – primitive shirt, distinguished by two-piece construction. Initially a men's garment, is normally seen in modern times being worn by women.

Turtleneck Tops

U-neck Shirt

V-neck Shirt

You may also have interest in learning about different shirt components such as the shirts yoke, gussets, smiley pockets, embellishments, etc.

In addition, you may want to learn more about t-shirt embroidery and t-shirt printing.

Learn about types of shirt collars.

Research different types of sleeve.

You may also want to learn about the various types of necklines available.

Now that you know so much about this clothing category, you may also want to learn about various types of pants.

Learn more about different types of clothing from the Fashion Blog.

Wow, that's a nice top you are wearing.  We did not know you had such a nice shirt style picked out for today.