I just found out that I was invited to visit Venice and Croatia, cue all the excitement. I loved Italy in the short time I visited a couple of years ago and have been dying to go back plus Croatia is a new country for me and one that has been on my list for some time now.
Excitement aside I am not panicking, because I need to revamp my NYC summer lesbian fashion to fit the summer in Europe vibe quickly.
So I put together a quick summer masc clothing guide made up entirely of things I can get from Amazon. Of course, there are way more options for masc clothing, but I need these quickly and on a budget and thought some of you might need that as well.
This is the first part of a three-part series, all about masc summer shirts.
My style leans more masculine but as my style has evolved I have enjoyed playing with both masculine and feminine pieces and accessories. I’ll add in the products but also plenty of inspo photos.
It’s worth noting that all my recommendations on swimwear, underwear, and binders are already live on the site. One thing important for this particular trip is lightweight binding options for hot weather and swim binders that have totally changed my confidence on the beach.
Queer Summer in Europe Inspiration
Short Sleeve Shirts
Polo Shirts
It’s hard to beat a plain polo. I like to pair an oversized one with some athletic shorts, white socks, and Birkenstock Bostons for a super casual day of exploring—a nice switch-up from a t-shirt. They’re also easy to toss on with a great pair of swim trunks and sandals for a seaside lunch.I like the ones that have a bit of texture and wanted something neutral, so I scooped up this cream Amazon Essentials Polo. If you have a bit more room in the budget, I thrifted a couple of these Lacoste Polos a few years back and am still obsessed with them. They are a bit shorter in the torso and give a bit of a boxy, cropped feel. I’m planning to stay pretty neutral for this whole trip to make things easy to mix and match, but I’ll throw in a few pops of color. I know this light blue one will look great with a tan.
Knit Polos
I love the look of a knit polo, particularly the vintage vibe it gives when paired with pleated dress pants and loafers. I think this dusty blue one has a unique texture and will look great with white or cream pants.
I also love the texture of this ribbed V-neck polo. I am cautious with V-necks because it’s harder for me to cover a sports bra or a binder, but this one has a pretty subtle V. I typically go true to size or even size down in V-neck items for that reason. Another option is always trans tape if you like the look of a deeper V but want to maintain that flatter chest look. The apricot, white, and dark blue are my favorite color options, again staying in the summery coastal color palette.
I waffled back and forth on adding some bolder pops of color and ultimately decided to add a few things. I love this mustard knit shirt; it has perfect retro vibes and I can’t wait to wear it with some linen pants and loafers. I also picked up this kind of funky pale blue one from the same brand. I tend to lean into simple things I can wear multiple times on a trip, but one of the perks of cruising is only needing to unpack/pack once, so I feel good about taking a larger bag than usual.
T-Shirts
Oversized T-Shirts
Perfect to pair with denim shorts, athletic shorts, or linen pants. Having a few good t-shirts is essential to every packing guide for me. This 4 pack has all the basic colors covered and I know I’ll wear them in a bunch of different situations.
Cropped T-Shirts
Like every other masc on the planet right now, cropped shirts have an absolute chokehold on me, so I grabbed these oversized cropped tees. They have the dropped sleeve and higher neck that I love. Unfortunately, with all my 6ft height in my torso, they don’t fit me perfectly, but I know they’ll be a great option for tons of other people.
Waffle T-Shirt
I’m sticking with the theme of neutrals with textures. I really like the idea of pairing this waffle shirt with a nicer pair of pants so an evening look that feels put together but low effort.
Button Down Shirts
Textured Button Down
I love the way this textured button-down looks; it also feels way more expensive than it is, and I love that. If you want to wear it buttoned up, I really like the white, but I could also see it looking great unbuttoned with a white tank underneath. For that, I would probably lean towards the black.
Linen Shirts
If there’s one thing that’s a must for a hot masc summer in Europe, it’s plenty of linen shirts, and this one is an excellent classic option. It’s made from soft material and comes in tons of colors. You really can’t go wrong here.
Workwear Shirt
The vibe of a cropped workwear shirt is immaculate right now. They look amazing with a white tank underneath and paired with denim shorts or looser workwear-style pants. Since I’m on a budget, I’m going to get a little crafty.
I’ll be buying a Red Kap shirt—the striped versions are my favorite, but there are about 20 colors to choose from—a rotary cutter, and some hemming tape. Cut the shirt to the exact length that works for you; I typically aim for about 2 inches below the top of my pants. There are dozens of TikTok videos from masc fashion influencers teaching you how to crop a shirt if you’re unsure. If you want to get creative, grab an iron-on patch or two.
Casual Cuban Collar
This casual cuban collar short sleeve is a great option that could be tossed on with some swim shorts or dressed up a bit for a nice lunch maybe even dinner. They have a handful of colors but black is the one i went with.
Crochet Button Down
I love a crochet shirt moment. I have a couple in both polo and t-shirt styles. They can be tricky to find at a good price point without feeling cheap, but this khaki version hits the mark on both accounts for me.
Long Sleeve Shirts
Linen Long Sleeve
I’m picking up all the linen shirts for this trip and attempting to style them like the effortlessly cool boys in Europe. Roll the sleeves, leave them unbuttoned, throw them over a t-shirt in the evening, or pair them with shorts to keep the sun off you during a day of exploring. Every summer packing guide for Europe recommends multiple linen shirts, and I am determined to actually wear them this trip.
I did extensive TikTok research and this is the brand I decided to go with. I picked up the white and the light blue.
Oxford Shirt
An oxford shirt is significantly less breathable than linen options, but I often prefer the way the thicker material of an oxford shirt fits my body, particularly my chest. There are a bunch of oxford options, but these from Tommy Hilfiger are great quality. The Amazon Essentials version is also really nice quality and is a significantly lower price point. The Amazon version also comes in a slim fit version which could be great for smaller with smaller frames.
As a masc-presenting person, my preference is usually for options that minimize the appearance of my curves. To achieve this with an oxford shirt, I typically size up two sizes to ensure it falls over my hips, or I go true to size, maybe one size up, and crop it so the shirt falls at my waist. You can, of course, also tuck the shirt in and pair it with a nice belt, but I usually lean towards a more casual look.
I also got this blue and white striped version, specifically because I am obsessed with the way this outfit looks.
Lightweight Sweater
I’ve been wearing them tossed over my shoulders a bunch this spring and fall but want to do a more polished version. I picked up a couple of these lightweight sweaters to use to complete some of my looks and of course, have them if it gets chilly. I also grabbed this jade green waffle knit one, it might be too heavy for this particular trip but will transition well into the fall.