Reintroducing the Popover, the Ultimate Summer Shirt

We’ve hit the hard shift in high summer style, where priorities (see also: weather) transition from “get a ‘fit off” to “get a neck fan on.”

Beyond somewhat controversially living in shorts for the next month, this switch allows me my yearly opportunity to recommend the oft-forgotten popover shirt. Also referred to as a pullover or a half-placket shirt, the autologically named style combines typical button-up construction with a shortened, half-length placket; the resulting shirt falls somewhere between a polo and a button-up, and has been a longtime staple of the classically preppy wardrobe, when it was popularized on college campuses in the ’50s and ’60s.

While its origins dovetail nicely with the current resurgence in Ivy style, my endorsement comes from a place of practicality. The popover’s roomy design, which demands a shape you can comfortably pull over your head, enough length to tuck and lightweight, flexible materials like linen and cotton to accommodate its semi-unconventional form — as menswear writer Derek Guy explains, “in order to easily slide in and out of these things, you want your shirt to be cut a little bigger, but not so big that it looks baggy when worn,” — is tailor-made for high summer style.

Sharper than a polo, and more relaxed and airy than a standard button-up, it’s the ultimate hybrid shirt for any scenario that doesn’t allow for a crop top. (Plus, it scratches the seasonal itch in the way only a highly specific garment can.)

As a forward thinker, I like to align myself with potential, and the popover checks all the boxes — casual, versatile and moodboard-appropriate — you should be looking to tick this summer. And while the popover might be a classically preppy piece of apparel, there are a ton of iterations out there, ranging from an office-appropriate Drake’s number to a striped Todd Snyder situation we’re pretty sure we spotted on Love Island. I’ve done my due diligence and rounded up the best popover shirts for you, each vetted and hand-selected. Find them below.

Drake’s Cotton-Linen Popover Work Shirt

As with much of the modern menswear canon, British retailer Drake’s has become the preeminent purveyor of modern-day ivy meets British heritage, and their cotton-linen take on the popover is no exception.

Drake’s : $375

Taylor Stitch The Logan Plaid Popover

If you’re looking for something a little less cooling and a little more heavy-duty, Taylor Stitch’s crispy plaid popover dials up the workwear-inspired vibes to an 11.

Taylor Stitch : $135 $81

Alex Mill Clint Cotton Poplin Popover

Constructed from an easy-wear garment-dyed cotton poplin, Alex Mill’s popover take is decidedly the most casual (and, arguably, wearable) option on this list.

Alex Mill : $165

Todd Snyder Linen Popover Shirt

When you picture yourself on a beach, sipping a Mai Tai and performatively reading a Sally Rooney novel, we hope you picture yourself in this shirt.

Todd Snyder : $178

Polo Ralph Lauren Bleeding Madras Cotton Popover Shirt

If preppy cosplay is your goal, it doesn’t get much more Take Ivy than a classic half-placket madras shirt from Polo Ralph Lauren.

Saks Fifth Ave : $175 $123

Meet your guide

Paolo Sandoval

Paolo Sandoval is Style Editor at InsideHook, having previously contributed to Valet Mag. An expert when it comes to vintage denim, soccer kits and tailoring, Paolo reports on style, grooming, wellness, menswear trends, celebrity, media and other pursuits tangential to looking and feeling like a million bucks, and is the voice behind the InsideHook fashion newsletter, The Stitch. You can reach him at psandoval@insidehook.com.