All products featured on GQ are independently selected by our editors. However, when you buy something through our retail links, we may earn an affiliate commission.
In the summer, wearing a capital-D Dress shirt under your suit jacket, no matter how lightweight, is inevitably sweaty business. One heat-beating solution? Make like Hollywood's hunkiest men and forego a shirt altogether. But if that move feels extreme, Tinseltown's most stylish next-gen stars have landed on fix that's a lot more doable for us Average Joes: simply swap out the button-up for a tank top. The look delivers the same breeziness as its ab-exposing counterpart, but the vibe feels more off-duty gangster than, say, disheveled Chippendale en route to court.
As A-listers ranging from Austin Butler to Paul Mescal have demonstrated, the key to pulling off the look is pretty straightforward. If you're feeling bold, layer one under an oversized double-breasted blazer and voluminous trousers—but you can also jazz up your most pedestrian navy blue number with just a tank and some well-chosen accessories. The only "rule" we'd recommend adhering to is keeping the tank in question solid and understated—we dig Calvin Klein's genre-defining ribbed version—to let your suit (and, y'know, your lack of a "real" shirt) do the talking. Still got a few lingering hang-ups? Below are a quartet of infallible ways to acquaint yourself with the swerve in the run up to summer.
For the Diehard @DirectorFits Aficionado
‘80s-era oversized tailoring has never looked more relevant than it does right now. Instead of helping you close big deals on the trading floor, though, a broad-shouldered blazer like the Fear of God joint below will help you close big fits—and prove that wearing a suit jacket in 2023 doesn't make you a corporate apparatchik. The Kenny G-adjacent silhouette is a statement in and of itself, but the tank top really helps the whole shebang nail the landing. Keep the vibe going with easy, breezy trousers and a slick pair of shades for a fit that screams “no photos, please”—even as your best bud immortalizes it for the 'gram.
For the Budget-Conscious Style God
Eager to take a big fashion swing but don't want to risk sweating though your best two-piece? The ongoing Banana Republic renaissance has you covered in spectacular fashion, courtesy of this deceptively luxe, sub-$600 number. It's the kind of suit—cut a touch oversized from primo Italian linen—that you can easily dress up to hit the summer wedding circuit, but is also primed for less formal occasions. In addition to its breezy construction, the double-breasted silhouette makes the the idea of wearing a tank instead of an actual button-up slightly less crazy—but since a tie is off the table, accessorize with a discreet silver chain instead.
For the Fella Who Summers Halfway Across the Globe
Khaki suits can read preppy, but Gucci's—which boasts wide, '70s-inflected lapels and slinky pleated pants—looks more ready for a hazy weekend in Ibiza than brunch at the country club. If you're the type of guy who jet-sets to Europe to get his R&R (or, more likely, wishes you were), there's no better way to borrow some of that globe-trotting energy than by suiting up with a crisp cotton tank. Finish off with a floppy bucket hat, woven belt, and huaraches that'll get kicked off the moment you hit the beach for a sun-soaked, post-lunch siesta.
For the New-Age Suiting Guy
In 2023, the lines separating menswear's once distinct style tribes have all but disappeared, leaving nothing but wide open road for you to blaze your own trail. Want to wear an Ivy-inspired plaid sport coat over a tank top? Go forth, young style king. Want to pair said sport coat with a very yeehaw western belt and razor-sharp cowboy boots instead of the more obvious woven belt and loafers? Rock on, partner.
