Courtesy HBO
While there have been some complaints around the third season of HBO’s White Lotus unfolding like an upscale version of Real Housewives, I’d have to disagree with the haters. Like seasons one and two, this week in Thailand is fun, and nuanced, and we’re able to witness disgustingly rich and attractive characters participating in a sartorial pissing contest.
As with prestige drama HBO shows, the clothing budget is aligned with the GDP of a small country, and we’re getting some all-out bangers. Wardrobes we’re not apt to care about in our day-to-day are now front and center on our screens while we’re trying to figure out which of the 1% assumedly cheating on their taxes won’t make it out of the resort alive.
One such collective sartorial zeitgeist moment included Lochlan’s tropical shirt, a mere $123 compared to the more elevated designers highlighted on the show. Not only did the Tombolo button-down make men across the country simultaneously say, “Dude, I need that,” but it also made the bro wearing two-for-two shirts across episodes an overnight fashion celebrity
As an avid fan of resortwear as everyday attire—I’m not big on manifesting, but I am fine with owning too much terry cloth for someone whose vacations depend on the kindness of their friend’s parents’ second homes—I foresee tropical shirts for men becoming even bigger this spring and summer.
Obviously, The White Lotus’s eye candy will help drive the trend, but as recessioncore keeps rearing its frugal little head, fast fashion is ready to oblige. Expect a tidal wave of ironic button-downs that cost less than a checked bag to Thailand. Your Instagram feed is about to become a battleground of algorithmically spawned impulse buys — trust me, I’ve fallen victim to more than a few. Stay strong. Resist the siren call of shirts that scream “yacht vibes” but feel like a wet napkin.
You can still have a resortwear vibe without owning the same Sunday Funday shirts as everyone in your urban luxury highrise that acts as a dorm for adults. As someone who spent most of their twenties writing about #menswear, check out some of my tried-and-true shopping hacks for something you’ll love past summer 2025.
Buy vintage
It goes without saying that secondhand is often cheaper, and hidden gems are conveniently strewn across eBay, Grailed, TheRealReal and the like. Older fabrications are often of better quality, but you should always check the measurements, and if they’re not listed, ask for them. I often look for a size larger than I normally would because I assume the garment was discarded after being shrunk in the wash.
Go beyond “tropical shirt” search terms
Madras, seersucker, terry cloth, cotton and linen fabrications are all rife for the taking. Often, the people listing their clothing haven’t taken the time to inject proper SEO, and it’s up to you to use key search terms the masses haven’t already jumped on. Summer fabrications, especially madras and terry cloth, are conspicuous in their own right, and because of the short window that these pieces are appropriate, they can often be found for cheaper when their former owners are downsizing their closets.
Courtesy HBO
Explore pajama separates
Another option is short-sleeved pajama shirts because they’ll often offer more fun prints than everyday shirts, have contrast piping along the seams, and can sometimes be bought for cheaper if they’re not part of the original set. A lot of tropical shirts mimic pajama sets anyway, so you’re not committing a daytime faux pas while day drinking. Or wishing you were day drinking while creating value for the shareholders.
Look for vintage from brands you like but normally wouldn’t shell out for
For example, I’m constantly on the hunt for vintage Lilly Pulitzer and Brooks Brothers because of their canonically fun, audacious prints, probably worn by someone who wouldn’t have let me into their country club a few decades ago. These can become core pieces of your seasonal wardrobe because they’re traditionally viewed as “summer essentials,” and you can keep rotating them in your closet for years.
Courtesy HBO
They’re not going to go out of style any time soon!