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The best floral shirt

Which floral shirt is best? 

Floral shirts can add a pop of color and intrigue to your wardrobe, whether worn under a jacket or as a statement piece. Subtle or bold, muted or bright, there's a floral shirt out there for everyone. 

If you're considering buying a floral shirt but aren't quite sure what to look for, it can seem daunting. Luckily, you can find all kinds of floral shirts on the market. If you're looking for a quality option with a bold pattern, the Billabong Sundays Floral Short-Sleeve Woven Shirt is an excellent choice.

What to know before you buy a floral shirt

Short-sleeve vs. long-sleeve

One of the first things to decide before you start looking for floral shirts is whether you want a short-sleeve shirt or a long-sleeve shirt. Although short-sleeve options still look dressier than a T-shirt, they're more of a casual option than long-sleeve shirts, for wearing out to dinner (as long as the restaurant isn't too fancy), at a bar or at a workplace with a relaxed dress code. 

Although you can make long-sleeve floral shirts look casual if you pair them with jeans and roll up the sleeves, they're generally a smarter choice. You can wear them with a suit or under a blazer to really dress them up or with dress pants for a relaxed look. If you want more information on shirts, take a look at the guide to men's dress shirts at BestReviews.

Print

Floral shirt prints can vary wildly, so it can take a while to find the type of print you want. Some people prefer small ditsy floral prints with tiny flowers all over, while others prefer bold Hawaiian floral prints, plus there's a whole lot of middle ground between the two. Some prints feature bright colors, while others have muted hues, such as a gray floral design on a black background. 

Fit

Decide whether you want a loose-fitting shirt, a slim-fitting shirt or a regular-fitting shirt, which is somewhere in between the two. This is completely down to personal preference, so pick whatever fit you like most. Women's shirts tend to be more tapered at the waist than men's shirts, but of course, you can buy whichever shirt you best like the fit of and feel most comfortable in. 

What to look for in a quality floral shirt

Materials

Shirts that are made from 100% cotton are more breathable and more comfortable to wear than polyester shirts or cotton-poly blends, so they're the best choice for most buyers. 

Wrinkle-free

You can find shirts with wrinkle-free technology that come out of the wash with fewer wrinkles, so you can get away with not ironing them, or at least doing minimal ironing. 

Breast pocket

Many floral shirts feature a breast pocket, but not all do. If this is important to you, check the breast pocket situation before you buy. 

How much you can expect to spend on a floral shirt

An average floral shirt costs anywhere between $15-$100, though you can find designer shirts that cost several hundred dollars. 

Floral shirt FAQ

Are floral shirts popular? 

A. Floral shirts are sometimes completely on-trend and other times more of a niche fashion statement, but they're always relatively popular. They're versatile and go with all kinds of outfits, depending on the cut and print, so plenty of people with very different styles of dressing wear them. Ultimately, however, you shouldn't worry too much whether or not floral shirts are in fashion — if you like them, wear them, and if you don't, give them a miss. 

What can you wear with a floral shirt? 

A. You can wear almost anything with a floral shirt. You could wear a long-sleeve floral shirt with a small or subtle floral print with a suit in a business environment or to a wedding, while on the opposite end of the dressy-to-casual spectrum, you could wear a short-sleeve Hawaiian shirt with board shorts for a cookout or a day at the beach. There's plenty of room in between these two extremes to experiment. 

What’s the best floral shirt to buy?

Top floral shirt

Billabong Sundays Floral Short-Sleeve Woven Shirt

What you need to know: With a bold tropical floral print, this shirt is great for casual wear. 

What you’ll love: Made from 100% cotton, this shirt is breathable and feels cool to wear. It's well-made and nicely cut and fits true to size. Many wearers appreciate the inclusion of a breast pocket.

What you should consider: It isn't available in sizes above X-large. 

Where to buy: Sold by Amazon

Top floral shirt for the money

Goodthreads Short-Sleeve Printed Poplin Shirt

What you need to know: Available in a range of floral prints from bold to subtle, this affordable shirt offers something to suit most styles. 

What you’ll love: This shirt comes in a decent range of sizes up to 3XL. It's slightly tapered through the waist for a good fit and is made from 100% cotton with a breast pocket.  

What you should consider: Some users aren't a fan of the cut, but this comes down to personal preference.

Where to buy: Sold by Amazon

Worth checking out

Lands' End Traditional Fit Essential Lightweight Poplin Shirt

What you need to know: With long sleeves and a delicate floral print, this shirt could be styled as either casual or formal. 

What you’ll love: Wearers will appreciate the lightweight 100% cotton poplin material in warmer weather. It's available in a traditional fit and a slimmer tailored fit, depending on how you like to wear your shirts. 

What you should consider: It would be nice to have a greater range of sizes to choose from.

Where to buy: Sold by Amazon

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Lauren Corona writes for BestReviews. BestReviews has helped millions of consumers simplify their purchasing decisions, saving them time and money.

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