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Normally a Tshirt is made of cloth (I don't know what kind of cloth it is) that is soft and does not leave creases even though you don't iron it (see the picture above).

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A shirt is normally made of cloth (I don't know what kind of cloth it is) that often leaves creases if you don't iron it (see the picture above).

Now if I cut the sleeves off a shirt short to make it look like this.

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Is this (picture 3) called "a shirt with short sleeves" or "a Tshirt"?

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    I have heard the 3rd example called a "short-sleeved dress shirt" if it is suitable for formal occasions
    – Quack E. Duck
    Jun 27 at 15:39
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    A short-sleeved shirt or dress shirt. T-shirts are not considered real shirts. They are a separate category. Have you started to close your questions yet or still playing selfish?
    – Lambie
    Jun 27 at 16:07
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    T shirts are made from a knitted cotton fabric called jersey. Regular shirts are usually made from woven fabric.
    – Kate Bunting
    Jun 27 at 16:15
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    This question seems to be based largely on the idea that a t-shirt "normally . . . does not leave creases even though you don't iron it". I have a drawer full of t-shirts that would beg to differ. (In fact, I'd be very surprised if you found any definition of either "shirt" or "t-shirt" that had anything to do with creases.)
    – MarcInManhattan
    Jun 28 at 3:10

2 Answers 2

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There might be some differences between British and US English on this one, but a 'dress shirt' in British English is a very formal shirt - the kind you would wear with a tuxedo. These do not normally come in short-sleeved variants.

The other kinds of fully-buttoning shirts (ie not a 't-shirt' or a 'polo shirt') may be described as a 'formal shirt' (worn for 'smart', but not 'black tie' occasions) or a 'casual shirt' (for casual wear, usually without any kind of tie). Often, a 'formal' shirt may simply be called a 'shirt', because if it isn't dress or casual then it doesn't need further definition.

Both formal and casual shirts may come with short sleeves or long sleeves, so the only way to specify what you mean would be to say "a short-sleeved shirt" or "a short-sleeved casual shirt".

The kind of shirt shown in your picture is most definitely casual - worn without a tie, top button open, and with a designer logo showing. This is not formal, and certainly not 'dress' wear.

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    In AmE it could be called a short sleeved, collard shirt and most would understand what you meant. Some, however, might think that means a short sleeved, dress shirt (since they are also collard). Additional clarification might be needed.
    – EllieK
    Jun 27 at 17:54
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    It's spelt collared not collard (which is a type of green vegetable).
    – Stuart F
    Jun 28 at 11:22
  • @StuartF And 'spelt' is a kind of wheat.
    – Astralbee
    Jun 28 at 13:22
  • @Astralbee - not always, & not even the primary definition… i.stack.imgur.com/kHSFh.png
    – DoneWithThis.
    Jun 28 at 13:32
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    @DoneWithThis. No, not always, but often. US English favours 'spelled' as the past participle of 'spell', so 'spelt' is used more often for the foodstuff in that dialect. But in any case, I was just riffing off the previous comment rather than correcting it. As a British English speaker myself, I would use 'spelt'.
    – Astralbee
    Jun 28 at 17:08
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In my experience, either "short-sleeved dress shirt" or "short-sleeved button-up" would be appropriate terms for that shirt. It would not make sense to call it a t-shirt, as people don't use that term for shirts with buttons.

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    As Australbee suggests, I don't think calling picture 3 a dress shirt works, not even in AmE. In order for a man's shirt to be called a dress shirt the shirt should be able to be accessorized with a tie without looking absurd. The shirt in picture 2 could certainly be called a dress shirt and if it was short sleeved, it could be called a short sleeved dress shirt. Picture 3, however, is a organizational shirt, with a company logo and collar logo. I don't think I've ever seen these kinds of shirts worn with ties. They are what employees wear at a convention.
    – EllieK
    Jun 27 at 17:50
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    That's what the post says. What would you call the shirt in the second picture if its sleeves were short like the third picture. I think short sleeved dress shirt is a perfectly appropriate term for such shirt, at least in American English. People would know what you were talking about. I also provided "button up" as an alternative.
    – Logan Quick
    Jun 27 at 18:05
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    Yes, you make a good point. The question is a bit unclear. But the last line of the question is What do you call picture #3..... The question is not What would you call picture 2 with short sleeves? I would not call picture 3 a dress shirt.
    – EllieK
    Jun 27 at 18:17
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    Good criticism. There seems to be ambiguity around this, regional differences, and differences based on the level of menswear knowledge. Overall, it's probably best to just describe the shirt in more detail. I agree that if I asked for a dress shirt, I would not expect a shirt with a logo on it.
    – Logan Quick
    Jun 27 at 18:37

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