shirt-sleeve

American  

[shurt-sleev] / ˈʃɜrtˌsliv /

Or shirtsleeve,

adjective

1. not wearing a jacket; informally dressed.

   a shirt-sleeve mob.

2. warm enough to live or work in without wearing a jacket or coat.

   shirt-sleeve weather in November.

3. simple, plain, and informal; direct and straightforward in approach, manner, etc..

   shirt-sleeve diplomacy.

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Etymology

Origin of shirt-sleeve

First recorded in 1560–70

Example Sentences

United have been without a training kit partner since last season, and their shirt-sleeve sponsor is also set to expire in the summer.

From BBC • Feb. 16, 2026

“Inside these great bubbles of air the explorers, or colonists, would live in a shirt-sleeve environment; only when they went outside would they have to wear pressure suits or travel in closed vehicles.”

From Slate • Dec. 9, 2025

In a surprising gesture, the bespectacled monarch was seen seated in a chair, coat off, suspenders showing, and shirt-sleeve rolled up, with his arm at the ready to donate blood.

From Washington Times • Sep. 12, 2023

The afternoon’s high, which enabled relaxed shirt-sleeve strolling, was reached after a 27-degree climb from the morning low of 49.

From Washington Post • Oct. 15, 2022

After the drink, as he wiped his mouth with his soiled shirt-sleeve, I heard him say, amid a rasping cough, as I was walking away: “This water sure smells funny. But it’s crisp and refreshing.”

From "Kaffir Boy: An Autobiography" by Mark Mathabane