INTRODUCING THE AF KNIT CAMP BUTTON UP - THIS ONE'S FOR YOU
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Time to read 6 min
What is a knit camp shirt?
A knit camp shirt is a short-sleeve, camp-collar shirt constructed from knit fabric rather than woven cloth giving it the structured look of a button-down with the stretch, softness, and ease of a sweater. It's one of menswear's most enduring and currently trending pieces. And now, for the first time, it's been designed with AFAB bodies in mind.
Introducing the AF Knit Camp Button Up
You've seen it. Maybe on a guy at a restaurant who looked effortlessly put together in a way you couldn't immediately name. Maybe you've held one up in a store, loved the look of it, tried it on, and felt the familiar sinking feeling of a shirt that was simply not built for your body.
That shirt is the knit camp. And that sinking feeling? We built this drop to fix it.
The Androgynous Fox AF Knit Camp Button Up is here. Same silhouette you've been coveting. Finally cut for you.
A Brief History of the Most Effortlessly Cool Shirt in Menswear
From Cuban Farmers to Elvis Presley
The camp-collar shirt has one of the richest origin stories in fashion. It traces back to the Guayabera - a lightweight, short-sleeved work shirt worn by laborers in Latin America as far back as the 16th century. Originating as a traditional worker's garment in Mexico, its lightweight, breathable construction and short sleeves were designed for hard labor under a sweltering sun. The design eventually made its way to Cuba, where the open, flat collar that defines the silhouette today was refined and popularized.
The camp shirt was introduced to the United States largely by Cuban men who migrated to Miami and New York in the late 1950s and '60s following the Cuban Revolution. Americans adopted the relaxed open collar, swapped long sleeves for short, and ran with it. Prominent figures like Bobby Kennedy and Elvis Presley were photographed in camp collar shirts, and bowling teams across the country made it their unofficial uniform. For a few decades, it was one of the most widely worn shirts in America across class and culture.
The Knit Evolution
The camp collar shirt spent some time in fashion exile in the '90s and early 2000s, largely associated with novelty and costume rather than everyday style. But with mid-century aesthetics re-emerging over the past decade, it has returned as a warm-weather wardrobe staple. And this time around, it came back in knit — taking the relaxed camp collar silhouette and constructing it in a fabric with stretch, texture, and a finish that reads as both casual and refined.
The knit camp is menswear's current quiet obsession. Elevated everyday layers such as knitwear, overshirts, and textured basics are becoming foundational to the modern wardrobe, with logos giving way to fabric quality, fit, and construction detail. The knit camp sits right at the center of that shift. It bridges the gap between a tee and a proper shirt, between casual and considered, between going out and staying comfortable the whole time.
The only problem? It has almost exclusively been designed for men's bodies. Until now.
Why We Made This: Androgynous Button Up Shirts Built Differently
The Gap We Know Too Well
This is the part of the story that will sound familiar. You find a piece in menswear that speaks to you - the silhouette, the texture, the whole vibe of it. You try it on. The shoulders are too wide, the chest too boxy, the proportions built for a body that isn't yours. You put it back. You leave. You go home and look at it online for three more weeks before accepting that it just wasn't made for you. That is the exact gap Androgynous Fox exists to close. And the knit camp is one of the clearest examples of a piece the broader market has failed to translate for AFAB bodies. So we did it ourselves.
Built for Your Body, Not Borrowed from Someone Else's
The AF Knit Camp Button Up is a full-fashioned, slim-fit knit shirt constructed specifically for the proportions of AFAB bodies. That means a chest width that actually fits, shoulders that sit where your shoulders are, and a sweep that doesn't swallow your frame. The third button is positioned to keep the bust area properly closed and secured which is a small but important detail for a shirt designed around AFAB proportions.
The construction is 12GG jersey knit - smooth, structured, and substantial enough to hold its shape. Engineered knit texture panels run vertically down the front and back, adding visual depth and a subtle stripe detail that references the shirt's bowling-shirt heritage without leaning into costume territory. The contrast collar, sleeve bands, and bottom band are 1X1 rib knit, giving the shirt clean, finished edges and a subtle color-blocking detail throughout.
The Androgynous Fox wordmark is embroidered on the left sleeve, a 4.5 inch wide DTG embroidery, centered on the outer sleeve, 1/2 inch from the rib cuff seam.
The Colorways
Three Ways to Wear It
The AF Knit Camp Button Up drops in three colorways, each versatile enough to carry the shirt through every context you'll wear it in.
Oxblood is a deep, rich burgundy that pairs well with black trousers, dark denim, or olive chinos. It's the colorway with the most presence and tends to photograph particularly well.
Black is the straightforward choice. Clean, timeless, and the easiest to work into what you already own. If you're deciding between the three, black is the one that asks the least of the rest of your wardrobe.
Oat is a warm neutral that sits between cream and white. It works well across a wide range of skin tones and reads lighter and more casual in summer while still holding its own in photos.
All three are available XS through 4XL.
How to Style It
Wear It Untucked
The AF Knit Camp Button Up is designed to be worn untucked. The shorter body length and knit construction both lend themselves to a relaxed, hip-grazing fit which is consistent with how the camp collar silhouette has traditionally been worn. It's not a shirt that wants to be tucked in, and the proportions don't call for it.
Wear it over relaxed-fit chinos or trousers for something that feels put-together without being precious about it. Pair it with straight-leg denim for a clean, everyday look. Layer it open over a fitted tee for an easy androgynous combination that works across seasons.
The contrast banding at the collar and cuffs adds enough visual detail that the shirt holds its own without much else going on. Keep the rest simple and let the construction do the work.
It's Here
The AF Knit Camp Button Up is available now in Oxblood, Black, and Oat, sizes XS–4X. Celebrate accordingly.
The Author: Renee Periat
Renee is the founder of Androgynous Fox, a queer-owned gender neutral clothing brand built for queer humans who have spent too long shopping in spaces that weren't made for them. A queer woman who grew up on the California coast, she launched the brand after nearly two decades in construction management and a lifetime of searching for androgynous clothing that actually fit her body and her identity. Renee's other hobbies include woodworking, home improvement projects, RVing, and adventuring with her wife and dogs.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the AF Knit Camp?
The AF Knit Camp is Androgynous Fox's take on the classic knit camp shirt. It's a short-sleeve, camp-collar button-up constructed from full-fashioned 12GG jersey knit. It's designed specifically for AFAB bodies, with a slim fit and proportions built around chest width, shoulder placement, and sweep that menswear versions simply don't account for.
What sizes does the AF Knit Camp come in?
The AF Knit Camp is available in XS through 4XL across all three colorways: Oxblood, Black, and Oat. Size inclusivity is core to how Androgynous Fox designs, and this shirt is no exception.
How should the AF Knit Camp fit and be worn?
The AF Knit Camp is designed to be worn untucked. The shorter body length and knit construction lend themselves to a relaxed, hip-grazing fit, consistent with how the camp collar silhouette has traditionally been styled. Pair it with straight-leg denim, relaxed chinos, or layer it open over a fitted tee.
What makes the AF Knit Camp different from a regular knit camp shirt?
Most knit camp shirts on the market are designed for men's bodies which means boxy shoulders, excess chest width, and proportions that don't translate well to AFAB frames. The AF Knit Camp was patterned specifically to fit differently: slimmer through the body, with shoulder seams and bust placement built for the people actually wearing it.
Is the AF Knit Camp available in plus sizes?
Yes. The AF Knit Camp Button Up comes in XS through 4XL across all three colorways. Size inclusivity has been core to how Androgynous Fox designs from the beginning, not an afterthought or an extended range tacked on later. The fit was developed with a range of bodies in mind, which means the proportions work across the full size run, not just in the smaller cuts. If you have questions about fit or sizing, the size guide on the product page has measurements for every size, and you can always reach out directly.