So, you’ve read Wardrobe Essentials: The Closet Cleanup and looking to update your wardrobe? First and foremost, congratulations on taking the first step. When buying dress shirts, it can be like deciphering another language. Why is a dress shirt at Wal-Mart $9.99 while another dress shirt at an upscale store is over $800? What’s the difference? They both feel soft, have two sleeves, a collar, and buttons. What so special about a dress shirt? That’s the purpose of this article, to make our readers aware of the types of shirt out there to buy and stay away from.
Before we enter this path of enlightenment, two questions need to be asked. What is a dress shirt and what is its purpose in a man’s wardrobe?
A proper dress shirt is a button-up shirt with a collar, long sleeves, and wrist cuffs. Its “secret” mission is to elegantly frame the wearers face and be the foundation of any outfit; be it enhancing a jacket or the centerpiece of an outfit. Changing certain characteristics (i.e. color, texture, pattern), a dress shirt can be relay the message of sport, leisure, or formal.
Proper Fit:
When it comes to properly fitting a shirt to one’s body, 99% of men (slight exaggeration) get it wrong. Reason? Because ready-made garments from a mass produced name brand are meant to fit a wide variety of body types. If the shirt fits us in the neck, it fails in sleeve length. If the length of the sleeves fit, it’s an EPIC fail on the body of the shirt; which bulges around the stomach to make one appear like a deflated hot air balloon. The answer to this problem is simple, find a tailor.
Other characteristic to look for when deciding the fit on a shirt:
- Allow 2 fingers in the collar when unbuttoned
- Be tight enough around the wrists, so that the cuffs must be unbuttoned to remove the shirt.
- To make sure the shirt isn’t too tight or loose, check to see if you are able to pinch out 1-2 inches of fabric. If you can, the shirt is of good fit.
- The shoulder points on a shirt must not go beyond the shoulder.
- Sleeves should be long enough so that when arms are raised the cuffs don’t pull drastically down your forearm. On the other side of the coin, they should be short enough so that u don’t have more than one inch of fabric gathering around your cuffs when your arms are relaxed.
Dress Shirt Fabric:
Cotton: Quite possibly the most used and best fabric to use for everyday wear and for any occasion. I t’s durable, soft, conducts heats and moisture well, and can be ironed.
Man-Made Fibers: Shirts that contain man-made fibers are typically the blue light specials. They are usually wrinkle free and stain resistant. Man-made fibers aren’t the best when it comes to heat and moisture conduction, so when buying a shirt that has man-made fibers, stray away from shirts that have more than 50% man made fiber. When under a budget, these dress shirts are always an alternative to cotton.
Silk: The platinum standard of dress shirts, but not recommended for everyday use. This is because eof their low durability and high costs.
Shirt Collars:
Point Collars – Are called so because the collar points at angles being at or less than 60 degrees. Point collars draw the eye downward, which elongates the face. The majority of shirts sold nowadays are of the point collar variety
Spread Collars – Are titled so because of the collar cutting at angles greater than 90 degrees. Excellent for men with a medium to long face, because they widen the face.
Shirt Cuffs
Button Cuffs – Can be worn for any event; casual or formal. The most formal version of a button cuff is known as a barrel cuff (pictured) which has two buttonhole and two vertical buttons.
French Cuffs – Usually designated for formal occasions, and is characterized by a double cuff that has to folded back and fastened by cufflinks. This style gives off a distinctive elegant appearance.
Dress Shirt Buttons
Typically made of plastic and is fairly strong. Low end shirts will have buttons made of low quality resin that will crack and break within a year. So next time a shirt button breaks after a wash or after a few wears, know that the shirt is made of very low quality materials and you should be seeking out a better quality shirt.
A more decadent alternative to plastic buttons is Mother of Pearl. So hard that they actually break needles, they are only found on higher end clothing. But be wary, they disintegrate over time when exposed to harsh detergents.
As your reading this your probably thinking, what is the point in worrying about these seemingly unimportant and stupid characteristics in a shirt? The answer is simple: Details matter. Regardless of how much people want to talk about this issue, the most powerful statement you will ever make is not verbally but non-verbally. We only converse and connect with a small percentage of the people we actually see. Your body language and what you wear speaks for you. Your shirt is the centerpiece of your wardrobe. Let it convey the message you want.
