Whether you are selecting a men’s shirt for yourself or for someone else, it can be a pretty daunting business. Here we provide a few steps to follow in choosing the right dress shirt.
Decide on a colour
Are you buying a dress shirt for a job interview, or are you looking to dress up more fashionably?
Choose a pattern
Solid colours are considered wardrobe staples because they are easiest to match, but you might consider choosing stripes or a checked pattern.
Solid shirts are beneficial in that you can wear virtually any tie with them (solid or patterned). While it may seem unconventional, light pink is a fairly common color for a dress shirt in the workplace. This is not to be confused with a “hot pink” or magenta color, which is less common.
Patterned shirts are a bit more difficult to match with ties. However, we at MU Shirts offer sets of matching shirt and tie so you don’t have to look around for that elusive matching tie.
Choose a style
Are you looking for a more trendy, tapered-cut shirt, or would you prefer to stick with a standard, full-cut shirt? Do you want a standard collar, or a spread collar? Will your collar be buttoned down, or will you use collar stays? Each of these are points to consider.
A tailored-fit, or slim-fit dress shirt is slightly tighter around the chest and sides. A standard-fit dress shirt has a slightly baggy, but traditional “full-cut” appearance. Finally, athletic cut shirts have a full chest but are tapered at the waist. At the moment, we stock only standard-fit dress shirts which, being the traditional cut, are the most popular shirts. Tailored shirts are designed generally for individuals with an athletic or otherwise cut build. If you have a big stomach, then stick to a shirt with a traditional full cut.
A standard straight collar is the most common type of collar, where the collar edges point downward and there is little space between the section where the collar meets.
A spread or cutaway collar is a bit more modern and is considered by some to be “youthful” and “effeminate”. It is smaller, and has a wider spread. Have a look at this shirt with a cutaway collar. Since a spread collar gives a wider appearance, it is a good choice for men with slim builds, and perhaps less so for stockier types. Button-down collars are more casual than their unbuttoned collar counterparts. If you plan not to wear a tie, button-down collars always look best.
Other collar types include pin collars (which feature holes on each side of the collar to accommodate a collar pin), tab collars (with small cloth tabs that button together, holding the collar tight around the tie), and banded collars (a less formal narrow collar that does not fold down, normally worn without a necktie). Refer to our guide on the different types of men’s shirt collars.
Determine your neck size and sleeve length
Sizes often vary from manufacturer to manufacturer so it is important to refer to their measurements every time you consider a formal shirt. Look up your shirt collar size.
Remember that the sleeve lengths are approximate. If you are very tall, but slim, then your sleeve length will likely be longer. Don’t be afraid to ask someone for help!
Some shirts use two numbers for sleeve length; these two numbers express a range of sleeve lengths that the shirt purportedly fits. For example, a size 17/34-35 shirt is supposed to fit men who need either a 34- or a 35-inch sleeve. In general, exact sizing is preferable.
Complete with a suitable tie
You will want to choose a tie that matches the rest of your outfit. The color of your tie should closely complement with your shirt, whether in the “background” of the tie, or inside of a subtle pattern on the tie. Striped ties are classic and conservative. Solid ties are generally more formal.
Conservative dressers
If you are a conservative dresser, conventional wisdom once held that one should avoid monotone combinations, such as a red dress shirt with a solid red tie, or a black dress shirt with a black suit. For trendier tastes, the mono-color look has become fashionable in recent years.
Article provided by WikiHow, a wiki how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Choose a Dress Shirt. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.
