5 Tips for Choosing a Men"s Dress Shirt
Buying a dress shirt is more involved than knowing your neck size and sleeve length. In a world with so many choices, you have your pick of colors, fabrics, designs and even more nuanced elements. So how do you choose wisely? The men who do this the best look for the details. Here is a 5-point inspection you should give any dress shirt to achieve a look that says, "I know what I'm doing," rather than, "My dad let me borrow this."
1. The Fit. In the past, a good men's dress shirt was tailored to you for a perfect fit. Such haberdashery has gone by the wayside due to the expense and time involved. But, clothiers are giving you the next best thing: three off-the-rack size options. Make sure you check the shirt's label for this detail so you get the cut most flattering to you.
o Tailored: Also known as Athletic, this fit narrows at the waist. This shirt is designed to flatter an athletic figure with broad shoulders and a bigger chest but a trim midsection.
o Regular: This is a standard fit and a little looser than the tailored fit shirt [http://www.josbank.com/menswear/shop/SubCategory_11001_10050_1002500]. Unless a shirt is specified as tailored or full, you can assume it's a regular fit.
o Big & Tall: You may also see this referred to as Full. For men who have a larger stature, big & tall shirts offer the coverage and comfort they need.
2. The Collar. The differences in style of collar seem subtle until you put the shirt on. At that point, if you've got the wrong collar, you'll know. Some look better on men with thinner faces while others help flatter a fuller figure. Educate yourself on these differences before you buy a dress shirt:
o Point: This is a classic look to wear with any suit or sportcoat. The V-shaped opening of the collar comes to a crisp point and is flattering on everyone.
o Spread: This modern collar style has a wider opening between the two points of the collar, allowing you to wear a larger tie knot. The wider opening looks better on slimmer men.
o Button-down: Wear shirts with these collars when you're going for a business casual look. They pair well with khakis and denim. You could throw a sportcoat over them for a dressed down look, too. But, they don't look formal enough to wear with a suit.
3. The Cuffs. Here again, you've got your pick between a traditional look and a more formal or stylized look. It's a good idea to have a few shirts with each style of cuff so you can choose the right one depending on the occasion.
o Barrel cuff: You can think of this as the standard shirt cuff. It's held together with one or more buttons and is a straight extension of the sleeve.
o French cuff: This style of cuff is more formal than the barrel cuff. In a French cuff, the cuff itself is twice as long and is folded over itself, resulting in a thick cuff. Instead of buttons, this cuff is held together with cufflinks.
4. The Pockets. Should you have pockets on your dress shirt? That, like everything else, depends. Pockets can be considered a little less formal. For that reason, button-down shirts are the most likely to have them. However, you will find dress shirts with point and spread collars that have one, finely tailored chest pocket. These are fine to wear with suits. If you find a shirt with two or more pockets, it's a casual shirt that can't be worn with a suit. Also, remember never to wear a vest or braces over a shirt with a pocket.
5. The Material. The fabric that your shirt is made of will influence how and when you wear it. Depending on the season and the occasion, you may want a men's dress shirt that looks more casual or is designed to keep you cool while still looking sharp and professional. Learn more about these materials and how you can use them to your advantage:
o Cotton: Cotton is breathable and comfortable, making it the workhorse of dress shirts. You'll look sharp and be comfortable all day in cotton dress shirts. You can also find special two-ply cotton shirts to help wick moisture so you can stay cool.
o Cotton blend: Some clothiers combine cotton with other materials to give them different characteristics. For example, a shirt of cotton blended with lycra will allow it to stretch and move.
o Linen: This casual fabric looks best on the beach and during summer days. Linen is also prone to wrinkling, which is why it looks better with more casual outfits.
The last detail you want to keep in mind is your choice of color and pattern. A good rule of thumb is to wear more subdued and traditional shades for a formal look and louder colors and patterns in a more relaxed atmosphere. You can find dress shirts for practically every occasion at fine men's clothiers, like JoS. A. Bank. They have a full range of fits and fabrics along with plenty of color choices to fit you and your style.
1. The Fit. In the past, a good men's dress shirt was tailored to you for a perfect fit. Such haberdashery has gone by the wayside due to the expense and time involved. But, clothiers are giving you the next best thing: three off-the-rack size options. Make sure you check the shirt's label for this detail so you get the cut most flattering to you.
o Tailored: Also known as Athletic, this fit narrows at the waist. This shirt is designed to flatter an athletic figure with broad shoulders and a bigger chest but a trim midsection.
o Regular: This is a standard fit and a little looser than the tailored fit shirt [http://www.josbank.com/menswear/shop/SubCategory_11001_10050_1002500]. Unless a shirt is specified as tailored or full, you can assume it's a regular fit.
o Big & Tall: You may also see this referred to as Full. For men who have a larger stature, big & tall shirts offer the coverage and comfort they need.
2. The Collar. The differences in style of collar seem subtle until you put the shirt on. At that point, if you've got the wrong collar, you'll know. Some look better on men with thinner faces while others help flatter a fuller figure. Educate yourself on these differences before you buy a dress shirt:
o Point: This is a classic look to wear with any suit or sportcoat. The V-shaped opening of the collar comes to a crisp point and is flattering on everyone.
o Spread: This modern collar style has a wider opening between the two points of the collar, allowing you to wear a larger tie knot. The wider opening looks better on slimmer men.
o Button-down: Wear shirts with these collars when you're going for a business casual look. They pair well with khakis and denim. You could throw a sportcoat over them for a dressed down look, too. But, they don't look formal enough to wear with a suit.
3. The Cuffs. Here again, you've got your pick between a traditional look and a more formal or stylized look. It's a good idea to have a few shirts with each style of cuff so you can choose the right one depending on the occasion.
o Barrel cuff: You can think of this as the standard shirt cuff. It's held together with one or more buttons and is a straight extension of the sleeve.
o French cuff: This style of cuff is more formal than the barrel cuff. In a French cuff, the cuff itself is twice as long and is folded over itself, resulting in a thick cuff. Instead of buttons, this cuff is held together with cufflinks.
4. The Pockets. Should you have pockets on your dress shirt? That, like everything else, depends. Pockets can be considered a little less formal. For that reason, button-down shirts are the most likely to have them. However, you will find dress shirts with point and spread collars that have one, finely tailored chest pocket. These are fine to wear with suits. If you find a shirt with two or more pockets, it's a casual shirt that can't be worn with a suit. Also, remember never to wear a vest or braces over a shirt with a pocket.
5. The Material. The fabric that your shirt is made of will influence how and when you wear it. Depending on the season and the occasion, you may want a men's dress shirt that looks more casual or is designed to keep you cool while still looking sharp and professional. Learn more about these materials and how you can use them to your advantage:
o Cotton: Cotton is breathable and comfortable, making it the workhorse of dress shirts. You'll look sharp and be comfortable all day in cotton dress shirts. You can also find special two-ply cotton shirts to help wick moisture so you can stay cool.
o Cotton blend: Some clothiers combine cotton with other materials to give them different characteristics. For example, a shirt of cotton blended with lycra will allow it to stretch and move.
o Linen: This casual fabric looks best on the beach and during summer days. Linen is also prone to wrinkling, which is why it looks better with more casual outfits.
The last detail you want to keep in mind is your choice of color and pattern. A good rule of thumb is to wear more subdued and traditional shades for a formal look and louder colors and patterns in a more relaxed atmosphere. You can find dress shirts for practically every occasion at fine men's clothiers, like JoS. A. Bank. They have a full range of fits and fabrics along with plenty of color choices to fit you and your style.