HOW TO BE A WHITE SHIRT CONNOISSEUR
(OR FAKE YOUR WAY THROUGH IT)
Back when I was still a newbie in the styling business, the rules of button-downs
are very cryptic for me. When choosing shirts, all I care about was if it was
small, medium or large. I definitely
noticed the numbers on the tag but I didn’t speak Shirt until now. At 30, I
think it’s time for us to be keen and knowledgeable on the most important piece
in every man’s wardrobe: the crisp white
shirt. Forget everything else but the shirt. It can bring you places with its
versatility. You should know your shirt as much as you know your wine. That’s
how huge a deal it is, big boy! We can not learn the art of choosing the perfect shirt in one purchase, but we could fake our way and pretend like we know what we're looking for when we enter a store. Besides, a perfect white dress shirts can be a real wardrobe investment and can withstand the ever-changing trends for several seasons.
It's very important to know what you're talking about if you actually KNOW what you're talking about. Get yourself familiar with the parts of the shirt so when someone tells you about the "yoke," eggs do not come in mind.
There are 3
things to remember in buying a shirt: Occasion, Fit and Quality.
OCCASION
Occasion
will dictate the type of fabric and style. Casual occasions require a less
formal fabric and style. Business and Formal occasions is dressier and are very
technical.
Not all shirts are made alike (well in RTW, they usually do. haha.). What I'm saying is not all shirts suits every occasion. Fabric dictates the kind of shirt you need. Here are the most common type of fabrics used in shirts:
 |
| oxford fabric |
The
oxford is a coarse fabric that is perfect for casual wear.
Varieties in the cloth are the plain Oxford, the Pinpoint Oxford and the more formal Royal Oxford. While these first two are more often paired with casual shirt designs like a button-down collar, the third type of Oxford cloth, "Royal Oxford", is a more versatile weave that can be paired with either business or sporty dress codes.
 |
| herringbone patern |
The herringbone has small v-shaped weaving pattern
which is suited for the office.
Not to be confused with the woolen herringbone which is used for pants and coats, the herringbone used for shirts are twill fabrics. The term herringbone used for shirts indicates the texture or pattern woven in such that the direction of the diagonal texture or pattern reverses every so often. Herringbone patterns come in variety of sizes and subtleties.
 |
| broadcloth |
Lastly,
the broadcloth is a fine fabric that is ideal for formal events. If you’re bent
on choosing only one, pick the broadcloth (which is essentially the same as
Poplin). It's a tightly woven fabric with a very simple-over weave and slight
sheen which makes it very dressy. Broadcloths are generally a thinner lighter
fabric broadcloth.
Now, if you want to up the ante of your pretend-savviness and act like a sartorial snob, find out about the thread count. Dress shirts with hight thread count are more expensive to produce and more desirable if you like your shirts silky, soft and thin.
Thread count is often referred to with a number like 50s, 80's, 120's, 140s to 200s. These numbers refer to the yarn size not the number of threads per inch.
FIT
Before looking at the fit these
shirts provide, it is important to look at the shapes they are designed to fit.
Although manufacturers may
come up with their own terminology for dress shirt sizing, most of them adhere
to the same concept of offering three shirt cuts to fit the three most common
body types. Some designers offer additional options, and for men who are hard
to fit, the answer may lie with one of these less commonly seen fit styles.
Before looking at the fit these shirts provide, it is important to look at the
shapes they are designed to fit. Doctors and fitness experts often refer to
three somatotypes, or body shapes, that describe most men's bodies; these
categories are also helpful when deciding how to dress each body type. I know this will hurt, as truth often does, but at this point we need to really admit to ourselves which body type we fall in.
Full Fit Dress Shirts
When laid flat, a full-fit dress shirt widens slightly from the base of the
yoke to the hem of the shirt. This A-line silhouette is more comfortable and
flattering for men who carry extra weight at the abdomen or who have a solid,
stocky build. In larger sizes, these shirts typically have larger armholes to
accommodate fuller arms comfortably. Many endomorphic body types will find
their most comfortable fit with a full-cut dress shirt. This shape is sometimes
called comfort fit or relaxed fit by some manufacturers.
Traditional Fit Dress Shirts
When a shirt is labeled traditional fit, it has side seams that are straight or
only slightly tapered at the waist. Some manufacturers taper the waist more
than others, so it is wise to try on the shirt or pay close attention to waist
measurements when buying a shirt with a traditional fit. Many traditional fit
shirts feature box pleats at the base of the yoke for more comfortable
movement. This silhouette may also be called a straight fit, classic fit, or
natural fit.
Slim Fit Dress Shirts
A dress shirt with a slim fit has marked tapering at the waist and may also
have a yoke that is narrower from shoulder to shoulder. It is meant to fit a
slimmer body comfortably and closely. Slim fit dress shirts almost always have
pleating at the yoke and darts at the waist for a more tailored fit at the
waistline. When laid flat, this shirt's sides curve inward noticeably.
Athletic Fit Dress Shirts
Cut with a broader yoke and larger armholes to fit a more muscular physique,
athletic fit men's dress shirts have a fitted, tapered waist that
differentiates them from full-cut dress shirts with the same neck size and
sleeve length. Although not all manufacturers carry this fit, those that do are
worth finding for men with mesomorphic body types or muscular physiques.
Tailored Fit Dress Shirts
Tailored fit, a commonly used term that overlaps with both slim fit and
traditional fit, often refers to a shirt that has a yoke of standard width and
a moderately tapered waist. It falls somewhere between a traditional fit and a
slim fit shirt, but it is not as wedge-shaped as an athletic fit shirt. Like
the tailored fit, the modern fit also falls between a slim fit and a
traditional fit dress shirt. An increasingly common term, vintage fit refers to
a shirt that has the slim-cut shirt's narrow waist and smaller
Measure at the chest just
below the arms, across the shoulders, and at the natural waistline to get an
idea of the underlying body structure. Choose a preliminary fit based on these
measurements, but be open to other possibilities; some endomorphs find that a
traditional fit is more comfortable, and some slim mesomorphs prefer a slim-cut
shirt to the athletic fit that they might otherwise choose.
Many men find that having a range of dress shirts in different fits suits them
better than adhering to a single cut. For an occasion that requires lengthy
periods of sitting such as a board meeting or long flight, a man might opt for
a roomier fit at the waist than he normally would. A cocktail party might call
for a slimmer and more body-conscious fit. If he's attending a wedding
reception or bachelor party, a man wearing a shirt with an athletic fit will
find dancing and raising his arms for a toast
Men's dress shirts are usually sold
with two sizes listed: neck diameter and
sleeve length.
These two measurements are key to
the overall fit of the garment. If you do not know your measurements, stores
usually keep a tape measure. Ask for their assistance.
Do not be intimidated by the numbers on the tag where S,M,L
usually appear. They work for our best.
The following tables represent
manufacturers' typical sizing, but these sizes may vary from maker to maker.
When possible, look for shirts that are measured in inches rather than assigned
a letter or word denoting their size for a more accurate fit.
Shirt Size
|
Neck Size
|
Sleeve Length
|
Small
|
14 - 14 ½
|
32 - 33
|
Medium
|
15 - 15 ½
|
32 - 33
|
Large
|
16 - 16 ½
|
34 - 35
|
X-Large
|
17 - 17 ½
|
34 - 35
|
XX-Large
|
18 - 18 ½
|
35 - 36
|
Try it on. A well-fitted dress shirt's
collar should button comfortably and leave room for two fingers between the
neck and the collar.
Sleeves should be long enough that
the yoke does not buckle or pull the tail of the shirt out of the waistband
when the arms are extended straight forward at chest height.
Sleeve length is usually listed on
manufacturers' labels for shirts, and the right sleeve length is key to getting a proper fit. Men's dress shirts have either French cuffs or barrel cuffs.
Barrel cuffs (aka standard cuffs) attach with buttons stitched to the shirt and require no cufflinks.
Button cuffs may have a single button or may be
adjustable, with two buttons side-by-side. Some have two buttonholes and two
vertical buttons- a more formal option often called the “barrel cuff.” Button
cuffs may also have a small button on the sleeve, between the cuff and the end
of the cuff opening, intended to prevent the area from opening and exposing the
gentleman’s wrist.
French cuffs are the most formal option, yet are
perfectly appropriate for daily wear in many industries such as finance. The
French cuff is a double cuff, folded back and fastened with cufflinks to create
a distinctive and distinguished appearance. Cufflinks must always be worn –
though there are more subtle options available, such as fabric knots – so the
gentleman must be prepared to keep a reasonable selection on hand.
TIPS
- ·
Cuffs should not ride up the forearm when the arms are raised
overhead or out to the sides in a T shape.
- ·
When the arms are at the wearer's sides, the sleeves should not have
more than an inch of fabric that bunches at the cuff, nor should the edge of
the cuff travel to the back of the hand.
The back of the shirt may have
pleats at the base of the yoke and vertical darts, sewn folds of fabric to
adjust the garment's fit, at the waist.
In front, some shirts have a
placket, a vertical length of fabric into which the button-holes are stitched,
and others do not.
Plain-fronted shirts have a single
fold of fabric on one side of the row of buttons when the shirt is buttoned;
placket-fronted shirts have a fold on either side of the button row.
QUALITY
This image pretty much sums up the things you have to look for in a white shirt to ensure the best quality.
Now where to get the best dress shirts in town? That's worthy of another post. :)
http://propercloth.com/dress-shirt-fabrics
http://www.ebay.com/gds/what-are-the-different-types-of-mens-dress-shirt-fits/27618/g.html
http://www.artofmanliness.com/2009/04/12/understanding-the-dress-shirt-custom-shirt-
giveaway/
1. saute garlic in olive oil.
