By Jonathan Howcroft
All men wear shirts. They are the backbone of most men’s wardrobes. We work in shirts, and we socialise in shirts. Men are likely to own more shirts than any other single item of clothing. Most men will build both formal and casual outfits around a choice of shirt. Getting the shirt right is therefore an important place to start.
To make this easier, I have separated formal from casual shirts as both perform different roles and should be considered independently of one another.
Formal Shirts
A lot of men in Australia work in white-collar careers. Unsurprisingly, this means they are likely to wear light-coloured collared shirts for at least 8 hours a day, each day of the working week. But what makes a good formal shirt?
Fit
Of the many factors that contribute to the overall look of a good shirt, the most crucial is the fit. For simplicity’s sake we can separate this into ‘standard fit’ and ‘slim-fit’. Most shirts, particularly at the cheaper end of the market, are a standard fit. This means that no effort has gone into ensuring the shirt enhances the contours of the wearer. Consequently the shirt will not have much structure and provide quite a wide fit. Slim-fit shirts are engineered with a darted back to nip in the material at the sides providing a much slimmer profile and narrower fit.
For slim, athletic and medium builds, variations of slim-fit shirts will provide for a much more appealing finish. Slim-fits work best worn open-necked or with narrow ties and with tailored, narrow trousers.
For larger builds, standard fits are more flattering. The best advice here is to explore the various fits of as many shirtmakers as possible and identify which most accurately reflects your shape. Standard fits benefit from being worn with double-cuffs and strong ties to add interest to what can at times be quite featureless terrain.
Shirt sizing is determined by collar size. This can prove problematic for men whose necks are disproportionately thick or thin compared to the sizing guide used by shirtmakers. Again, the best advice is to try as many brands as possible until you feel comfortable with the sizing offered.
Tip: If you have the physique, wear slim-fit; if not, find flattering cuts which retain a sense of structure.
Cuffs
Cuffs should be chosen based on how the shirt is to be worn. If the shirt is to be worn under a suit jacket, double-cuffs are preferable. They provide an extra layer of depth visually to the outfit and add structure to prevent the jacket sleeve looking like it belongs to a wizard. Double-cuffs also provide the means to add cufflinks to your outfit, giving an opportunity to add an extra layer of detail. As a general rule, double-cuffs should always be worn with a tie. Without, they can look fussy and bulky.
Button cuffs should not be worn with suit jackets and if you are planning on wearing a tie, double-cuffs will look classier. Button-cuffs are therefore more of an everyday shirt. They look informal, suit an open collar and provide the opportunity to be rolled up during the day without fear of losing cufflinks or having a metre of cloth in a tourniquet around your elbow.
Short-sleeved shirts are very difficult to pull-off in the workplace and should only be attempted in confidence. Even more than with sleeved shirts, a slim fit is paramount. This should be teamed with narrow sleeves that do not extend beyond the elbow. Short-sleeved shirts should only ever be worn with ties by emo-kids or men replicating the style of police cop shows of the 1970s.
Tip: Double-cuffs for formal, suit-wearing outfits, button cuffs for open-collared more casual days.
Collar
Collars can get pretty specific and for my purposes it’s not worth going too far into. Most shirtmakers will provide excellent guides to the various collar styles and the requisite knots for a tie to accompany them, if you want to find out more. The only point I wish to make is ties should never be worn with button-down collars. Button-down collars look great without ties as a smart-casual alternative but should be avoided when ties or jackets come into the equation.
As a final collar warning, shirts with contrasting coloured collars and cuffs should only be worn if you want to imitate Gordon Gekko. Which you shouldn’t.
Tip: Only wear button-down collars when you are not wearing a tie or cufflinks.
Buttons
The very first scene of the pilot of Seinfeld involves Jerry berating George about his lack of consideration of the placement of the buttons on his new shirt. Jerry then lectures that the location of the second and third buttons of a shirt will determine its entire feel when worn without a tie. As a general rule, if you are wearing your shirt without a tie you should unbutton both the top 2 buttons of the shirt. The positioning of the 3rd button is therefore crucial as to the shape of the opening created. Too low and you look like a Bee Gee, too high and you could be in a straitjacket. Again, the solution is trial and error. Experiment and find the shirt with the button position that best fits your physique.
Tip: When trying on shirts, make sure you are happy with the position of the second and third buttons.
Material
As with collars, a visit to a reputable shirtmaker’s website will prove more instructive than I could contribute here, suffice to say that quality improves with cost. A $10 shirt is likely to be made out of woven plastic whereas $200 will get you the finest grade cotton. The cheap shirt will make you feel like you’re being boiled in a bag while the more expensive will feel like weightless armour.
The main consideration here is wear and care. Generally speaking, the more expensive the shirt and the higher quality the cotton, the greater care you need to take looking after it. Machine-washing the finest shirts is inadvisable, and, if you decide to take that option, ironing can take an age to put the structure back into the fabric. I would therefore recommend a mixed wardrobe of high-quality shirts for special occasions and more durable machine-washable shirts for everyday wear.
Tip: Think about the add-on cost of dry-cleaning when considering which shirt to buy.
Colours and Patterns
Every man’s wardrobe should have at least one good white shirt.
As for the rest, that depends on what the shirt will be accompanied by. What suits or trousers will the shirts be worn with? Busy shirts need plain suits. Plain suits benefit from vibrant shirts. What is your complexion? Red faces should avoid red shirts. Blue eyes suit light blue shirts. What ties will be worn? Etc…
Consequently, plain, light coloured shirts tend to be safe bets as they are the most adaptable. When considering something bolder, here are a few pitfalls to avoid: Broad checks look bad. Always. Narrow checks can work but are difficult to wear with ties. Vertical stripes should always be narrow and preferably not monochrome. Shirts darker than the accompanying tie will invariably make you look like a 1920s mobster.
The rest really comes down to style and the composition of an entire look. Red shirts with narrow black ties, popularised recently by Franz Ferdinand and Jack White, make a dramatic impact but when worn sympathetically will not look out of place in an office environment.
Tip: If you’re prepared to be bold, make sure it is part of an entire look, or you’ll simply be the guy in the office with the dodgy shirts.
Detailing
Detailing is unlikely to ever radically alter an outfit choice but can make you feel like you’re wearing a superior product. Stitching for example can provide a level of detail only realised on closer inspection and add a layer of contrast to make the shirt more interesting. Buttons can be more than functional, something shirtmakers are increasingly aware of. Check the weave of the fabric and try something like a herringbone to lift a plain shirt out of the ordinary. And there are always monograms. Which should be avoided like a priest in a playground.
Tip: Detailing can be the difference between a good shirt and a great shirt. Inspect your shirt closely when you buy it.
Other Considerations
If you sweat a lot, consider whether your shirt will show underarm sweat marks and whether, once dried, they will leave a white residue.
Most shirtmakers will stock shirts of varying sleeve length. Be aware of how the shirt is likely to be worn, and, particularly if it is to be worn underneath a suit jacket, make sure that the sleeve length is sufficient to pop an inch or two of cuff.
Work shirts should never, ever, in any circumstance have pockets. If you ever need to put anything in that pocket you are dressed unsuitably for that activity. There are banks in the City of London that discount candidates at interview for positions based simply on the interviewee wearing a shirt with a breast pocket.
If you’re going for a specific look, back yourself. The workplace is such a homogenous environment that standing out is easy so you may as well be hung for a sheep as a lamb. People will comment on the slightest deviation form standard-issue so give them something stylish to talk about.
Finally, you get what you pay for. At the very top end you can have shirts custom-made to fit your measurements. These of course don’t come cheap but the finish will surpass anything you could find off-the-peg.
Where to Buy?
www.tmlewin.co.uk & www.ctshirts.co.uk for great multi-buy value for money
