The first number is the collar size, and the second is the sleeve length. It may seem not very clear at first, but it’s not that different from most men’s jeans.

While some brands give you a simple letter size, most dress shirts are sized using two numbers.

But when you’re looking at shirts on the rack, you might be confused by the size. The fit of a shirt is essential, and most dress shirt brands offer slim-fitting shirts in addition to more traditional styles. The Bottom Line: Broadcloth is classic twill is comfortable and Oxford is casual. As long as you wash it on a short, cold cycle, it will come back like new. If you overwear and wash a shirt, it can kill the shirt, so it’s important to allow it to rest after wearing and cleaning it, Adelaja tells us.Īlso, if you can’t afford to send your shirts to the dry cleaners regularly, no sweat as Adelaja says, a good quality poplin and Oxford are durable and low maintenance. Oxford cloth, which doesn’t apply to the thread count rule, is more of a dress-down Friday, out of office and weekend wear kind of vibe because it’s a more casual material, hence the use of it in popular button-down styles such as plaid. When looking at thread count, 100 is good and 120 is even better because the higher the thread count, the more likely it will retain its shape and not crease during the day. Adelaja recommends gravitating towards a good quality poplin as it’s best for everyday wear. The Bottom Line: Both a point or spread collar work well, and your collar should be proportional to your jacket and tie.īroadcloth? Poplin? Oxford? What’s the thread count? It’s easy to get in over your head when it comes to fabrics, but it’s probably best to keep it simple. The same goes for ties - stick with a tie that’s proportional in size to your shirt collar and jacket lapel. It doesn’t necessarily have to be about breaking out the ruler and measuring your collars looking in the mirror and seeing what does and doesn’t look right will be a good guide. A slim suit with a narrow lapel will generally work best with a shirt with a smaller collar, while a wide peak lapel suit should also have a proportionally large collar. Cutaway collars are more severe spread collars.Īs for collar height, it’s best to go with your suit as a guide. There are also band collar shirts, which are essentially button-up shirts without collars. Other styles include club collars with rounded ends that some associate with Peaky Blinders. Button-down collars, like those most often found on Oxford shirts, are inherently more casual. Spread collars flare outward, which is a more statement-making option. Some might want to distinguish between a point collar, classic collar and straight collar, but these collars can generally be grouped together. We can break down shirt collars to almost infinite detail with increasingly obscure names, but a few basic styles include classic, spread, cutaway and button-down.Īs the name implies, the classic or straight collar is the most traditional style - it features no buttons and comes to a sharp but not severe downward point. Deciding on the dress shirt style depends on your personal taste and what type of outfit you’re wearing, because these often-overlooked details come in a variety of shapes, widths and lengths and could make you look out of place if you don’t pick wisely. With so many different shirt collar styles and sizes, it’s possible to end up with one that’s not the right fit for your suit and tie or that’s wrong for the occasion. The shirt collar is arguably the most crucial detail, and, unfortunately, there’s a lot of room for error. As for patterns, a stripe or micro-check is a great way to break the monotony of solids.īefore discussing our favorite dress shirt brands, it’s worth running down the fundamentals so you can shop smarter and ensure you have the best men’s dress shirt for every occasion. Not sure where to start? Adelaja says every man should have a range of classic white and blues styles. The best men’s dress shirts will ensure that you’re always dressed for the occasion, and there are some surprisingly affordable options if budget is a concern Depending on his job, this allows for a week’s worth of shirts as a buffer when sending the previous set to the cleaners.Īdditionally, owning a variety of dress shirts for men will make your life easier because you’ll be prepared for any occasion, from boardroom (or Zoom) meetings to weddings. Menswear designer and tailor Ségun Adelaja - who has 25 years of experience on the prestigious Jermyn Street in London - recommends that a man have a collection of 10 dress shirts in their arsenal.

Charles tyrwhitt dress shirt