The Right Men's Dress Shirt
Selecting the Best Style and Fit of Clothes for the Office
Along with the suit and tie, the dress shirt is the main article of clothing that creates the proper look for a businessman. Dress shirts vary by style, size, fit and features.
Dress Shirt Style
Under almost all circumstances, a dress shirt for business that is worn with a tie should have long sleeves. In some offices, or outdoor work sites, short sleeves may be appropriate. Look at the example set by your supervisor and respected colleagues. If these people wear short sleeves, then it may be okay in that situation...
When dressing to impress, do not follow the standard of the office non-conformist. Sleeves can always be rolled up if necessary.
Collars come in different styles, usually a normal pointed collar and a spread collar. Spread collars are newer and show a contemporary fashion. The spread accents the tie, and therefore look better with a wider tie. Some shirts have different color collars than the shirt which appears bolder.
Long sleeves are closed by straight cuffs with buttons, and French cuffs that require cufflinks. French cuffs add more flair to the look, but may be too fashionable for a more conservative setting.
Dress Shirt Size
Dress shirts are generally sized in two areas, neck size and sleeve length. Neck sizes impact the overall shirt size, so a larger neck size will be wider in the shoulder and body. For those with a trimmer body, designers make athletic or fitted shirts. These are tapered for a tighter fit.
Neck sizes 14½ to 18 are easily found; larger sizes are available in big-and-tall shops, Sleeve lengths vary from 30 to 37. Many manufacturers combine two lengths into a range, such as 32-33. Difficult to find sizes may require that shirts be custom made.
Shirts sizes may vary based on the manufacturer. A shirt from Polo may be slightly different from Eagle, even if marked the same size. Van Heusen shirts have a longer tail, which stays tucked in the pants better.
Make sure the neck size is large enough so that you can comfortably button the top button if a tie is worn. Sleeves should be long enough to cover the wrist when the arm is extended
Wrinkle Free Shirts
A fairly recent innovation are shirts that promise to be wrinkle resistant, no-iron or even wrinkle-free. These shirts can be machine washed and will shed most wrinkles in the dryer and remain looking good if hung up immediately.
After a few washings, these shirts will still bunch up on the collar and near the buttons, and will need pressing to look perfect. Wrinkle free shirts look almost as good as laundered shirts in the morning, and wrinkle less as the day goes along.
A well-made and fitted dress shirt should retain the proper look for a few dozen machine washings. Rotating a new shirt in each month will provide the businessman with a great wardrobe, and allow for gradual change in sizes and style.
