Dress shirts are one the first thing that you put on while getting ready for office. When you button them up, it gives you a deep sense of confidence to take up the daily challenges head on. Also, wearing a dress shirt with a perfect fit makes others to look up to you for inspiration. For some, buying the right sized formal dress shirts may look like a rocket science (but isn’t). Here are the simple principles to help you pick them, the easiest way so that you can create a list of dress shirts that can be worn at work or at a press meet, or even for a fund raising event. In my view, it’s great to see the shirt buying as a top priority in the outfit buying process. The idea here is to get the foundation right – so that when the dress shirts that you pick are of good quality and great fit, you will feel very comfortable and makes you more confident. Most of the times, many men look for shortcut and go in for just a number of the size mentioned on the shirt, which is not a good idea because the fits vary across brands even though the numbers are the same.
It’s important to change the standard method to gaining knowledge on taking your body measurements – the size of the neck, shoulder, and sleeve length and across the chest measurement. These numbers work well in making you look better. If you don’t know your neck size, a smaller collar will squeeze your neck when you button up to wear a tie and if it’s too loose, it hangs off your neck. When selecting the collar size put one finger between the collar and your neck. If it comfortably fits and you are at ease, that’s the collar size that you need to go in for. Many times, it’s best to do this “one finger” test before buying off-the-rack formal shirts. The second most important parameter to check is the extra fabrics around the chest and the waist. It’s a big no if you find shirts with excessive fabrics around your waist and chest. The rule of thumb is to try out shirts that are neither too tight nor too loose. Do not stick to the idea of selecting shirts from regular fit and slim fit. Try them out and you may be surprise that a fit that you always loved can be available in either regular or slim fit, depending on the brand that you select. The bagginess of the shirts makes men look older than the actual age. To look younger, select shirts that come in perfect fit. Shoulder measurements too play an important role in making a style statement. The shoulder drops do not give an elegant look. The seams of the shoulder should hug your shoulder.
While trying the formal shirts, check out if the yoke part of the shirt fall neatly on your shoulders. If there is a slight drop at the shoulders, select sleeve lengths that are appropriate. The sleeve lengths shouldn’t be too long or for that matter, too short. To do a quick test, unbutton the shirt that the cuffs and see if they reach past your wrists. If they reach past through the wrists, I would recommend you to try the same fit with a smaller sleeve length. Some of the international brands like Brooks Brothers, Gap and Thomas Pink offer such variations in terms of sleeve length. If you belong to the “six footer” group of tall men, try out shirts to check the sleeves and the shirt length. The rule of thumb, for easy tuck-in is the shirt length has to be 7 inches from the waist. With many collar designs, one that is good for the formal wear is a semi spread. It isn’t too conservative nor fashion forward. For festive seasons, the dressing is quite different than the regular wear. Click here to know more on tips to make a style statement.
Filed under: Fashion Tagged: apparels, clothing, fashion, men clothing, online shopping
