Dress Shirts

In my opinion, the white dress shirt is a staple that can be easily integrated into almost any man's wardrobe. The origins of its status goes back centuries, to an era where it was a sign of wealth, being that those in the upper class could afford to actually wash them. Its history, combined with it's clean and simple nature, makes it incredibly close to timeless, and it is one of the easiest changes to make to improve an outfit. That said, however, it's still only one facet in the larger field of the button-up shirt, and even then it fits into a smaller field of dress shirt. For the majority of this post, we're going to focus on that smaller field, and at the end, I'll give my recommendation for what I consider the most versatile dress shirt one can own.

To start off, how I define a dress shirt actually will help, in this case. In my opinion, the primary things that distinguishes a dress shirt are its length (not only in general body length, but especially the tail) and the fabric. I consider a dress shirt to be any high-thread count button-up shirt specifically designed to be tucked in. There are other voices out there with differing definitions, and this is admittedly a simplistic one, but for the purposes of this post, this is what is going to be used.

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The first and most essential aspect, as with any garment, is the fit. It should fit close to the torso, but not cling or stretch. If you are like me and wear undershirts, you would need to take this into account. A perfect fit would allow the dress shirt to perfectly emphasize the physique of the wearer, and quite frankly, in the majority of cases, this requires a tailor.

Now, for the various details of the shirt...

Fabric

I think that many of you wouldn't give a flying armadillo about the different varieties of fabric, but for those interested, here's a basic rundown.

With that, my own personal recommendation for a basic dress shirt would be poplin, broadcloth, or end-on-end. Reason being is that these are probably the most breathable and comfortable fabric options, and they work year-round. I do have some pinpoints in my closet that I love, but as summer is finally hitting here, I'm wearing them less and less.

Now, when I read the labels, there are two things I look for.

First, I look to see if the shirt is 100% cotton. There are a variety of dress shirts that have a cotton/polyester blend, but every time I try one on, even while I'm in the dressing room and even if the shirt isn't scratchy or irritating on the skin (they often are, at least to me), I begin to perspire.

Second, is I look to see if the shirt is non-iron or not. Personal preference, if it's non-iron/easy-iron/wrinkle-free/etc, I won't buy it. While I've encountered those who absolutely hate it, my reason is that I just find that regular cotton is more comfortable. Honestly, though, if you prefer not to iron your shirts after washing them, I would say it's totally up to you.

Collar

The collar should fit around the neck that, when closed, you can put just two fingers down the opening comfortably. This will ensure that it hangs well on the neck without looking sloppy, but also keeps you from choking yourself trying to tie a tie.

When it comes to collars, there are a multitude of options, and frankly, I can't link you to a single source that covers everything, as I can usually find options they missed, and there are options I don't even think about until I see them being addressed. Because of this, I'm just going to focus on what I consider the three most-common: point, spread, and button-down.

Point and spread collars are the most basic, I would say. Point is probably the go-to standard and works in the majority of situations. Spread, my personal favorite, is slightly dressier but almost as versatile. Honestly, I would say that they're so interchangeable that it's really just personal preference. As a side note, though, just to say it, a spread may require a fuller tie knot, should you choose to wear one with it, whereas the point can accommodate something slimmer.

 Whereas a button-up is a shirt, a button-down refers to the collar type, and they are what they say. The collar tips are fastened to the shirt via buttons at the base of the neck. These are the most casual of the three options and are great for a laid-back, comfortable look. They are not meant for formal wear, though.

 Cuffs

The cuff should reach down to the base of the hand, when your hand is laying at your side. This is a length that allows a little bit of cuff to show, when wearing a jacket or a sweater.

Most (I'd say all, but there are, in fact, alternatives) options you'll find fall into one of two categories of cuffs. There's the barrel cuff and the French cuff.

The French cuff, in my opinion, adds a nice flair to a dressed-up outfit, especially with an awesome pair of cufflinks. However, that having been said, most shirts you'll find have the barrel cuff, which works for 99% of situations perfectly fine. Because of this, I don't really feel the need to go into detail on it.

With that...

Concluding

There is much more that can actually be said about the dress shirts, such as the placket/pleats/darting/etc, but I wanted to cover the primary items to consider when looking at a dress shirt and give my opinions on each of them.

And so, with this in mind, I'll go full-circle and return to the white dress shirt mentioned at the beginning, and I'll describe what I believe serves best on most occasions. As a fundamental article, and for the reasons above, what I consider the most versatile options for any dress shirt is a solid white, 100% cotton poplin shirt with a point or spread collar and barrel cuffs.

Longest... explanation... ever...

Anything you agree or disagree with? Anything you'd have liked to see me address or think I missed? Comment below!