Your Style Guide to Dress Shirts

Trying to figure out which dress shirt is best for you can be a little bit frustrating and confusing since there are so many little details and options that you probably know nothing about. All you really want is a shirt that feels nice and looks nice – so why does it have to be so complicated? The good news is that once you get the basics down, dress shirts really aren’t that complicated and you can definitely have the knowledge and confidence that you need to buy the shirt best fits you and your style. And we have everything you need to know about men’s dress shirts here in this style guide so that you don’t have to go scour the Internet for hours and hours.

Fit

The first thing that we will be covering in this style guide is fit. There are three main types of fits: classic, slim, and modern. Classic shirts are usually the baggiest and have larger waists and armholes. They can be a really comfortable option and are a good choice if you will be wearing a jacket. Slim fit shirts are slimmer in the arms, chest, and waist than the classic fit and look best without a jacket if you are on the slimmer side yourself. Right in the middle of the two is the modern fit which is a nice compromise between the two – slim enough to look good without a jacket but with enough room to breathe and move around comfortably.

Color & Pattern

Next up is color and pattern. White is still the most popular color for dress shirts and is considered the most formal. So when in doubt – go with white! You also can’t go wrong with a nice blue shirt either and this color is the second most popular. If you want a little something extra when it comes to your dress shirt, you have a few different options when it comes to patterns. The most popular patterns are stripes and checks, but there are also many newer options that are even bolder like paisley or floral.

Collar

While the collar might be a detail that you would traditionally overlook, it is actually a really subtle detail that can have a big impact on the overall look of the shirt – so pay attention here! There are many different types of collars for men’s dress shirts – about 12 to be exact. The two main divisions of collars are the point style and the spread style. The point style is the most popular where the points of the collar are closer together than the spread style. There are also other styles that are less popular like the eyelet and the tab that you might see when shopping.

Pockets

Pockets can also be another confusing aspect of dress shirts. There’s nothing worse than finding a shirt that you like and then realizing that it has pockets where you don’t want them! A general rule of thumb when it comes to pockets is that no pockets is the most formal, one pocket is semi-formal, and two pockets is the most casual option.

Material

The last aspect that we are going to cover in this style guide is dress shirt material. The most popular material for dress shirts are cotton, but there is also the option of a cotton/polyester blend material. Cotton shirts are typically more expensive because they look the best and have good ventilation but they also wrinkle pretty easily. Cotton/polyester blends are usually cheaper, more wrinkle resistant, and warmer than a cotton shirt but can easily get pretty hot in warmer weather.