Men’s Dress Shirts – Facts On Custom Shirts.

A man’s dress shirt is built around details and the more one understand this and directs his attention to these the better the overall results will be when purchasing one. This article will address the idea behind the design and construction elements of men’s dress shirts.

Men’s shirts are categorised in sizes based on collar circumference and sleeve length. The shirts are made to provide a general fit and for this very reason they do not look appropriate on some men. Men who have neck size and arm length that are different in sizes from the common man will find it difficult to find a shirt that fits them in these areas. Given the fact that a simple alteration is a justifiable cause to add 20-50% to the overall price of a dress shirt it is better to have them made according to one’s measurements because this not only saves money it also saves one the hassle to worrying about the extra space here and there. Men who are starting out and cannot afford custom made shirts should not get dismayed by this obstacle, because he can experiment as many shirts as possible from different brands until he finds the appropriate one that fits him in the chest, stomach, sleeves and neck. When he has found it then it will be possible to buy as many of these shirts varying the pattern and colour according to his own taste.

Checkered dress shirts, with blue shade assortments are popular in organisations. Keep in mind that checkered patterns in the office setting should not be used ostentatiously and should be faint on a shirt. A recent trend called the ”contrast shirt collar and cuffs” has taken a foot hold by updating the traditional blue shirt to something more sophisticated. A blue striped shirt on a white base goes well with white collar and cuffs for a refined and contemporary image. Blue dress shirts are considered as ”men?s must have dress shirts”. Yellow is a strong complementary to a blue base. Blue is not considered to be gender specific and therefore there are no risks attached when wearing one.

A man has to consider construction as well when he is picking out or ordering a shirt and should not think that fabric and fit are the only two factors to be taken into consideration. Some of the other factors that carry weight in any decision are: cuffs, pockets, collar, placket and pleats. When it comes to fit there is not choice on the matter because shirts ate standardised according to certain measurements in the industry. If you step into a store with hundreds and hundreds of shirts chances are you will only take home one or two that you really like.

Men’s Dress Shirt Pockets

Depth can be added to a shirt with the use of a left breast pocket and this is seen much clearer if a tie and jacket is worn. It is also useful for holding pens, tickets and other small items. Pockets are interesting elements to add to a shirt and a shirt without any possesses a cleaner look;however, the mere fact that a jacket covers the shirt this does not have much influence on the overall suit itself. In the world of fashion and formality, simplicity is what dictates the latter;therefore, a shirt without a pocket is by far the most trendy.

Men’s Dress Shirt Collars

The dress shirt collar plays an important role in determining just how formal the garment is and also in enhancing the wearer’s face. When it comes to using a tie, button-down collars are the best options because they are formal. They also go well with a sweater, tie, sport coats and blazers. For formal wear the wing collar which does not cover the band of the tie is the best option.

There is a pointed collar in most men’s dress shirt and even so there is still a lot of room for variety to the norm. It is important to match face with collar and as a guide we recommend the following: men with narrow faces should use slightly shorter collars and those with round faces should use long collar points. A general rule that should be observed at all times is as follows: a formal presentation is possible if the angle between the short sides and the collar points is large. Spread collars that leave an opening do quite well with large tie knots. One of the most formal collar wear is the one in which the edges of the cut-away collar is almost a straight line above the tie knot. The tab collar is an exception to the parallelism and spread in that little tabs of fabric that is projected from each side are connected behind the knot and thus form the basis on which the collar is held in place and making the knot straight and accurate. Power dressers have a weak spot for a white contrast collar being paired with matching or non-matching French cuffs. This sort of style will allow the wearer to stand out, so he must take this into consideration if he cannot bear the heat of attention.

Decent dress shirts will have the collar points in a straight fashion with the use of collar stays. Collar stays are 2-3 inches in length and are inserted before ironing on the underside of the collar and when the shirt requires washing they are removed. They can be made from plastic, brass, silver and ivory, but the material does not have any direct influence on its function.

Men’s Dress Shirt Cuffs

Barrel cuffs are quite popular on many dress shirts and even though they are not ideal for most formal occasions they come in a variety of styles that give most men a great degree of flexibility. The most common form is the one with a single button, however there are the fancy cuffs with two to three buttons. When it comes to French cuffs, formality is defined in every sense just that these types of cuffs are optional. There are many shirts with a button in the sleeve placket that are used to ensure that the sleeve remains closed during wear and opened when it is necessary to iron the cuffs- even though it is not entirely necessary it is still important.

Men’s Dress Shirt Placket

If you happen to see a edge on the left front panel of your shirt with button holes then you have found what is called the placket. Plackets in general are strips of fabrics that are raised off the actual dress shirt itself and it has stitches on the downside. Many dress shirts and casual shirts have plackets. However, there are plackets that are a bit more modern like those of the French. With these plackets the edge of the shirt front is folded over, creased and held in place with the use of the button holes. This type should not be used with a button-down collar and is often used to give a sharper look on formal dress shirts.

Monograms

There are men who decide to have their shirt monogrammed and the common place for this is usually on the left cuff. The main aim of monogramming is to identify someone’s laundry in the mist of similar items. It is a common practice to use this method on a child’s jacket. This, however, has had some shift in the modern world and these days men opt for monogram as a form of silently telling the world just how must he takes care of his clothes. Monograms that are large and overly ostentatious defeat the whole purpose for which they were intended, but men on a whole enjoy their small initials sitting daintily with the same colour as that of the shirt’s own.