subject: Men's Fashion Guide: Finding Your Perfect Shirt [print this page] To put it bluntly, there's no such thing as a single, perfect shirt. As with most everything in men's fashion, the 'right' shirt is a very individual thing that depends on factors that range from your build to your skin tone. There are, however, certain inalienable rules of fashion that go for every man and his shirts. Whether you're tanned and buff or pale and scrawny, these are commandments that you should know well before you go to the store.
Know Your Necktie
Proportion is always a wise thing to maintain in men's fashion. Even when pieces clearly don't match, they can still avoid becoming unsightly when their measurements are in sync with each other's. And for a style piece as fundamental as a shirt, proportions can spell the difference between debonair and disastrous.
Whatever the width of the neckties you like to wear, always keep your shirt collars sized in proportion to them. Thin ties, therefore, call for smaller spread collars (and, similarly, narrower lapels on your suit jacket), and thicker neckties should be done over larger collars. It's that simple. Matching the size of your jacket lapels to your shirt collars lets you take off your tie yet keep the whole outfit cohesive in terms of size.
Tie It Back to Tradition
Modern men's fashion places a huge premium on practicality on convenience, which is why so many of today's style pieces have all sorts of features to make life 'easier'. But convenience isn't your primary concern when you're dressing to the nines for a formal gig. In fact, the more traditional you are, the more appropriate your outfit is likely to be.
Barrel cuffs are fine and dandy for wearing to the office on weekday mornings, but the traditional route involves the more traditional French cuffs. A solid white shirt cuffed in the French style might be too reminiscent of waiters, though, so a bold pattern and a tie with a strong design wouldn't hurt for a 2009 update. Slightly more 'bling' accessories like premium metal cufflinks are also great to add a touch of recession-free luxury.
Draw the Line at Slim
A fine line exists between 'slim' and 'skinny', and each one is suited only to a particular kind of scenario. Slim shirts are more versatile, going everywhere from office to club at the switch (or subtraction) of a necktie. Once the shirt starts showing your pecs and going into skinny territory, though, it's off-limits from office grounds.
Slim shirts are the kind that simply hug your shoulders and don't balloon out at the waist - in fact, the only kind of shirt you should be stocking. Skinny shirts are the ones that are tapered higher up and have a tighter hug at your chest and waist. Whichever one you get, though, see to it that the arms are done proportionally slim as the torso panels. Otherwise, you're going to look like a rejected extra for Pirates of the Caribbean.
The Shirt Standards
Every guy should have a white shirt, period. In fact, there's no such thing as 'too many' white shirts because you can wear them with virtually anything. Wear them with your most formal three-piece suit. Throw one over a pair of beat-up denims. Heck, button one up over a pair of Bermuda shorts. It's one of those unshakable facts in men's fashion: whatever you throw at them, white shirts will make it look good.
Learn how to look for quality in the shirts you buy. Next time you're at a men's boutique, pay attention to the darts running down the back panel of every shirt; these darts indicate a well-made piece. Lastly, you'll want to ask for some firmness in your collars. They'll help your collars literally stand out when you're going jacket-less, and maintain a more visible profile for your shirt once you wear the whole shebang of your suit.
You've got to be thankful for the sheer expanse of choices that modern men's fashion has for your shirts. With the range of selections available today, you should be able to find a set no matter what your preferences of color, fit or cut might be.
by: Hendrik Pohl
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