How to Buy Mens Dress Shirts

Men's dress shirts

1. The material you choose can make you hot or cold. Cotton provides the best material since it is natural, has a soft feel and allows your body to ‘breathe’. Cotton is also the best absorber of perspiration. You can find fine-combed cotton that is so delicately woven that it actually feels much like silk. Choose wrinkle-free cotton for best performance.
2. Know your size. This does not mean whether you are a small, medium or large fit! For a shirt to fit well, you need to know your collar size and the length of your arms or the sleeve size. The best way to do this is to go to a tailor and have them measure these for you. Choose a collar size that is comfortable and you will not suffer from an itching and red neck and your tie will fit correctly.
3. Choose the collar for the occasion. Straight collars go well for office use and other formal occasions. Curved collars and button down collars lend themselves to both formal and informal occasions. Wide curved collars, collars with tabs holding them together and collars that appear like a band (i.e., no collar, really) are best for informal events and family occasions like outings. Similarly for the cuffs, the basic options are with button-down cuffs with fixed buttons and cuffs with a slit for cuff links. Do not wear cuff links unless you are also wearing a jacket.
4. Check the finishing. See if the hem is even and neatly stitched. Look carefully at the joints of the collar with the torso, the arms with the torso and the button hemline and the cuff joints. The stitching should be straight and even, and the joints should meet neatly with no folds. Pull the sleeve out straight from the arm to see if any folds appear at the corners where the arm joins the torso of the shirt as these folds will not be apparent when the shirt sits flat. A shirt that appears tacky probably is so.
5. Men’s dress shirts are available off the hanger in stores, from catalogs and from tailors who make them to order. Stores and catalogs usually offer shirts in standard sizes and you will need to really experiment to determine the brand and size that fits you best, aside from the other factors mentioned above. A custom-made dress shirt is the best and also the most expensive option.

Caution

When going for a ready to wear dress shirt - choose a ‘fitted’ cut rather than a standard cut. The fitted look will be more contoured and will compliment your body structure instead of looking like drapery from the back.

Men’s dress shirts online

There are many manufacturers of dress shirts. Try these Web sites for some good deals and offers from manufacturers:

Execshirts offers very good deals on custom made shirts. They ship a trial shirt made to your measurements and only then confirm the rest of the order.

Forzieri offers premium Italian brands with a very wide selection of men's dress shirts.

Polo is a great place to find a mixture of styles and fabrics. You can find a "middle budget to premium" range of men's dress shirts here.