A well fitted white shirt
White shirts are a staple in any man’s wardrobe. A nice white shirt is the most versatile shirt you can own – it can be worn on any suit with any tie combination for work. White shirts can also be worn tucked out on jeans, with the sleeves rolled up and top 2 buttons undone for a more casual look.
White-self-pattern
White-self-stripe
A well fitted white shirt is a sign of style and luxury. I may add to this and say that a “crisp” well fitted white shirt adds sex appeal to any man, no matter what shape or size! By “crisp” I mean well ironed, and with a collar that stays upright and is not floppy, and cuffs that do not show a crease. The crisp white shirt can be accomplished with a combination of good ironing technique, a bit of starch used during ironing, and the make of the shirt – the quality of fusing used within the collar and cuffs.
White-poplin
White-oxford
We recommend having at least five white shirts in your wardrobe – all with slightly different styling and fabric. Some fabric suggestions include oxford weave, herringbone, self-pattern and satin-cotton which has a slight sheen to it and looks amazingly high-class. Some styling variations could be some shirts with french cuffs, others with a regular cuff, and varying collar spreads.
Here are some pointers in picking your next crisp white shirt:
- Make sure it is luxurious white two-ply Egyptian cotton. Quality cotton comes from renowned mills, where the tightness of weave, stitch and fabric construction is noticeable.
- Ask about the shirt maker’s credentials; the skills and techniques that have been honed and passed down by generations of master shirt-makers result in the production of a quality garment.
- Determine whether buttonholes are hand-sewn, with irregular stitching ‘ this generally indicates high quality.
- Other design features such as thick collars and cuffs, thick buttons, and removable collar stays for easier maintenance (e.g. when washing and ironing) should be evident.
Finally the fit of the shirt:
- Button the shirt to the top. You should be able to easily slide one or two fingers between your neck and collar.
- Bend your arm and the sleeves should be long enough so that cuffs do not ride up past your wrist when you move your arm.
- Check that cuffs are snug and do not hang over your hand. You should not be able to slip into shirt sleeves without first undoing buttons on the cuff.
- Make sure the shirt does not pull uncomfortably across the chest or waist causing crease marks to appear.
- Inspect the buttons: they should be well-placed with no gaping holes exposing your chest.
- Raise your arms and check that shirt tails do not come out of your pants – this means the shirt is the correct length.
Hopefully the above information will help when you’re purchasing your next white shirt. If you have any further queries please feel free to contact us.
Hi, so what is the difference between the fabrics? e.g. Herringbone and Oxford – how can we tell them apart?
Great question Karan – we shall write a more detailed blog about the different types of fabrics and weaves soon.
But to answer your question, the herringbone pattern has short rows of slanted lines. Each row slants in the opposite way, so when side by side, it actually looks like a zigzag pattern. There can be varying thicknesses of the herringbone pattern.
In terms of the Oxford cloth, it is basically a basket weave pattern – where fibres are woven in a cross-hatch formation. The Oxford weave can also come in various levels of tightness in the weave, and is a great cloth when it comes to washing and ironing.
Hopefully this description answers your question, but of course a picture speaks a thousand words so stay tuned for the blog that will show the different weaves available, with pictures!
~ Jatin