Dress shirts connote a man not afraid to be himself, or to subtly display his success in the world. On the high street, however, there is often only a choice between tacky, mass produced dress shirts and ones that would require you to re-mortgage your house. Luckily, the internet has a wide range of specialist designers, for all price ranges - from the historic Savile Row Company to new and innovative dress shirt designers.
Comfortable cotton is the most popular fabric used, though you will also find fine garments made with silk and man-made materials. The fabric is important when choosing a dress shirt. You should consider your purchase as an investment to last a number of years.
Furthermore, high quality fabric benefits both the look and the feel of a shirt. Poor quality fabric is often treated with chemicals, and can cause skin irritation. To avoid this, look for 100% cotton. A split yoke fabric is a sign of quality, as it allows the fabric to fall across the shoulders without puckering or creases.
Other dress shirt fabrics include Oxford Broadcloth, which is famous for its durability and prestige; Seersucker, which is cool in summer and designed to have a crumpled, lightweight feel; and Silk Linen, a compound fabric that combines smooth durability with breath-ability.
These days, women expect men to have as good a sense of style as they do! So it is important to get the right colour and fit for you, especially if you plan to wear the shirt at a wedding or some other flirting opportunity. That is one plus of the Internet - dress shirts, ties and other accessories are often categorised by colours that match. This takes all the effort out of buying an outfit!
If you do buy online remember that when you have made your choice and the garment arrives that the colours may look different and not suit you, so make sure that the website has a good returns policy.
If you can afford it you should consider having shirts customised to your requirements. Some people prefer fitted dress shirts, others a loose design. Buying a customised dress shirt also gives you power over sleeve length, collar shape and lets you match the best fabric with the best shape.
You should know your measurements before buying any clothing online. The most accurate way of doing this is to use a shirt you already have, rather than getting someone to measure your body. Lay it out flat and measure from a centre of the collar to the shoulder, then from the shoulder line to the cuff. Then you are ready to buy the perfect dress shirt.
