From undershirts to t-shirts to dress shirts, shirts are a staple in men’s fashion. Here are some tips for buy and wearing all three.
Undershirts
It really all starts with the undershirt. A gentleman’s style says a lot about him. Personally, I try to make sure my shirts are not see through enough to see my undershirt. However, if the undershirt is viable, that’s not a bad thing. One should just be sure to have an undershirt on in such a case.
What kind of undershirt to wear, then? A very hairy man should get a tank top and a crew neck, and wear both. The tank top should be worn first, then the crew neck. It is not wise to wear two crew neck undershirts, as they will bunch.
Regardless of the amount of hair on a man’s body, he should not wear a tank top alone. While this comes and goes in fashion, it looks too laid back. If the laid back look is what is desired, wear a v-neck undershirt.
T-shirts
Can a gentleman even dress down? Of course! Just like with the suit jacket, make sure your t-shirt fits your shoulders correctly. Make sure the sleeve’s seam falls on the corner of your shoulder. Once you know the shoulders fit, check the length: it should fall past your belt but above the bottom of your zipper.
Dress shirts
Whether that be t-shirts, dress shirts or any other type of shirt, be sure to buy ones that fit properly. The shirt should hug at a gentleman’s shoulders, chest, and waist, making him look trimmer. It should not be too tight, but fit comfortably without grabbing, pulling, or bunching. Don’t be afraid to use a shirt stay to keep it in place (and help keep your socks up).
The shirt collar may seem like an afterthought, but shirt collars matter. A gentleman should keep his collar down, keep it sharp, and wear the right collar for the outfit/look you are going for.
Lastly, both the collar and the cuffs should be white on a dress shirt. While there are shirts out there that do not follow this rule, they are dressed down from those with the white collars and cuffs. Not everyone knows this, but remembering and following this rule will always keep a gentleman dapper in his suit with cuffs.
Cuff links
Like the tie, cuff links can speak to the personality of the wearer. Yet, be cautious of the type of cuff links you buy as not to look tacky.
There is more than ways to wear cuff links, but only one rule: always with a jacket. Yes, if the dress shirt requires cuff links, it requires a jacket. The sleeve of the shirt should be about a half inch longer in the sleeves than the jacket. This will show off the links without going overboard. As a rule, cuff links are for formal and semi-formal events. One would not wear them with jeans, even with a jacket.
There are two ways to wear cuff links, kissing style and barrel style. Kissing is more traditional, as in it is the way most people wear them. Barrel style is more discrete and there is no good reason not to wear them this way. Because it is done less often, barrel style might be more noticeable in some crowds.
Rolling sleeves
When dressing casually, rolling up one’s sleeves is a good way to let people know one is ready to work. Be sure to do it right – unbutton the cuff and the gauntlet (also known as the placket button).
Final thought:
Know the difference between a t-shirt and an undershirt. One is worn under the clothing, the other is worn as clothing. Here’s a helpful tip if you are not sure; any shirt that is see-through is an undershirt. Any shirt that goes the full height of your bum was meant to be tucked in. And on that note, any shirt that goes past your bum was meant to be worn by someone taller than you.
Original image: Spread Collar Dress Shirt by Robert Sheie, Some rights reserved