Men's Dress Shirt Style Guide

Men's Dress Shirt Style Guide

Dress shirts have been around since the Victorian Era, with white dress shirts being especially valued among men. White shirts signified morality, masculinity, and wealth.

Colored shirts were more affordable and were often worn by the working class. This is where the phrases 'white collar' and 'blue collar' come from.

This concept made a huge impression, and to this day, white is still the most common color for dress shirts.

That's just one trend associated with the men's dress shirt. There are many other stylish options and variations that can make for a great look. We'll talk about some of them in this article.

1. Choosing the Fit

One of the most important things to consider when choosing a dress shirt is how it will fit. Try to find a dress shirt that is neither too large nor too small. If you have the money, it may be better to get your shirts custom-made.

Once you have a shirt that fits, you need to decide how to wear it. You have several options here, and each offers its own advantages and disadvantages.

The easiest type of fit is probably the classic fit. If you've ever seen an old black-and-white movie from Hollywood's Golden Age or have gone to any kind of formal event with your grandfather, you've seen this.

It's the style of loose shirt that fits the body well but is kept loose enough to be comfortable. 

There is also the modern fit, which is a bit more form-fitting, and the slim fit, which is more form-fitting than that. It's best to  avoid anything tighter.

You can find some of these fits in our shop.

2. Color

There are a few more options for shirt colors these days than back in the Victorian Age. We've mentioned that the most common color for a men's dress shirt is still white. Other popular colors include blue, pink, and yellow, among others.

There are also striped and plaid. Stripes are the more formal of the two, while plaid can work in laid-back but still more formal environments. Both have been around for a long time.

Plaid was originally a Scottish pattern that was used to identify various clans. It didn't become popular among non-Scottish people for centuries. It became popular among outdoorsmen and lumberjacks in the 1800s, then became a popular fashion statement in the 1960s.

Stripes also have a long history. We know that they existed at least as early as the 1100s when they became a dangerous pattern to wear. They were seen as a devilish pattern, worn only by prostitutes and villains.

People could be killed for wearing stripes, and that was the case for a few hundred years. Eventually, stripes became popular again and went through a few periods of waxing and waning popularity until the 1920s, when the current love of stripes took hold.

How to Wear a Men's Dress Shirt: A Guide

Knowing when and how to wear a men's dress shirt can be harder than it seems. That's why we've offered a bit of advice in this article.

If you want to know more about men's fashion, please visit our site. Feel free to contact us with any questions or concerns you have.

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