Essentials: What Everyone Ought To Know About Shirts

I’m revisiting the essentials series because I’ve not updated it for a while. This weekend I intend to compile some sort of blogging schedule so I can keep on top of my blogging and the series posts that I start then forget about. Previously on the essentials posts I’ve covered the perfect fit, trousers, jumpers, jeans and T shirts. So I thought the next natural piece to cover would be shirts. I think there is something about having a nice fitted shirt that fits properly, similarly to a suit it just makes you feel like a million dollars.

As always with any piece you’re investing in make sure the fit is perfect as that’s the key to you achieving a polished look. When choosing the fit with a shirt you’ll have a few options. A regular fit is a classically cut shirt, you also have slim fit shirts as well which usually consist of two darts placed on the back to give a closer finish. So choose a fit that is the most flattering and comfortable for your body shape. On the high street you’ll probably find shirts in regular sizes such as S, M, L etc But if you go to a specialist shirt store then you’ll need to have your collar and chest size handy or request to be measured. Really this is the best way to finding a shirt that’s right for you. As with many pieces on the high street you may find that the fits aren’t quite right, I sometimes fall between a small and medium which can be frustrating.

In terms of style choose a colour and pattern that you like, just avoid anything too garish. Solid colours are great to use for layering and are easier to then combine with both formal and casual attire, although a good fitting white shirt is an absolute essential in any mans wardrobe. You may also want to consider the collar spread, think about whether or not you’ll be wearing your shirt with a tie and what sort of tie you’ll be wearing it with. A wider collar is better for a thicker knot where as skinny ties look better on a collar that’s closer together. If you want to have a look at a range of different collars check out this link here.

How To Wear Your Shirt

You can really utilise your shirt a number of ways; they look great with jeans and shoes, if you want to make it look a little bit more formal add a tie. The best way to wear a shirt is by layering with other pieces, underneath v neck jumpers or with cardigans, waistcoats then add a blazer on top. If you’re wanting to keep your look a little bit more casual, roll the sleeves up on your shirt, leave it tucked out and layer it on top a fitted T shirt.

These are just a few ways you can use a staple shirt to transform your wardrobe.

Let me know what you think by leaving a comment below.

 Photo:Britishtea2019