Men’s Shirt – Selection guide

The shirt is a piece of clothing that gives the wearer "cool elegance" and style.

The guidelines that govern the choice of a shirt are never trivial, we try to give suggestions by analyzing some fundamental aspects: the collar, the fabric, the color, the pattern and the wearability.

The Collar

The collar is certainly the most obvious part when choosing a shirt. Personal taste is often decisive, but the context of use, the shape and the heaviness are very important aspects to consider.

The shape of the collar flaps is divided into: Classic or straight: with closed flaps - Spread or Cutaway: with flaps 180° or very open - Button-down: with buttons on the tips - Penny collar or Club: with tips rounded - Wing tips collar or diplomatic: to be worn with the bow tie - Mandarin or Stand-Up: only the strap without flaps.

Classic or straight

Spread or Cutaway

Button-down

Penny collar or Club

Wing tips collar or Diplomatic

Mandarin or Stand-Up

The heaviness of the collar is determined from the heat-sealed interior and can be: Stiff, Semi-rigid or soft collar. The stiff collar are perfect with the tie and for formal wear, the semi-rigid collar can be worn with or without a tie, the soft collar with the "Water soluble" interior, is  instead to be chosen for the unstructured and casual shirts.

The Fabric

The Fabric: as well in this case, the choice derives from the personal taste, but seasonality is also important. In fact, in addition to the kind of yarn used, the heaviness of the fabric can change and there are fabrics that are more suitable for spring-summer and others for autumn-winter:

We could speak a lot about fabrics. For the moment, we are going to give general information that can help you purchase the right shirt at the right time.

The color:

The color: it is said that the white shirt should be worn only after sunset, while for daytime a blue or pastel-colored shirt is preferable. The context, but also the season, plays a decisive role. Certainly, a white or light shirt in the summertime is more comfortable than a dark shirt, especially if the structure is a muslin or a zephyr or even better a linen canvas.

The pattern

The pattern: the stripes are very elegant during daytime under a blazer and with a beautiful tie, the light blue solid color goes perfectly with a beautiful oxford or twill fabric. The printed pattern is more suitable for leisure and evenings with friends, while the checked is suitable for trips out of town and on the weekend. Mind out, some checked shirts made of noble fabrics can be worn very well even under a jacket.

The fit

The fit: not all body types are the same and therefore the wearability must be different depending on the cut and the model of the shirt. Usually, the fit is regulated by the pleats or darts behind the shirt, as well as by the cut of the fabric. We identify 3 fits that perfectly solve every need of body shapes: Comfort or Regular, Modern and Slim

Comfort is a loose fit, especially in the waist and chest, it has a back without darts or pleats and is suitable for those who need larger volumes.

Modern is perfect for most body shapes, has darts behind, but its volumes are neither too large nor too tight.

The Slim is a suitable fit only for those who have a very thin and athletic body, not just because of darts behind, but the cut of the fabric is modelled especially in the waist.

Each topic covered in this article can be deepened and we will certainly do it in the future, for the moment our aim was to give a general overview of the most important features, and provide interesting clues and a valuable contribution to choosing the right shirt for you .

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