Tips for Finding the Perfect Men's Dress Shirt

If you are getting a little bored with the same old solid white dress shirt look, then you may find this article useful. Besides covering different color choices, this article will give you a good idea on what collar and cuff styles look best on you. In addition you will find tips on how to best combine non-solid dress shirts with your other pieces of clothing.

The Best Dress Shirt Colors
If you only have room for less than a handful of dress shirts, then the solid white one will be your best choice. It is a color that will match with any suit and tie. In addition it is well suited for any occasion whether it be a job interview or a formal nighttime event.

If you already have a few white dress shirts, then it is time to add a little more color and versatility to your wardrobe. The next best color to choose is a solid light-blue shirt. Similar to white, it is easy to match to almost any suit and tie. Already got one or two light blue dress shirts? Then choose some more season-specific colors. For the spring: pastel tones such as pink, salmon, tea-green, and light yellow are excellent. For the fall and winter darker shades are best such as light browns, medium-blues, gray, and even black.

Collar and Cuff Styles:
When wearing a suit and tie, the collar on a dress shirt is most visible. When choosing a collar style you should consider your body type, the type of necktie you are wearing, as well as the type of knot you are planning on tying. As a general rule, men with a larger neck-size are best suited wearing a wider-spread collar - a style that looks best in proportion to a larger neck. Narrow collars and button down collars are best for men with a smaller neck-size as well as tall and thin men (you may also want to read our guide on: Dress Tips for Tall & Thin Men. Next, think about your tie and the tie knot. Larger tie knots, such as the Double Windsor knot, are best combined with wide-spread collars. They goal is to fill the gap between the collars but not under one side causing the collar to stand up.

Your cuffs should be long enought so that about 1/2 - 3/4 of an inch is showing underneath your suit jacket. If you like wearing cufflinks then choose a so-called French cuffed (sometimes also known as double-cuffed) dress shirt.

Choosing Patterns
Once you have a selection of basic shirts in white, light blue, and one or two other colors, you may want to consider wearing different patterns. If you are always wearing a suit and tie, then this is less important, but if no tie and no jacket is worn, patterned dress shirts are much preferred over the solid color ones. Most popular are stripes and checks. Combining such patterns for the non-necktie wearer is very easy. In this case, the only thing to consider is the harmony & balance of colors.

It is the tie-wearer that needs to pay a little more attention when wearing patterned dress shirts. As a general rule: Combine patterns on pieces of clothing that are different in size. If you wear a dress shirt with a larger checkered pattern, then you may want to wear a tie with tiny polka dots or narrow diagonal stripes. For more information on this subject, you may want to read our guide on Matching Patterned Dress Shirts

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