"Timeless" fashion last forever, and so does the men's dress shirt. Not much has changed to the classic men's dress shirt, other than it has become more fitted over the past few decades. In the United states most people call it the button-down, whereas in the UK it is just called a shirt. All are the same, consisting of a sleeves, cuffs, collar and a buttoned opening on the front. Here you can learn all about the anatomy of the dress shirt.
The strap of fabric that makes the inner part of the collar on a dress shirt is referred to as the Collar Band. The collar band is the part of the dress shirt that the top button is attached to. For a tall collar you will need a high collar band. You may have seen collars from the disco era - a wide sprawling collar. This type is actually made without a collar band, though you will find most shirts do have one. Some designers include a contrasting collar band that has a different fabric color than the rest of the shirt, just for a fashionable touch.
Probably the most defining characteristic of the dress shirt is the collar. Look for signs of bubbling on the collar to pick out inferior quality shirts- this is from the interfacing not properly being sealed. The interfacing is a piece of material added to the fabric to increase its rigidness. Also, the collar will be sewn in on from the brim to form it's structure. Again, the inferior shirts will be sewn right on the brim of the collar, while the better dress shirt's are sewn a centimeter in. Most common style is the Traditional point collar, which you will find in most business settings. Less common, but also very nice, are the curved point, buttondown, round point. Choose a collar that compliments your neck, you just need to try on a few different collars to see which one does.
The tip of the collar is referred to as the collar point. Often a tailor will refer to the collar point length to define the characteristic of it. On some collar points you will find collar stays on the reverse side, that maintain it's rigidness. With interfacing it is not necessarily required to have the stays, though different shirt makers prefer different ways.
A good tailor will put a lot of consideration into the space between the collar points, know as the collar spread. The reason so much consideration must be made for this is because a men's dress shirt should flatter your natural body shape- so a person with a stout neck should use a collar with a narrow spread, while a person with a skinny neck should use a collar with a larger spread. By doing so, the neck will visually be enhanced by the collar, thus bringing the best out of your body.
A men's dress shirt has a complete opening on the front, and this is called the front center placket. It can be made of a separate strip of fabric attached to the shirt, or it can be made by folding over. The buttons are attached to the front center placket, and the buttonholes on the bottom underlying part. The most common is the bluff front placket for a dress shirt. Becoming more popular is the fly front and twin stitching front, especially for casual evening wear. You will normally find 6 buttons on the placket, though a tailor may include up to 7 for a taller person.
It is optional to include include a pocket on a dress shirt. Originally, men's dress shirts did not include one, but nowadays it's just a matter of convenience are personal taste. If you are in a very formal event, you may consider a pocket-less shirt, though in any other setting it's fine to have one. The most popular pocket is regular, though you will often find on industry dress shirts, such as a security or pilot shirt, a pleated flapped pocket. The point of the pleat is to allow the pocket to expand. A pocket adds a touch of character to a dress shirt.
Dress shirts come in either full sleeve or short sleeve versions. The long sleeve men's dress shirt is considered the norm in a business or formal setting, though in tropical climates, it can be acceptable to wear a short sleeve style at the work place. In a more casual setting, full sleeves can be rolled up to the length of short sleeves, thus providing a style of their own.
The sleeve placket extends from the break in the cuff approximately 1/4 up the sleeve length. It is also known as a "gauntlet." The main purpose of the sleeve placket is to allow the sleeves to be rolled up, and it also provides a better fit around the forearm for the dress shirt. Some men's dress shirts have a button on the sleeve placket, allowing the opening to be held closed.
The arm whole is more technically called the armscye. It is the opening from the main part of the shirt to the sleeve. Many slim people find the standard armscye on a off-the-shelf shirt to be far to big, thus not properly fitting. This is where tailored shirts are often more popular.
The cuff forms the end of the sleeve, and usually has button, possible two on it. The mark of a men's dress shirt is a fairly well defined cuff. The cuff does serve the purpose of closing the sleeve, and making it fit properly, although it is also designed to be stylish.
Slightly longer, and used in the most formal events, the french cuff is considered very stylish. One does need cuff links to be able to properly wear french cuffs, as they need to be secured closed. In recent years the french cuff has made a comeback to less formal settings such as the office. Before, it was reserved for use with a lounge suit or formal jacket. The design of these cuffs is that they are folded once onto themselves.
Probably the most convenient choice is the convertible cuff. It can be sported as either a regular barrel cuff or as a french cuff. It has buttons to allow it to be worn as a barrel cuff, and it can be folded over onto itself to be worn like french cuffs- there is an extra button whole for the cuff links. This is a great choice as you can wear it in situation.
Rather than having one piece along the entire back a typical dress shirt is make of two- a lower piece along the back and the upper piece that extends to the shoulders referred to as the Yoke. The traditional yoke is made of one piece and the fabric pattern aligns at a ninety degree angle to the rest of fabric on the back, or a British yoke that is aligned at a lesser angle to the pattern on the back.
Pleats allows for flexibility across the shoulders of a men's dress shirt. When the wearer of the dress shirt moves his arms up, the extra fabric folded into the pleats releases and allows flexibility. Pleats are located on the back of the dress shirt, starting at the seam between the back and yoke. Box pleats are located in the centre of the back, and can also be made as inverted box pleats which only show a visible line opening. Another option is the knife pleat, which is created when the fabric is folded over once, on the right and left sides of the back. An alternative to pleats is gathering. Gathering can be applied across the entire back/yoke seam, or just on the right and left back/yoke seam. A dress shirt can also be made without pleats. This is recommended for inward-arched backs that tend to collect a lot of fabric on the lower back of the dress shirt.
The bottom cut comes in two popular variants. Most common is the tail cut, also referred to as the round bottom. In this cut, the front and back of the shirt are longer than the sides of the shirt. This gives a front and back "tail" and curved sides, a design intended to give the shirt more style when untucked -- though the tail cut bottom can also be worn tucked in. The other variant is the square cut, and it is designed for a shirt that will be tucked in most of the time. The square cut, as its name suggests, is square/straight along the bottom.
If you have the problem of extra fabric bunching up on the back of your men's dress shirt you may want to consider darts. The feature of darts is to cut a small slice of fabric off of the back and sewing it it. Dart are usually fairly visible, but those body types that find the feature compliments there body will find they are well worth it. On the other hand, most body types do not require darts, it's more suitable for those with inward arching backs and slim bodies.
The feature that will make your dress shirt just that much more personalized is a monogram. The is your initials woven onto your shirt in a visible place. Initially monograms were made so the commercial laundry shop could identify who's shirt was who's, though now it is used a sign of customization and quality. When an shirt is for the office you should have it placed on somewhere not so obvious, such as on the lower placket.
There is probably more details to the average dress shirt than you though at first. This guide to the men's dress shirt should make you appreciate all the features and complexity of the dress shirt, even though it may appear so simple. The dress shirt is a piece of timeless fashion that does not seem to lose it's appeal. Hopefully, you now have a better understanding that will allow you to choose a dress shirt based on your knowledge, to find a shirt that fits the perfect situation, and that properly fits the style you are looking for. - 29203
The strap of fabric that makes the inner part of the collar on a dress shirt is referred to as the Collar Band. The collar band is the part of the dress shirt that the top button is attached to. For a tall collar you will need a high collar band. You may have seen collars from the disco era - a wide sprawling collar. This type is actually made without a collar band, though you will find most shirts do have one. Some designers include a contrasting collar band that has a different fabric color than the rest of the shirt, just for a fashionable touch.
Probably the most defining characteristic of the dress shirt is the collar. Look for signs of bubbling on the collar to pick out inferior quality shirts- this is from the interfacing not properly being sealed. The interfacing is a piece of material added to the fabric to increase its rigidness. Also, the collar will be sewn in on from the brim to form it's structure. Again, the inferior shirts will be sewn right on the brim of the collar, while the better dress shirt's are sewn a centimeter in. Most common style is the Traditional point collar, which you will find in most business settings. Less common, but also very nice, are the curved point, buttondown, round point. Choose a collar that compliments your neck, you just need to try on a few different collars to see which one does.
The tip of the collar is referred to as the collar point. Often a tailor will refer to the collar point length to define the characteristic of it. On some collar points you will find collar stays on the reverse side, that maintain it's rigidness. With interfacing it is not necessarily required to have the stays, though different shirt makers prefer different ways.
A good tailor will put a lot of consideration into the space between the collar points, know as the collar spread. The reason so much consideration must be made for this is because a men's dress shirt should flatter your natural body shape- so a person with a stout neck should use a collar with a narrow spread, while a person with a skinny neck should use a collar with a larger spread. By doing so, the neck will visually be enhanced by the collar, thus bringing the best out of your body.
A men's dress shirt has a complete opening on the front, and this is called the front center placket. It can be made of a separate strip of fabric attached to the shirt, or it can be made by folding over. The buttons are attached to the front center placket, and the buttonholes on the bottom underlying part. The most common is the bluff front placket for a dress shirt. Becoming more popular is the fly front and twin stitching front, especially for casual evening wear. You will normally find 6 buttons on the placket, though a tailor may include up to 7 for a taller person.
It is optional to include include a pocket on a dress shirt. Originally, men's dress shirts did not include one, but nowadays it's just a matter of convenience are personal taste. If you are in a very formal event, you may consider a pocket-less shirt, though in any other setting it's fine to have one. The most popular pocket is regular, though you will often find on industry dress shirts, such as a security or pilot shirt, a pleated flapped pocket. The point of the pleat is to allow the pocket to expand. A pocket adds a touch of character to a dress shirt.
Dress shirts come in either full sleeve or short sleeve versions. The long sleeve men's dress shirt is considered the norm in a business or formal setting, though in tropical climates, it can be acceptable to wear a short sleeve style at the work place. In a more casual setting, full sleeves can be rolled up to the length of short sleeves, thus providing a style of their own.
The sleeve placket extends from the break in the cuff approximately 1/4 up the sleeve length. It is also known as a "gauntlet." The main purpose of the sleeve placket is to allow the sleeves to be rolled up, and it also provides a better fit around the forearm for the dress shirt. Some men's dress shirts have a button on the sleeve placket, allowing the opening to be held closed.
The arm whole is more technically called the armscye. It is the opening from the main part of the shirt to the sleeve. Many slim people find the standard armscye on a off-the-shelf shirt to be far to big, thus not properly fitting. This is where tailored shirts are often more popular.
The cuff forms the end of the sleeve, and usually has button, possible two on it. The mark of a men's dress shirt is a fairly well defined cuff. The cuff does serve the purpose of closing the sleeve, and making it fit properly, although it is also designed to be stylish.
Slightly longer, and used in the most formal events, the french cuff is considered very stylish. One does need cuff links to be able to properly wear french cuffs, as they need to be secured closed. In recent years the french cuff has made a comeback to less formal settings such as the office. Before, it was reserved for use with a lounge suit or formal jacket. The design of these cuffs is that they are folded once onto themselves.
Probably the most convenient choice is the convertible cuff. It can be sported as either a regular barrel cuff or as a french cuff. It has buttons to allow it to be worn as a barrel cuff, and it can be folded over onto itself to be worn like french cuffs- there is an extra button whole for the cuff links. This is a great choice as you can wear it in situation.
Rather than having one piece along the entire back a typical dress shirt is make of two- a lower piece along the back and the upper piece that extends to the shoulders referred to as the Yoke. The traditional yoke is made of one piece and the fabric pattern aligns at a ninety degree angle to the rest of fabric on the back, or a British yoke that is aligned at a lesser angle to the pattern on the back.
Pleats allows for flexibility across the shoulders of a men's dress shirt. When the wearer of the dress shirt moves his arms up, the extra fabric folded into the pleats releases and allows flexibility. Pleats are located on the back of the dress shirt, starting at the seam between the back and yoke. Box pleats are located in the centre of the back, and can also be made as inverted box pleats which only show a visible line opening. Another option is the knife pleat, which is created when the fabric is folded over once, on the right and left sides of the back. An alternative to pleats is gathering. Gathering can be applied across the entire back/yoke seam, or just on the right and left back/yoke seam. A dress shirt can also be made without pleats. This is recommended for inward-arched backs that tend to collect a lot of fabric on the lower back of the dress shirt.
The bottom cut comes in two popular variants. Most common is the tail cut, also referred to as the round bottom. In this cut, the front and back of the shirt are longer than the sides of the shirt. This gives a front and back "tail" and curved sides, a design intended to give the shirt more style when untucked -- though the tail cut bottom can also be worn tucked in. The other variant is the square cut, and it is designed for a shirt that will be tucked in most of the time. The square cut, as its name suggests, is square/straight along the bottom.
If you have the problem of extra fabric bunching up on the back of your men's dress shirt you may want to consider darts. The feature of darts is to cut a small slice of fabric off of the back and sewing it it. Dart are usually fairly visible, but those body types that find the feature compliments there body will find they are well worth it. On the other hand, most body types do not require darts, it's more suitable for those with inward arching backs and slim bodies.
The feature that will make your dress shirt just that much more personalized is a monogram. The is your initials woven onto your shirt in a visible place. Initially monograms were made so the commercial laundry shop could identify who's shirt was who's, though now it is used a sign of customization and quality. When an shirt is for the office you should have it placed on somewhere not so obvious, such as on the lower placket.
There is probably more details to the average dress shirt than you though at first. This guide to the men's dress shirt should make you appreciate all the features and complexity of the dress shirt, even though it may appear so simple. The dress shirt is a piece of timeless fashion that does not seem to lose it's appeal. Hopefully, you now have a better understanding that will allow you to choose a dress shirt based on your knowledge, to find a shirt that fits the perfect situation, and that properly fits the style you are looking for. - 29203
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