Most men wear dress shirts that do not fit them properly. The problem is ready-made garments are made to fit many; as a result, they fit no one perfectly. It does not matter if you are short, tall, slim, or broad – a fitted shirt is much more flattering than one just off the rack. You could go out and buy a Burberry shirt worth a couple hundred dollars and that shirt will look like you’ve just borrowed it from your dad’s closet if it is not the right size. Or, you could easily buy an affordable shirt at the mall, get it tailored, and it will look a hundred times better than the expensive shirt. Below are some guidelines to help you get started finding your perfect dress shirt.
Armhole - The armhole of a dress shirt dictates how a shirt will fit in the chest, shoulder, and armpit. It is not good if you are noticing fabric hanging under arm. Your armhole should be contoured in a way that creates a tapered feel under your arm, yet leaves a full range of motion.
Shoulders - The seam where the sleeve attaches to the body of a fitted dress shirt should hit close to the top of your shoulders. Most shirts tend to be too large so as to fit more people, so you will often see the seam sliding down onto the arm.
Sleeves - The cuff should fall right at the base of the thumb when buttoned. Just like your chest, your arms should fill out the sleeves of your shirt in a way that doesn't leave excess fabric. Excess fabric in the sleeves will often fold and billow giving an unflattering look. The sleeves should be long enough that you can raise your arms and not pull the cuffs down the forearm.
Chest - The best dress shirts fit comfortably around the chest, under the armpits, and across the upper back, giving you a full range of motion. A fitted shirt will feel snug, but not too tight. The buttons should not pull when you’re standing still with your arms down.
Collar - You should be able to button the collar easily with room for two fingers to fit—any more and it is too loose, any less and it is too tight. The two most popular collar styles are point and spread. Point collars, the most traditional choice, are generally always worn with suits and ties. Spread collars are more modern and can be worn with or without a tie.
Point collar
Spread collar
Body/Waist – Men’s dress shirts should taper from the chest to the waist, following the contours of the body and creating a clean line between the shirt and pants when tucked in. A great fitted shirt often has back darts, which allows the shirt to taper at the waist.
Length - The shirt hem should be long enough for you to comfortable wear the shirt tucked or untucked. When your shirt is untucked and buttoned, the tail should fall just past the back pockets of your pants. When tucked in, raise your arms above your head and see if the tails pop out from your pants. If so, your shirt could be a little too short.
Dress shirts are one of the most important wardrobe investments you can make. Now that you have some guidelines on how a dress shirt should fit, you are ready to go out and start building your closet. The perfect dress shirt will help you feel happier with your clothes and you can take pride in your appearance.