The‘Go-To’ Shirt

Brought to you by Brass Bones Custom Tailored Shirts

www.brassbones.co.uk

Debonair believes that every man needs his special ‘go-to’ shirt; one that takes him from the boardroom to the bar and then to brunch on the weekend.  It’s been said the British know a little something about tailoring (ever heard of Savile Row? Or Jermyn Street?), so Debonair turned straight to the experts at Brass Bones of London to find you the most versatile shirt for all occasions:

Fit

The most important yet most overlooked aspect; a multitude of sins can be covered by a proper fit.  Get this right and you’re halfway there. The basics:

•    The collar should be snug and a half-inch of shirt cuff extending from the jacket sleeve should be showing, but the body is where most off-the-rack shirts fail.
•    For the average man, regular cuts are baggy and will leave you looking as if you are wearing a tent. The Debonair man opts for a fitted profile to complement his tailored suit. Even if you’ve expanded your waistline lately, look for shirts labeled “slim fit,” or ideally try a custom tailored shirt to get a cut made for your own body.  Be sure to ask your tailor about darts in the lower back to get rid of that ballooning fabric around your waist.

Fabric

100% cotton — Accept nothing else.  No polyester, poly-blends, or silks.  Manmade fabrics don’t wear, or age well and do you really want to be that guy in the silk shirt?  You may run across talk of “thread counts,” or “Egyptian Cottons”, but the best advice is to pick a fabric that looks and feels good to you.

Color

White is the most versatile.  It goes with a suit, dark jeans, or a tuxedo in a pinch.  For the adventurous man, try a pattern like a herringbone; and if you’re apt to go for a bit of color, make it a light sky blue.  It’s got character, but is still appropriate for almost any situation.

When working on building your wardrobe, hold off on bold stripes, checks, and dark colors until you’ve got the basics covered.

Style

Collar – For versatility we recommend the classic Spread collar.  Its shape and medium height means it will look good with a suit and tie, or worn open with jeans.

Cuffs – Go for Button / Barrel cuffs instead of the dressier French cuff, which can be considered too flashy for interviews or business meetings.

As with many things in life, less is more.  Avoid details like brightly lined collars and cuffs or multicolored stitching.  Instead, opt for classic features like pearl buttons and a personalized monogram that show you appreciate the finer things in life.

We could go on talking about shirts for ages, but that’s enough to get you into a great looking go-to shirt.  To learn more about Brass Bone’s custom shirts, or order your own, visit Brass Bones of London.

Now you’re ready to get out there, confident you’re wearing the right shirt no matter what the occasion!

About Brass Bones

Steeped in the age-old English tradition of custom-tailoring, London based Brass Bones gives you the luxury of distinctive 2-fold high weave cottons, handmade by tailors who have been dressing businessmen for over 20 years.  Cut to your design and your measurements in a slim British style and finished with pearl buttons, Brass Bones provides you with the custom tailored dress shirt that is right for you.

Copyright © 2009, Brass Bones.  This article is copyright of Brass Bones Fine Tailored Shirts and is licensed for use to Debonair.  Any unauthorized use / reproduction / duplication will constitute an infringement of copyright. For similar copy please contact Brass Bones.

Dear Debonair,

How long are jeans suppose to be? Should they bunch at the shoe or lay flat?

The bunch of your jean simply boils down to your style (for the most part).  There are days when I`m feeling more casual than normal, almost boyish, so I wear my jeans long. But I only do so when they are of the bootcut style.  Otherwise it looks like you are wearing M.C. Hammer pants.

I would not, however, recommend a heavily bunched jean for a shorter or squattier guy.  It just emphasizes the fact that he is short.  A nice, straight-legged jean that breaks nicely at the knee will keep a bigger guy looking longer.  It may sound counterintuitive for a larger man to wear a slimmer look, but big baggy jeans just make you look like a big baggy person.

You Might Also Like To Read:

How To Match Shoes To Your Suit

Men’s Suit Trends – No Pleats, No Cuffs, No Kidding

How To Properly Wear a Blazer With Jeans

Below you will find a detailed guide to men’s dress shirt collars from our friends/shirt experts at TailorInStyle.com. If you’re looking for more information on men’s shirts, you can download the TailorInStyle Men’s Shirts – Free eBook Guide.

The choice of shirt collars is rather limited on off-the-rack apparel. However, tailored or bespoke dress shirts open a wide range of possibilities. Here we examine five common collar variations, and how to wear each.

Classic / Standard Collar

Most of your dress shirts have this common collar. It has a clean look and it keeps things simple. A tie is fine with this collar, but be sure to check if your tie slips out of the collar on the back side – especially with wider ties.

This collar suits most faces and works fine with slim and medium width tie knots.

The Double Button Collar

This collar tends to have a more sophisticated look, especially when worn without a tie. It shows that one has paid attention to the detail of the collar, and may imply that you know a thing or two about dress shirts.

This collar is higher. For men with longer necks this collar makes the neck appear shorter, which is generally a good idea.

Long Point / Mafia / Soprano Collar

This collar is less extreme than the Godfather collar worn by Robert De Niro. It matches well with rounder faces and is great for thin ties.

The Cutaway Collar

This dress shirt collar is great for narrow faces and it is most suited for the famous Windsor knot tie. As you can see, the flips of the collar are wider apart and rounded, making the face look rounder.

The Mao or Mandarin Collar

Originally from China, this collar is in a completely different world. With no flips, this Western world attire makes for a unique and casual dress shirt. It looks especially good on a white, summery shirt.

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