How to fit and wear a shirt and tie
Making sure you’re looking the goods isn’t just about selecting an great business shirt and tie, it’s equally as important to ensure they fit your body shape. Elements to consider are the collar type (fused or non-fused) and tie length. Ties should just reach the top of your belt buckle.
Online shopping phenomenon: Buying men’s business shirts online
photo by blakespot
It’s astonishing to think that the world wide web (www) has only been existence for less than 6,000 days. Now imagine the first bright spark who came up with the idea of using the internet as a sales channel. I wish I could tell you whom this was but I don’t know so stay tuned for future blogs. Hasn’t online shopping evolved? Originally businesses set up online shops as an alternative sales channel however there has been a marked increase in small to medium enterprises (SMEs) who use online shops as there main channel. The advantage of not having to hire physical space and pay other tangible overheads means that these cost savings can be passed on to the consumer.
Take purchasing men’s business shirts online as a case in point. If a retailer can provide images of the shirts, some quality visuals and a great (for me premium) experience it makes you feel a lot more comfortable. I’ve learnt that I can get competitively priced, quality business shirts online from the comfort of my home or office computer. Some thoughtful retailers now include free gift wrapping and free express delivery Australia wide.
As with any other relationship or exchange, trust is paramount. In the online environment trust from a retailers is demonstrated in a number of ways. Personally I find testimonials a bit self fulfilling and I look for more tangible things such as returns policies. Specifically, 100% satisfaction and money back guarantees give me a indication of the legitimacy of a business and further, their commitment to consumer satisfaction. Online forums also provide an honest ‘online conversation’ so do a quick search and see what you can dig up. So my advice if you’re looking for men’s business shirts, look no further than online!
The importance of men’s business shirts
If you ask any stylist this simple question: what can you do to immediately enhance the appearance of a man in a matter of moments? The answer is a great quality men’s business shirt.
A men’s business shirt can immediately help reorganise the way you look. The best quality mens business shirts are always comfortable, and styles can range from cool, fashionable, elegant or stylish. It’s one of the easiest way to outwardly express your personality and style in a matter of seconds. You can wear a business shirt almost anytime and for almost any purpose.
For a man, the choice of shirt is often one of the most noticeable dress items. Some people say that a business shirt, or dress shirt as they say in the states is the first alphabet of a man’s body language. If you happen to buy the wrong shirt… well the first impression you leave may not always be the best. A careful selection of suitable and matching dress shirt is very important, (sometimes it could be a good idea to get your girlfriend’s advice if this isn’t your strong point!). It’s always important to take into consideration the below six dimensions if you’d dressing to impress; occasion, design, colour, dimension, collar and fabric.
1. Dress for the occasion
First start by considering what type of occasion you’re dressing for. Each different kind of occasion can demand a particular design or colour.
2. Design
There’s really endless options of men’s business shirt styles and designs to choose from, which can complicate matters. You really need to have a wide variety of shirt styles and designs at your disposal (i.e. different collars, solid colours or striped, different collar designs and different button styles ect)
3. Colour
Colour can actually more influence over your moods then you might think. When it comes to fashion, colour can be a powerful way to send non-verbal messages to those around you about your ability or instil an internal feeling of confidence. A men’s business shirt colour can imply the level of success, your background, authority or status, personality and more. For example, a man who wears a pink shirt actually can create an air of confidence… because any man who dares to wear it must be just that.
4. Know your dimensions
This can make shopping easier, and ensures you don’t buy an expensive shirt that looks like crap because it’s baggy as a tent, or tight like a muscle top. One of the most important aspects here isn’t the sleeve length but how the shirt fits on the shoulders. If the fit at the shoulders is perfect but the sleeves are too short, you can always fold back the sleeves, however there’s little you can do on the flip-side if the shirt is rolling of the shoulders.
5. The collar
Some people say the collar is the most important aspect of a men’s business shirt. There’s several options here such as the Classic Straight Point Collar, Spread or Cutaway Collars however this probably warrants it’s own article.
6. Fabric
All men’s business shirts are not created equal. Cotton is by far the most common fabric for dress shirts, however you can often purchase a cotton blend. Our advice is to only purchase 100% cotton, and select the more premium Egyptian Cotton if it’s in your price range.
How to create illusions with a well tailored suit
A well tailored suit can really assist in either making you look taller, wider or slimmer. For example if you’re shorter than the average man, and wanting to look longer try selecting a jacket that’s a bit shorter than ususal to help make your legs look longer. You can also select trousers that don’t have cuffs to help reduce the horizontal lines which can make you look stumpy. Same thing goes for teh pattern of teh jacket, stay away from the horizontal lines wherever possible to increase the perception of height.
How to correctly fit a suit
Buying a properly fitted, tailored suit can make a big difference from one that’s been bought off the rack. A suit should fit well in the shoulders, and the sleeves should show around 1/4 inch of business shirt cuff. The ideal length of the trousers should reach the top of the heel of the shoe.
The ‘always’ ‘sometimes’ ‘never’ rule for buttoning a suit
Suits come with a few different options. There’s two button suits, three button suits and and then there’s Double Breasted suits. Some people thing the two-button is more stylish, the three-button is more traditional, and Double Breasted… well that’s really for older, or larger men, or re-runs of early 90′s sitcoms like Frasier.
If you’re wearing a three-button suit you should make sure you’re aware of the ‘Always, Sometimes, Never Rule’, also known as the ASN rule. There’s nothing worse than seeing someone who doesn’t know how to wear a suit buttoning all three buttons. The ASN rule is pretty basic, and refers to your buttons from the top down. The top button of your suit should ALWAYS be buttoned, whenever your suit is buttoned. The middle button can SOMETIMES be buttoned, and the bottom button should NEVER be buttoned.
How to buy and fit a suit
In this first of a series of videos, pick up some great tips on setting up your wardrobe, how to purchase a custom suit, how to find a good tailor and how to care for your suit. In this episode, you’ll see what a poor fitting mens business shirt and jacket looks like – and what to look out for.