Tips for buying the best mens business shirts
photo by PinkMoose
How much should you spend on shirts and why
Have you ever thought about how much you spend on clothes? What is your breaking point? How much cash would you part with when you buy clothes? What amount of money should you spend on a shirt?
If you set aside $60 for a shirt, you can buy an OK Chinese cotton blend. However, make it $100 and you can purchase yourself a high quality cotton business shirt and also have a greater choice of shirts to purchase.
When you’re shopping for a shirt, you want to choose it because of how the fabric makes you feel; whenever possible, choose 100 percent cotton should you be able to afford it. If you spend more than $150, you may as well purchase a custom made business shirt since at this price range you’ll be paying for the design and/or brand name.
If you decide to go the custom route, the majority of these shirts will sell for $200-$250 or more; it’s also not uncommon to see shirts at $500. If you’ve never purchased business shirts online before, consider using a website that doesn’t require a minimum order.
How business shirts fit
While aesthetics is important, your comfort is more important; thus, pay special attention to how the shirt feels in the neckline and on your shoulders. You don’t want anything baggy or constrictive since these can make you look poorly dressed. Be sure you find business shirts that will make you stand out, but are not too lairy.
Think about the lifestyle you lead. Do you sit at your desk all day? If so, then you don’t want a shirt that’s too tight. How can you determine your shirt is going to be a problem? Wear a suit over the shirt to determine if it’s going to be too baggy or tight. The best way to tell if you’re going to be strangled or have some bagginess is to place two fingers between the top of the collar and suit jacket.
Make sure your cuffs do not show any more than one-quarter to one-inch of your shirt beyond the sleeve of the coat. That doesn’t mean you need to purchase a coat that’s longer in the sleeves. In the majority of cases, the sleeve of the jacket will already be too long; not the shirt sleeve being too short.
Are your non-iron shirts made of inferior quality?
The answer to the above question actually depends on one major factor: the type of fabric the shirt is made of. When a shirt is labelled “non-iron”, it’s the companies’ way of unloading their inventory with shirts that are made of low-quality cotton, acrylic and/or polyester.
Better quality non-iron shirts will be made of high quality fabric, which will then be treated in chemicals to get rid of wrinkles. If you need non-iron business shirts, make sure you purchase 100 percent cotton from an esteemed shirt manufacturer.
Overall, it’s going to always be difficult to get away with not ironing, and who wants a shirt with chemicals plastered all over it? Ironing is unfortunately a necessity when it comes to the best quality business shirts, if you’re really not up to it, you may want to consider outsourcing.
What types of business shirts should men own?
When you want to make an impact, you certainly don’t want to make a negative impression. Thus avoid shirts that have bold colors or recognizable patterns; at least interchange them with the basics.
How can your shirt make you look better?
Make sure you dress right for the occasion, as you don’t want to look out of place wearing the wrong kind of clothes for the event. If you have a business shirt with a collar that demands a tie, make sure you wear one. If you’re going to a formal event, use French cuffs and cufflinks. When you’re washing clothes, be sure you wash it in cold water or send it out to be dry cleaned. Men’s business shirts can be dried on low heat. Whatever you do, don’t bleach or starch your shirts, as these can destroy the clothes’ fibers.
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