A tailored dress shirt is an important part of any formal wear for men. You may buy shirt piece with an attractive design/pattern but that does not mean the shirt will look on you. There are several other factors that go into the making of a good shirt. Here are some important features you should look for.
Buttons
Do you know buttons are distinctive features of a shirt? A good dress shirt will have buttons running from the collar up to the waist. Every tailored shirt should have at least seven buttons irrespective of the size. Some high-end readymade shirts have eight buttons but seven buttons is a standard. Often, you will find some stylish shirts having more buttons on the cuffs and collars, they are sewed there for style and many times it is not due to requirement or functionality.
Collars
Every dress shirt is incomplete without a collar and there are many collar designs to choose from. For example, the Windsor collar type spreads wide at the edges. It is named after the Duke of Windsor. The Narrow collar like its name has very narrow spread between the collar edges. The Tony collar, a highly formal collar covers the knot of the tie and also your neck. Some collars have buttons that allow you to button them to the shirt; they are called “Button-down collars”.
Cuffs
Cuffs are sections of the dress shirt which cover wrists. They are second in line of importance after cuffs. There are two types of cuffs- the French cuff and the barrel cuff. In the French cuff style, the edges of the cuffs are pulled towards the outer side and linked. In the Barrel cuff style, the sides of the cuff overlap and there is one button to keep the sides overlapped over each other.
Placket
The placket is related to the buttons of the dress shirt. It refers to the strip that runs down from the collar to the waist and looks prominent on every dress shirt. The button holes are sewn on the placket. The placket is sewn finely and the tailor makes every attempt to make it unnoticeable. However, there are different variations of placket and in some cases, they are designed and sewn in a way to make them noticeable.
Pleats
Pleats are not universal features of a dress shirt but the majority of the dress shirts have them. It refers to the part of the dress shirt where the fabric is folded back over itself. Pleats are generally found on the mid-section of the back side of the shirt. But there are several variations in pleats and you may find them on either side of the shirt.
Pleats are not limited to the back side of the shirt and you can find them on sleeves just above the cuffs.
Pockets
Pockets though a common feature found in dress shirts, it is not universal. Some formal shirts do not have pockets at all. The pocket is generally sewn on the left side of the short. Occasionally, you may find pockets with a cover flap or a buttoned shut.
Next time you go to buy shirt piece or a ready-made shirt, don’t forget the important features of the shirt that are equally important as the fabric.
If you want to buy shirts online, the author of this article suggests Raymond Next.
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