While constructing smart and casual shirt collection, less is definitely more. In today's post, we are going to discuss what the most popular shirt styles are, and why all distinguished gentleman need to own them.
We have carefully crafted a list of our top 7 must have shirt styles and patterns that are must have style staples. All shirt styles listed are crafted from 100% Cotton and made in the heart of England. While choosing dress shirts it is important to consider durability and quality, especially for business attire.
Cotton is a popular fabric known for its smoothness and allowing the skin to breathe, unlike most synthetic fabrics. Although more expensive than cotton blended shirts, pure cotton will stand the test of time and will be a worthwhile investment.
1. CLASSIC WHITE
First and foremost, it should come as no surprise that the classic white shirt is on the top of our list. In our opinion, the best white dress shirts for business attire should be silky smooth in lustre, ensuring you feel superb while wearing.
White shirts are also the most versatile choice, as it can be worn with any tailoring and is sure to look refined no matter the occasion. The shirt above is complemented by a subtle geometric pattern, left chest pen pocket and stunning white mother of pearl buttons.
If ever there was a shirt to own multiples of, it's the classic white.
2. COLOUR STAPLES
A coloured shirt will enhance both casual and office attire while remaining smart. The most daring colour to choose would of course be pink. Admittedly such a bold colour is not going to be everyone's favoured choice, however here's hoping that we may be able to convince you nevertheless.
Ever so versatile, a classic pink shirt will look fantastic when paired with any tailoring. For a contemporary feel, pair your pink shirt with blue, beige or brown tailoring.
However, if you feel that your complexion doesn’t work well with pink or you simply dislike the colour do not fear. Other coloured shirts such as green or purple & red can be just as complementing. Both colours will also enable you to rejuvenate your office attire.
3. MICRO PRINT PATTERN SHIRTS
To transition between business and leisure with ease, a micro print shirt is key. From a distance this shirt’s pattern will look solid, however up close the visual depth should be impressively eye-catching.
With endless micro-patterned shirt styles available, this is definitely a style that will suit anyone and bring a subtle but versatile finishing touch to distinguished ensembles.
4. BENGAL STRIPES
A striped shirt fabric, even in size and featuring an alternating stripe. Depending on the lustre a striped shirt can look fantastic when paired with a contrasting tie for alternative office wear.
Bengal striped shirts pair well with solid colour suits. For a subtle edge, pair this particular shirt with dark tailoring and a favoured pair of brogues.
5. CHECKED SHIRTS
Here at Robert Old we are proud to offer an array of some of the finest checked long sleeve shirts. Sample a simple check pattern as a simple method to refine casual attire.
Gingham is usually a checked pattern of white and coloured even shapes. The check options available are endless and popular checked shirt styles include, but are not limited to:
Tattersal - Thin, regularly spaced check stripes in alternating colours. The tattersal pattern usually features two colours on a white background.
Windowpane - This style is easily recognised due to it resembling the panes on a window.
Graph Check - Featuring small check patterns that resemble graph paper and notably smaller than the window pane checks.
6. HOUNDSTOOTH PRINT SHIRTS
Also known as dog tooth and puppy tooth (for smaller scale patterns), the hounds tooth shirt is a dual tone pattern, recognised by either broken checks or four pointed shapes.
Commonly you will find this print available in black and white, although other colours can be used, shown in the shirt below.
7. THE PAISLEY PRINT SHIRT
A paisley pattern is an English term for sampling the buta, a Persian motif that resembles a tear drop.
The name derives from the town of Paisley in Scotland, where the paisley designs were produced. The below shirt has been crafted luxuriously soft premium 2ply Swiss cotton and exudes refinement.
As Robert Old's top seven must have dress shirt styles have now been listed, a few final points will be listed, to assist while growing your shirt collection.
THINGS TO CONSIDER WHEN PURCHASING FINE QUALITY SHIRTS
- Stitching – the more stitches a seam has, the more durable it will be.
- Mother of Pearl Buttons – Traditional buttons are made of mother of pearl and are compulsory for a good shirt. This is due to mother of pearl being so hard that they could break the needle of a sewing machine.
- Gusset – A gusset is a triangular piece of material that is added for reinforcement in the corner between the breast and the back of the shirt.
- Sleeve Cloth – On a good shirt, the cloth of the sleeve is pleated several times where it meets the cuff.
FIT
Robert Old provides a vast collection of the best dress shirts in regards to quality. As well as Robert Old's brand of British made gentleman's shirts, which are cut in a classic fit for ultimate comfort, There are also offerings from an array of top designers. These designers offer alternative fits such as slim, which is designed to accentuate the body of its wearer.
It is important that you feel comfortable in the dress shirts you choose, and the fit will ultimately be a deciding factor for this.
CARING FOR YOUR SHIRTS
A well cared for shirt, will be a longer lasting shirt. The best upper causal shirts can be washed many times for around 5-6 years without any special treatment and last. Below however, are some tips on keeping your best dress shirts in a pristine condition.
- Always follow washing instructions found in the label.
- Do not overfill washing machine
- Ironing may be necessary depending on shirts fabric.
- Iron shirts when they are damp.
- Avoid ironing the cuffs and collar on a high setting.
- Always wash with similar colours.
- Turn your shirts inside out before washing.
We hope that you have enjoyed our posts and finding out about our handsome shirts.
