High-quality dress shirts are not necessarily expensive. One just needs to know what to look for in a shirt and where to buy from. For example, Alara is a brand that is built around the idea that quality shirts should be affordable to anyone. They have 25 years of experience manufacturing shirts for different brands, but now they have decided to offer a collection of great shirts at very affordable prices. They offer all types of shirts: from casual shirts to formal ones and even sport shirts, for guys who like to keep it relaxed. This is exactly what we like about them and want you to know as well, that an expensive piece of clothing is not necessarily a high-quality one.
A shirt needs to fit you properly and to feel good and this is what this guide will cover. Having a well-made, long-lasting shirt is one of the basics of building blocks of a wardrobe and we are going to discuss it in detail in the following paragraphs.
Fabric & stitching
The fabric
The fabric from which a clothing piece is designed is always very important. The reason it is so important is because different fabrics act and feel in different ways. Natural fabrics feel a lot better than synthetic fibers and allow your skin to breathe, while synthetic fibers are quite bad for you. The way you feel in your shirt also has an impact on your attitude and mood. Wearing a bad shirt might make you feel so uncomfortable that you become frustrated and angry for apparently no reason. For the best experiences and results, you should always stick to natural fabrics.
Usually, cotton tends to be the most preferred choice. It is very durable, breathable and quite easy to care for. A good shirt will use two-fold, also called twisted cotton, which is a fabric that will keep its shape and last for a long time. The cotton used for a shirt should always have a silk-like feel. The collar and the cuffs should have 100% cotton lining. Basically, you should not find any polyester in any parts of your shirt. The reason this is important is because this way, should your shirt shrink (which it might, so always take this factor into consideration), the shirt will keep its proportions. In case certain parts of a shirt are made from synthetic fibers and others from natural fibers, the natural ones will shrink while the synthetic ones will keep their size, making the piece become disproportionate and weird.
Another fabric used by shirt makers is Egyptian cotton. This is a more special type of cotton. Being grown in only a few places in the world, it has an extra-long staple which means that it has longer fibers. A shirt made from this kind of fabric will be silkier and more durable.
An Egyptian cotton shirt by Alara
There are a lot of other fabrics used for shirts as well, for example silk for dress shirts. Whatever you decide, make sure that it is natural and strong; always stay away from synthetic shirts.
Single-Ply vs. Two-ply fabrics
A quality shirt is made from a two-ply fabric and not from a single-ply one. Dress shirts made from two-ply fabrics are softer and stronger. Two-fold cotton is created by twisting two yarns of cotton together instead of one, resulting in a stronger base for the fabric. Two-ply cotton shirts look better, the stripes or checks are clearer and the colors don’t wash out easily.
The seam
The way a shirt is stitched and seamed is also very important. When you are purchasing a new shirt, you should make sure that you inspect the seam running down the side of the shirt. If the shirt is of a good quality, you will only find one line of stitching visible. Many shirts however, have two rows of stitches.
Cuffs, collars and sleeves
Also, you should inspect the shirt sleeve just a few inches above the cuff, at the gauntlet button which closes up the sleeve. A good shirt usually has a gauntlet button and a horizontal buttonhole. The stitching of the buttonhole should always be of high quality and mother of pearl (nacre) buttons are always a great choice.
Collars and cuffs should preferably be non-fused. Fused collars are those where the lining is attached to the fabric with a membrane of glue and then heat is sealed so that the layers stick together. When you wash your shirt, the detergent can damage the glue, resulting in a bubbly aspect that can’t be fixed. This is why you should always opt for non-fused collars and cuffs.
Choosing this type, they will have a better shape, they will feel softer and the fabric won’t bubble over time. The best place to check for the quality of the stitching of a shirt is the collar. The stitching should be even and tight. Anything different than this is an indicator of a bad shirt.
If you are wearing a double cuff shirt, the cuff should be bucket or tulip shaped for the cuffs to sit correctly. What this means is that the outside edge of the cuff should be cut slightly wider than the inside one, which is attached to the shirt. This way, when your cuff is turned back, it will cover the underneath. Should the cuff be cut square, it won’t look as good.
The patterns
If you are wearing a patterned shirt, you should make sure that the stripes or the checks are aligned at the seams.
Striped shirts by Alara made from Italian fabrics
The buttons
A very important detail you should pay attention to are the buttons. It’s often the case that a shirt loses its buttons only after a few weeks, which is why you should always inspect the way the buttons are stitched. The technique that stops buttons from falling is called lockstitching. Instead of chain-stitching, what this technique does is that it loops together two threads and knots them. To examine this, you can look at the reverse of the button. If you see two very shirt tails, you will know that it has been stitched with lockstitching. If you only see one, it means that the stitch is of poorer quality.
The yoke
The yoke refers to the panel of fabric found at the back of your collar. At times, it is made from a single piece, but a high quality shirt will have it made from two pieces. Quality shirts will always have a split back yoke. The difference in the way a one-piece yoke fits compared to a two-yoke piece is very big.
Labels
The label found inside a shirt is very important, even though it is a detail many men never take into consideration. Bad-quality shirts usually have laser-cut labels. These are scratchy on the skin and feel uncomfortable. It’s very bad to feel irritated at the back of your neck, which is why we recommend woven-edge labels or any kind of label that does make its presence known too much. A label should always be discreet.
Fit
When it comes to fit, you should know that a well-fitted shirt is always the rule. Many men however don’t know what it means for a shirt to fit well. Basically, you want it to touch your body, but not to be too tight on it. For example, you should be able to slide three or two fingers between your neck and collar. Many men wear loose shirts, but those are way too big and never look OK. You will be doing yourself a big favor stylewise if you choose to wear a more fitted shirt.
To learn all about how a shirt should fit, you can read our article we wrote on this topic.
Furthermore, remember that a tailor can work miracles with your shirt, so if you have a body that does not dress well in standard sizes, you should definitely buy your clothes in a bigger size and have them tailored.
Additional tips
As most shirts shrink upon washing, especially those made from natural fibers, you can select a size that allows you just a little more room when you try it on. This way, you will make sure that it will be a good fit later.
A quality shirt is basically a shirt a man can rely on! Don’t forget, you don’t need to have many shirts in your closet, but you should have at least two or three for each type of setting. Two shirts for casual settings, two for formal ones and so on. Remember that shirts made from finer fabrics are always reserved for formal occasions. Also, a dress shirt should have no pockets, unless it is a utilitarian shirt.
The rest is up to you: the color should express yourself and go great with the rest of the outfit, the type of cuff, the type of collar and all the other details are to be decided by you! Remember that you are the one in control of your style and we want you to break the rules, but before you can break them, you must know them!
These tips apply for any type of shirt, any preference, any budget and any man! Use them next time you go shopping and you will improve the quality of your wardrobe by a lot!
Fraquoh and Franchomme
P.S. What details are you looking for when you are choosing a shirt? What type of shirt do you prefer? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
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