Having a wardrobe that will be in style today, tomorrow, and next season is an investment. You want the clothes you buy to still look good long after you’ve bought them. The key here is having your closet stocked with essentials, the pieces that never go out of style. And that’s what I’ll be talking about over these next few weeks and posts.
Each post I will highlight a specific piece that is an essential to every man’s wardrobe. Here and there I’ll drop in a few outfits that you can put together from the previous week’s posts.
First on the list we have the button down Oxford dress shirt. If you don’t have one of these, finish reading this and then go out and buy one. Immediately.
I have here three of my most commonly worn dress shirts. These all work great dressed up or down. They can all be worn with a suit, jeans & a sports coat/vest, or khakis. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves, more on those items and how to pare them coming soon.
First up, plain white. It doesn’t get much more basic than this folks. I don’t remember where I bought this shirt but it’s Geoffrey Bean, and I love it. Don’t go cheap guys; quality will last if proper care is taken. Look for one like this at Macy’s or Nordstrom.
Next is a blue Oxford. I bought this shirt recently at H&M. It’s called something like “The No Iron Dress Shirt” and costs about $15-$20, but I still iron it. It also comes in a variety of colors. I also have a much nicer one that was a Christmas gift from Banana Republic. I love it. Again look for quality. If the shirt feels cheap it is cheap and it won’t last long.
Last we have a patterned shirt from Banana Republic. This one is obviously a nice rich plaid pattern, but you can also look for gingham, striped, and even a very small subtle dot. (I’m talking so small and so subtle that you almost don’t even see it, okay people. No polka dots!)
What to look for:
Again in all shirts, you want quality because these shirts will get a lot of mileage and you want them to last. Look for things like, “100% Oxford Cotton” “Two Ply” & “80 Thread Count Finish”. You want a structured, spread collar that will keep its shape over time. Look for the little plastic insert that keeps your collar from curling under and avoid a button down collar. Button collars are good for a more casual look. It’s important to make sure it fits around your neck. You don’t want to choke yourself, but you don’t want your collar hanging around your neck like a necklace either. Places like Macy’s and Nordstrom will have tailors who can measure your neck and tell you what size you are. Make sure it fits around your torso, and that the arm pits of the shirt are in your arm pits, not 3-5 inches away. Look for “Slim Fit” shirts. Tailors can also bring the shirt in if it’s a big billowy mess around your torso. This can cost about $8-$15 depending on the tailor. (DO NOT go to a dry cleaners to get your shirt tailored, go to an actual tailor)
Lastly, learn how to properly iron your shirt. You won’t want to do this every time you wear it, but when you really want to look sharp ironing your shirt is the way to go. I’ll post again soon with instructions for ironing a dress shirt.
That’s that, people! Tune in next time for more wardrobe essentials.
Chris Stetson
Chris Stetson is a photographer and graphic artist in the Temecula/ San Diego area.
Find him on Twitter @csttsn or visit his blog.
