Button Up Your Look With Formal Shirts

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At 'GQ,' we always like to say, ‘Keep it simple,’ and formalwear is a perfect example of this. The clothes should always accentuate the man and not overpower him.

— Justin Doss, fashion editor, "GQ"

Fit is First

Making sure your shirt fits well is perhaps the most important, yet overlooked, step.

On a day when you want to look your best, wearing a formal shirt that looks like it was made just for you is key, even if it means enlisting the help of a tailor, says Emmi Sorokin, men’s image consultant and founder of It’s a Man’s World Image Consulting in Boston.

“It has to have a good fit on the torso. A lot of the time, guys will get clothing they kind of swim in, or they struggle to get the arm length right but the torso won’t fit,” Sorokin explained in an interview.

By all means, you want to avoid the dreaded "poofy middle" look that you see in cash bar lines and on dance floors way too often. An alterations professional can make a shirt you purchased on final clearance look like you spent exponentially more. “It’s not an expensive alteration and it’s worth every penny,” said Sorokin.

“No matter how much or how little you pay for things, they must fit,” said Justin Doss, fashion editor for "GQ" in an interview. “We always encourage men to tailor shirts if they are blousy in the sleeves and sides. No one wants to dance with pirate sleeves.”

Shortening the sleeves or darting in the back of the shirt creates a form more fitting to your physique. A jacket is forgiving of most flaws, but a shirt that is too baggy in the body will puff out in the front under a jacket – not the best look when you're dressing to impress.

“Guys don’t want to get it tailored because they think they’re only wearing this once or twice a year and they don’t want the extra expense,” Sorokin said. “On the contrary, that’s when they want to look their best. You don’t know who you’re going to meet. You don’t want to look schleppy. You want to look like James Bond.”

Quality, Natural Fabrics

There are a lot of options out there, but sticking with as many natural fibers as possible is a safe bet if you want to stay as comfortable as possible.

“Cotton fabrics like pique or Royal Oxford are great for formal attire,” Doss advised.

Overall, cotton's crisp and clean look makes a suit or tux look pulled together, says Tess Loo, chief fashion stylist, Eco-Chic Consignments, a Phoenix-based upscale resale chain. “A cotton-poly blend will not wrinkle as much, but will have a different appearance. There are, of course, other natural choices such as linen, silk, jute, broadcloth, hemp and bamboo.”

Staying away from as many synthetics as possible is a good rule, Sorokin says. “Get a blend with minimal synthetic. Polyester doesn’t let skin breathe.”

Look for a shirt with a finish that guards against wrinkling or stains. For example, a nice cotton shirt with an anti-wrinkle sheen is perfect for the guy who can’t commit to ironing before the event. It also helps minimize creasing that can occur after sitting for a while and wrinkling that forms underneath a jacket.

A shirt with a higher thread count is the mark of a quality piece that's more durable and will likely stand up to the regular rigors of the day.

“One way you can tell if a shirt has a higher thread count is to stick your fingers underneath the opening of the shirt by the buttons,” Sorokin says. “You should not see your fingers.”

Pulling it Together

When in doubt, go with a tried-and-true foundation before building on it with accessories. A white shirt paired with a black jacket and great tie is the classic combo.

“There are many formalwear shirt options in the market, but we at 'GQ' feel you can never go wrong with a dressy white medium spread collar shirt,” Doss says. “Ties always finish off the look, and you should wear black unless the event calls for a different color, like silver or white. We think there is nothing more gentlemanly than a self-tie bow tie, but if that’s not your preference, a silk knit or silk grenadine tie will work.”

There are three basic collar styles that typically show up on dress shirts ranging from the ultra formal to business casual, Loo says. The spread collar works with no less than a full suit or tux and tie, while the more casual oxford button collar is flaunted best under a blazer with khakis. The most versatile point collar can go either way, with or without a tie.

Highbrow events typically require a shirt with well-dressed cuffs. A practical feature designed to protect the fabric from fraying, the easy single-cuff is a safe bet for most formal occasions.

“Shirts with a single cuff are appropriate for a white-tie event or the correct choice for a traditional black-tie event,” said Loo.

Want to raise the level of sophistication? Give a pair of cuff links a try.

“Cuff links should be simple," said Doss. "A gold or silver square, ball or oval will have you ready to go for the event.”

No Jacket, No Problem

If you plan on shedding your jacket for most of the night or want to make a statement by going without one, there are many dress shirt options that can stand on their own and blend with the black-tie crowd halfway through the evening.

A dress shirt should resemble a custom piece and be fitted closer to the body, as opposed to a sports shirt, which can go untucked and sans tie for a more casual look, says Loo. Every man’s wardrobe should have at least two good quality dress shirts -- one white and one blue -- to serve as the staples for most formal and business-casual ensembles. “I like a man in a crisp white T-shirt under some shirts as well," Loo adds. "This adds another layer and in some cases makes the shirt lay nicer.”

Invest in a shirt that you know will look incredible by itself, Sorokin suggests. Avoid wacky designs or anything that resembles club wear. Go for metal collar stays instead of plastic ones, which can bend, warp or loose their form, to ensure your collar stays crisp and in shape. If you’re in a tux, don’t wear a cummerbund; go the silk tie route instead. This way, when you remove your jacket, you don’t look like a guy who’s wearing a partial tux, you look like a guy who’s dressed well.

Whether you are doing the ultra-formal white tie affair or a more casual afternoon wedding reception at the country club, the key is to be comfortable and make sure you are wearing your clothes and not the other way around.

“At GQ, we always like to say, ‘Keep it simple,’ and formalwear is a perfect example of this,” Doss says. “The clothes should always accentuate the man and not overpower him.”

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