How to Get the Best Tuxedo Shirt
A dinner suit, or tuxedo, is the gentleman’s evening uniform of choice, appropriate for any occasion designated as black tie, black tie optional or simply as formal. When going to a formal affair, however, it is easy to get lost in the crowd, as a good dinner suit consists of some very basic elements that should be classic, traditional and uniform. What makes them stand apart is attention to detail. A well fitting suit, as opposed to one bought from the second-hand rack at the rental store, is an excellent start. Addd a set of exceptional cufflinks, perhaps family heirlooms or a set from a good jewelry store, as opposed to the peeling “gold” finished set that you got for the prom. Perhaps most importantly, a really well made and correctly fitting formal shirt is key to the dinner ensemble. The great thing about the formal shirt is that, even in a sea of single-button shawl collared dinner jackets, the shirt is the one place where a certain degree of individuality is acceptable. Does this Spark an idea?
Other People Are Reading
Instructions
-
-
1
Decide what look you wish to accomplish in the shirt. There are several classic styles of formal shirt, all of which are very traditional. You may opt for a plain front, a pleated front or, most formally, a piqué front shirt. Also, you may choose a stud closure front, a button front or a fly front, concealing the buttons. If you are going for a button front shirt, which, contrary to what the salesmen in the mall tuxedo rental shop will tell you, is very traditional, you may opt for button cuffs or French cuffs and links. Stud and fly fronts invariably employ French cuffs and cufflinks.
-
2
Choose your source for the shirt. Because you want the formal shirt to fit correctly, you may wish to avoid ready-made Internet vendors. Many rental shops will offer one or two designs of decent, traditional formal shirts, but shop carefully, as a formal shirt should absolutely not be “trendy” in design. Better than a formal wear shop, try better quality men’s stores and higher-end department stores in your area. A national name that carries excellent off-the-rack formal shirts is Nordstrom. If you are in an area that has a Brooks Brothers, they also offer good quality formal shirts.
-
-
3
Consider a custom-made shirt. A well made shirt is one luxury that is easy to afford and gives great returns on the initial investment, in the form of feeling like a million bucks when you are wearing it. Most people only need one and a really convincing shirt can salvage an otherwise mediocre tuxedo. Most major cities have a custom shirt maker in town, and now there are many excellent shirt makers on the Internet as well. Some offer a few fabrics and some have catalogs containing hundreds of choices. Prices range from around seventy-five dollars to several hundred to over a thousand dollars, depending mostly upon the fabric quality you select and the location of the manufacturer. Parisian-made shirts have great reputations, but they do not come at bargain prices. Great quality shirts may be had from Southeast Asia for very modest prices.
-
4
Get your shirt. Whether you choose a great quality off-the-rack option, a modest custom made shirt or a premier quality shirt from Paris, worthy of Beau Brummell himself, a traditional formal shirt will make you look and feel great.
-
1
Tips & Warnings
When ordering a shirt from a custom shirt maker via the Internet, be scrupulous about your measurements. You may absolutely know, based on years of experience, that you wear a 16 1/2 inch collar, but the tape measure may state otherwise. Trust the tape! Additionally, do not try to measure yourself. You should be standing in a straight posture, looking straight ahead with your arms relaxed at your sides while someone else takes the measurements. The shirt maker will be working exclusively off of the measurements that you provide--if you measure your arms an inch too long, you will get a shirt that will look like Dr. Seuss made it for you, losing all the benefit of a custom made shirt.
