Whoever said that women are the only fashion-sensible gender is, unfortunately, sadly mistaken. Men of today are starting to be open with being stylish when it comes to clothes they wear. Fashion has definitely been a part of a gentleman's repertoire as far as impressing other people, especially the ladies. And a staple item among stylish men is the trusted dress shirt. 

Dress shirt, which technically is a shirt with a collar, a full-length opening in the front from the collar to the hem, and sleeves with cuffs, is a fashion staple among men. Worn with a suit and a tie, dress shirts are perfect work attire because of its formal look. However, wearing dress shirts has also been a very popular choice men's wear for going out and doing other activities like partying. 

For these reasons, every man should own at least a couple of dress shirts. This is to give them a sense of style and fashion, at the same time be still comfortable. However, most men just don't know how to pick one. And that is why this article is written to give a detailed list of things every man should consider when buying a dress shirt for themselves. 

Color and Style 

The first thing to consider when buying a dress shirt are the color and style. For more conservative men who wish to use their dress shirt for work and other strict business environment, traditional colors like white and light blue are the way to go. Other colors perfect for a more formal look are solid colors, with no stripes and/or other patterns. Standard collar is also preferred for a more office look. 

But for more adventurous fellows who likes to be more stylish, brighter colors can be considered. Stripes and other patterns can also be part of your shirt design. Spread collars that are wider at the bottom are also great for the more fashionable and younger crowd. 

However, certain occasions usually call for more appropriate color and style. If you are going to a very formal event, stay away from very casual colors and style for the dress shirt. Formal environment calls for more solids and traditional styles. The season should also be considered when figuring out which dress shirts to buy. Pastel and light colors are for summer, and darker tones are for th cooler seasons. Earth colors should also not be worn during hot days as this won't help in cooling you down. 

As far as preferable colors are concern, many fashion experts agree that blue is the perfect tone. It mixes perfectly with everything and is also suitable for every occasion and season. Beige, on the other hand, is a bad color for a dress shirt. This is because it does not look good as it kind of hides the face. Also, though stripes and patterns are starting to be in style, still avoid loud and lousy designs as you don't want to look like the circus. 

Fabric 

There are several options available as far as dress shirt fabric is concerned. Like wool for suits, cotton is the perfect choice when it comes to men's dress shirts. Though it's less durable than most man-made fabrics, cotton dress shirts are the best when it comes to comfort and maintenance. 

Some of the other choices for dress shirt fabrics are the following: 

Oxford. One of the most popular dress shirt fabrics, Oxford is a softer yet heavier cloth with larger weave. Oxford dress shirts, whether all cotton or cotton-blend, are appropriate for business as well as casual wear with its button-down collars. Pinpoint Oxford, also known as pinpoints, is a lighter and smoother kind of this fabric. 

Poplin. Originally a silk blend, poplins today are usually 100% cotton. Smoother than Oxford yet lighter than broadcloth, poplin is the most common fabric used for dress shirts. This type of cloth is very versatile because it varies in weight: summer weights being very light and somewhat translucent, while winter weights are heavier but still very thin compared to other materials. 

Broadcloth. Originally a woven wool, broadcloth is the heaviest among the most common dress shirt fabrics. This cloth can be smooth as poplin or have a twilled to almost ribbed texture. Weights of broadcloth can vary, as well as its weaves and textures. This type of dress short fabric is very durable for casual and formal dress shirts. 

Twill. Heavier than poplin or pinpoints but lighter than broadcloth or Oxford, twill is a dress short fabric with very distinct diagonal weave. All cotton and cotton-blend twill are great for both casual and formal shirts. 

Other dress shirt fabrics for dress shirts include polyester, rayon and Dacron, all considered as man-made fabrics. All of these are very sturdy and very economical, which makes them good for dress shirts. However, dress shirts made from these materials can be uncomfortable to wear because they don't breath as well as the other fabrics. Linen and silk are also sometimes used as fabrics for men's dress shirt. However, they are not advisable to use as they are not as economical and comfortable as the other ones. 

High Quality 

When checking a dress shirt for quality, first thing you should look into is the ply count. A high quality dress shirt should have a two ply count. This information is usually available on the dress shirt label. Be sure to check this. Lesser quality shirts, on the other hand, will have only one ply count with no information about it on the label. Two-ply fabric shirts are stronger, last longer, are softer and more comfortable than one-ply ones. They also have a tendency to wrinkle less than its lesser counterpart. 

Seams should also be checked when buying a dress shirt. High quality dress shirts only have a single line of stitching visible on the seam running down the side of the shirt. Most shirts have two lines of stitching on the side seam. More than this means that the dress shirt is of low quality. 

To ensure even higher quality on a dress shirt, stitching on the buttons should also be checked. In high quality dress shirts, buttons are sewn on with a cross-locked stitch to make it more difficult for them to fall off. 

Perfect Fit 

The most important parts to check to see of you have a perfectly fitting dress shirt are the collar, arms and wrists. 

When the shirt is on, you should be able to put two fingers between your neck and the collar. For a new shirt, the collar should be about half a size bigger than what you need. That is because it takes about nine washings for a dress shirt to shrink to its smaller size. Selecting a small collar will choke you when you try to put it on after it has shrunk to its smallest. 

Shirt sleeves should be long enough so that your arms are fully extended. They should not ride up your wrists. The cuffs should also be tight around your wrists so that they do not slide down your hands when arms are not extended to it full length. If you are able to get your hands through the cuffs without unbuttoning them, then they are too loose. 

While wearing your dress shirt, you should feel comfortable across your entire body. Make sure that it does not get tight on certain parts especially around the shoulders, chest or waist. Buttons should also not be too far apart leaving gaps and exposing your chest and waist. If all of these check out, then you have the perfect dress shirt that fits. 

With so many options available, it is truly hard to find that perfect dress shirt for you. But it is actually easy to do when you know what you're looking for. Basically follow these simple steps to be able to wear that perfect dress shirt that will turn you into a man of style. 

To get that perfect men's dress shirt, visit Modern Tailor today.