You probably have more than one Men’s Dress Shirt in your closet, but how many of them make you look really good and how many do you hang back up as soon as you put it on because it just doesn’t look the way you want it to?
It is that piece of clothing that can make you look elegant instantly and that has become a legend thanks to all those movie scenes in which, after a lucky encounter, the protagonists go home together and she ends up dressed only in a shirt while trying to find coffee in the kitchen.
And in case you’re not a movie fan and none of those scenes come to mind, a 2006 survey found that 22.6% of women said the average man is instantly sexier (and that they consider him a good guy), (candidate to have sex) when he wears a perfect dress shirt (which does not necessarily refer to face, do not be confused).
If you walk through any office, you will see tens, hundreds and thousands of men wearing a classic dress shirt (after all, the garment is synonymous with elegance and professionalism), but you will also see that some men look better than others with his shirt and that the cut, the color and the material are key points in that sense, and you will realize that you have to learn to take advantage of them to achieve the ideal look.
You can look as sexy as Hugh Jackman or as terrible as Donald Trump in a shirt, it all depends on you paying attention to a few basic rules (and avoiding rookie mistakes) that fashion experts have established over the years.
You don’t need to spend thousands of dollars to change your entire closet with each season, you just have to be a little smarter when buying, and keep in mind these 6 basic rules.
Yes, white and blue are basic and they look good on everyone, but you should choose a tone that helps create a good contrast with your skin and hair, to avoid appearing pale or the same color as your clothes. The exact shade will help brighten your face or bring out the color of your eyes.
If you are very white and have dark (high contrast) hair, then you need richer, fuller colors. Men with medium contrast, tanned with dark hair need medium colors such as olive green, men with low contrast, fair skin and light hair need less intense tones, such as pastels or off white and men with dark skin looks best with high contrast.
Shirt sleeves should never cover your hands, it makes you look like a kid who went into his dad’s or older brother’s closet and dressed up in their clothes. If you want an elegant and sophisticated look, then you must take care that the garment fits you well.
Slim, relaxed or classic cut? There are different shirt cuts and these are also the key to seeing you better. If you are wider, then a slim fit can look too tight, and if you are skinny a relaxed fit can be too big, so find the best one for your body. Always avoid the fabric that looks stretched or too tight on you.
Do you want to always look good? You should know that there is nothing more attractive than a perfectly clean and bright white or light blue shirt. Versatile colors are also the easiest to combine and will look good with any type of garment or pattern. These are the colors that will prevent you from blinding someone with so much brightness and extravagance.
As a general rule of thumb, a more textured shirt is going to be less formal than a plain one, so if you’re going to a formal event, it’s best to leave the corduroy, flannel, or overly detailed shirts at home, so you can be manly and best dressed without trying too hard.
It may not seem important to you, but it is. Do you want an example? One of the sexiest looks that exist is to wear a blue suit with a white shirt with a classic pointed collar but without a tie. Some collars have a tie and some don’t (like the Mao), and you have to understand that if you want to look really good.
The dress shirt goes inside the pants, so you must take care that it is perfectly tucked in at all times, preferably in a style that prevents it from looking too bulky or excess fabric from accumulating inside the pants.