Let’s face it, gents, there’s nothing better than wearing a fitted shirt for that classy event and feeling top dollar, However, if you’re not well-versed in the art of fitting a shirt – you’ll have a difficult job. To get you started on finding a shirt, we’ve compiled a guide that will tell you where you’re going wrong. If you can head to your tailor with a shirt and tell them exactly what you need to do, you’ll save everyone some time.
Collar
Starting at the top, the collar is designed to frame your face. When you’re trying on shirts, you need to focus on the collar and ensure it fits – if you get this wrong, your lavish shirt can wind up looking like it came off a market stall. Here’s how you can tell it fits right:
- Loose collar – You’ll know when the collar is too loose because it won’t even touch your neck. You will be able to fit almost a full hand between your neck and the collar. A loose collar will make you look lazy.
- Tight Collar – If the collar is pinching your neck at the bottom, you’ve got it too tight. With a collar that’s too tight, you won’t be able to pull it away from your neck without stretching the fabric.
- Perfect – No pinching, touching the neck, alongside slipping two fingers around the collar at any point. If this is what you’ve got, you’re spot on.
Shoulder
On the shoulders of a shirt, there are shoulder points that are used to ensure it fits properly. If your shirt is too tight then the shoulder points will be rising towards your neck – too loose and they will slip down the arm towards your elbow.
To get the shoulder points just right, the shoulder points need to sit perfectly on the line where your shoulder meets your arm. Further, you need to make sure you have a full range of movement – if not then consider a size larger.
Torso
The torso is an important part of the shirt and the part that shapes your body. If the torso is too tight you will notice straight away – because you won’t be able to do the buttons up without straining. This unnecessary straining will put pressure on the shoulders and sleeves. If you have a loosely fitted torso, you will spot excess fabric hanging around your waist.
When your shirt is fitted just right, you will button up with ease. Further, when you tuck the shirt in, you won’t find yourself with a muffin top. Sometimes, you may struggle to get the correct torso size due to a condition called gynecomastia – which is a breast growth around the nipple. To combat this, you can get a breast reduction for men that will leave you looking slick.
Sleeve Length
When your sleeves are fitting correctly, they will be well-fitted at the cuff and looser at the shoulder end. Across the middle, there will be a couple of inches of slack to offer a range of movement. If there is too much fabric on the arm the shirt will naturally fold.
Cuffs
You should be able to put on the shirt without unbuttoning the cuff or struggling. For best practice, you should wear a watch and measure the cuffs based on that measurement. Your cuffs need to be fitted closely whilst leaving room between your wrist and the fabric. Once your cuff fits, wear a stylish cufflink.
Looking stylish in a shirt takes skill and patience to get right. Sometimes, you might not be able to get the perfect fit due to body imbalances. In this case, head over to a tailor.