Friday, January 4, 2008

Collar Considerations when Purchasing a Shirt

Whether choosing to purchase either a custom made shirt (also called bespoke shirt) or an off the rack version, consider more than the color or weave. A good shirt will not only fit you properly but also flatter your body style. Image conscious men select shirts that enhance their physique. Choose the collar that fits your face is like selecting the best frame for the picture.
What to consider with collars

Band Height – How high the collar goes up the neck. Men with longer necks should consider collars with taller band height. Shorter necked men should select shorter band heights.

Tie Space – how close the top edges of the collar are when the top button is closed. Men with rounder or wider faces should select shirts with narrow tie spaces.

Tie Spread – the distance between collar points

Point Length – the length of the collar tips

Saturday, December 29, 2007

Matching Ties to Shirts

Image conscience men must adhere to standards when putting together the right business image. One simple method to ensure this is to correctly match your tie with the right shirt - not just matching the colors. Today’s men are exploring a variety of patterns with their shirts which requires matching patterns in addition to the color. Here are some basic rules.

Traditional Shirts
Solid white, pale blue and light gray dress shirts are standards of a business wardrobe; they're accepted in just about any environment and dress code, and offer a crisp, classic look. They're also very versatile as you can match them easily with most ties. This is a must have for a conservative business environment.

Plaid, Striped and Checkered Shirts
As a general rule, you can wear a striped shirt with a striped tie as long as the stripes aren't identical in size.

Make sure at least one color in your tie matches either your suit, shirt, or your belt and shoes.

Avoid wearing a striped shirt with a striped tie and a pinstriped suit. Matching three similar patterns together is rarely a winning combination

Micro-check Shirt

As a general rule, you can wear a micro-check shirt with a micro-check patterned tie, so long as the patterns aren't identical in size.

Make sure at least one color in your tie matches either your suit, shirt, or your belt and shoes.

Avoid pairing three similar -- in this case, micro-check -- patterns; in other words, don't wear a micro-check suit with a micro-check tie and shirt.