Dress Shirt Essentials

Shopping for a new big and tall dress shirt can be more complicated than you’d think. From the multitude of patterns, colours and styles, to the cuffs, collars and cuts, it’s easy to become overwhelmed when browsing the latest collections. But wait; don’t go running for the door just yet. The following are a few tips and pointers that will help even the most fashionable-challenged fella find the perfect fitting big and tall dress shirt.

Find Your Fit

The most important thing to consider when shopping for a new shirt is the size. Forget about medium, large, and extra large. Dress shirts are designed based on two standard measurements – the length of your arm and the girth of your neck. If you don’t know these measurements already, drop by Big and Tall London’s Menswear. Brad, Dave or Ed will be happy to help you out. Keep this number in your wallet or memorize it – it will be your ticket to a stylish future.

Grab Things by the Collar

The purpose of a shirt collar is it help balance and frame a man’s face. The collar also plays an important role in determining the formality and use of the big and tall shirt. Here’s a quick look at some popular collar styles:

Point collars: The most common style of collar seen in North America is the traditional point collar. Nearly 95% of off-the-rack big and tall dress shirts come in this style. This style of collar is cut so that the points of the collar are relatively close together and the collar angle is at or less than 60 degrees.
Spread Collars: Spread or “cutaway” collars reveal more of the upper area of the shirt. Typically, these collars are cut at angles that are greater than 90 degrees.
Button-down Collars: This style of big and tall dress shirt has a narrow collar with buttonholes on the points to fasten it to the body of the shirt. Never wear the collar unbuttoned – that’s just bad fashion sense.

As a general rule of thumb, narrow faces should choose collars that are wider to help broader their faces. Wider faces should choose collars that are narrower in order to lengthen their faces.

To Tie or Not to Tie

Whether you choose to wear a tie with your big and tall dress shirt depends mostly on the situation. You wouldn’t wear a tie to a friend’s house for dinner, but you would wear one to an important meeting. If you’re thinking of ditching your tie for a more relaxed look, Big and Tall London’s Menswear recommends opting for a button-down dress shirt. The style of the button-down collar makes them more casual and the visual of an open collared button-down just looks natural. Point collars and spread collars can also be worn without a tie, but often with unsatisfactory results. Some men simply don’t feel right in a dress shirt without a tie, and if you’re lacking in the comfort department, chances are you’ll be lacking in confidence too. Always remember to choose the big and tall shirt that works best for your comfort and style level. If you do choose a tie, remember that striped ties are classic and conservative. Solid ties are generally more formal. The colour or pattern of you tie should closely complement your shirt.

Big and Tall Dress Shirt Trends - Spring and Summer 2010

Keep your look up-to-date this season with a patterned dress shirt. Stripes are especially popular for spring and summer (this is great news for bigger guys – vertical stripes help elongate the torso, making you look longer and leaner!). Textures are also trending this season; we recommend looking for big and tall dress shirts with subtle herringbone weaves.

Looking good in a dress shirt doesn’t have to be hard. Now that you know your stuff, check out the latest big and tall dress shirt styles at Big and Tall London’s Menswear.

Photo credit: imelenchon from morguefile.com.