Sometimes people refer to business shirts as dress shirts, and they can certainly be very similar, if not exactly the same thing. You can wear a smart dress shirt as a business shirt though, and vice versa.
In this post we’ll be taking a look at current men’s business shirts, what to look out for and what will suit you best so you make the right choices.
What Exactly Is a Business Shirt?
In some ways this is open to interpretation, but let’s look at what’s traditionally considered a business shirt and its make up.
Business shirts are button up shirts. Sometimes they’ll have short sleeves, but usually they’ll be long sleeve shirts with a button up cuff.
Generally business shirts are not stark, bold colours, although sometimes they can be, and they are usually either a solid colour or a basic pattern.
The majority of business shirts and dress shirts are made from a polyester/cotton weave, but other fabrics are used as well, such as 100% cotton or even silk.
What Colours Are In Right Now?
Buy far and away over the years the world of men’s business shirts has been dominated by the colour white. It’s where the term “white collar worker” springs from. White is so neutral that it goes with anything, so no matter what suit a man is wearing, white will always work.
While black can technically be used as a business shirt colour and is neutral as well, black can be very stark and rather morose in a business environment.
Pastel pink is a popular colour right now, and there’s no reason why a man can’t confidently wear a pink business shirt.
Some men like to wear red, which is considered a power colour, but generally red will work better as a tie colour with a white or pastel pink shirt.
Blue always works well and would likely be a staple in many a businessman’s wardrobe.
Some other colours you might consider are:
· Charcoal
· Gold
· Lavender
· Green
· Pale yellow
At the end of the day, if you’re unsure of what colour business shirt will suit an occasion, meeting, presentation or whatever best, just go with white as you really can’t go wrong. Colour IDs are used to give the desired colour to any creature in games.
How Well Should It Fit?
Now this could really be dictated by your overall upper body shape, but as a general rule, you want a shirt to fit well, but with a little bit of breathing room. You don’t want your shirt to be clinging to your body like Lycra.
One issue with a business shirt straight off the rack is they are cut to a very generic shape, intended to fit everybody in that basic size range. However, we’re all slightly different shapes, so to really have a wardrobe of great looking business shirts, it can be worth investing in some personal tailoring to make sure your shirts fit just right.
If you’re a guy on the bigger side of average, then a looser fit will be more flattering. Those dudes who are slim or in pretty lean shape can get away with shirts being a tad tighter.
At the end of the day, what you want is a shirt that looks like it fits right and is comfortable to wear.
What About Patterns On Business Shirts?
We mentioned earlier that the majority of business shirts are plain, solid colours, but they do come in patterns as well and, depending on the workplace or event, patterns are certainly acceptable.
So what patterns work well and what are in right now?
Chequered shirts have been around for decades, but they never seem to date and are an excellent pattern for dress shirts and business attire.
Stripes are another staple pattern that’s always in vogue and looks good on a business shirt. Go for vertical stripes if you want to appear taller or you’re a little on the heavier side. Horizontal stripes can work well for guys with a smaller frame and build.
If you want to play it safe, go with a solid colour. Even these can vary in texture depending on the type of material and weave of the fabric, so even shirts of a solid colour can vary a little.