How it feels: The smooth nylon has just a bit of stretch, so the shirt feels light and sleek against the skin, not cheap or staticky (like some synthetic blends). (For example, theres a Banana Republic logo on a floppy tag on the bottom of the front of the shirt.) Off-the-rack dress shirts might be the easiest option, but bespoke or made-to-measure dress shirts will produce a better, custom fit. That said, youre paying about half the price for the Uniqlo, and its a good-looking shirt, so this may be an acceptable trade-off. Shirts from $99, or bundle 4 shirts for $54.99 each. The shirts availability went in and out of stock as I wrote and reported this guide; otherwise, its a great shirt if you can find it. Our journalists combine independent research with (occasionally) over-the-top testing to save people time, energy and money when making buying decisions. But if youre looking for variety, youll have to go elsewhere. Long-sleeve button-down shirts are usually dressy enough for the office and can be worn with a lightweight summer blazer. It has numeric sizing from 15 inches to 18 inches in the neck, including half-sizes, and from 32 inches to 36 inches in the sleeve. The easiest, and most practical, option for men is to buy a ready to wear dress shirt off-the-rack online or in a brick-and-mortar store. (The others on this short list are.) To get a range of opinions, I sent them to a panel of writers and editors whose opinions I trust. We're sorry, JavaScript is required to shop Kohls.com. Shirts from $99. In addition, not all cotton is bad: Light cotton or soft-washed varieties are cooler and more comfortable in the heat. The thin polyester/cotton blend was reminiscent of my elementary school uniform (and not in a good way). Curiously, the Uniqlo Oxford is offered only in a slim fit, with no regular option. Buttoned Down and Goodthreads are two of Amazons Prime Fashion Brands for men. No. Ive also had a chance to try Black Lapels white twill dress shirt ($139), which is a heavier weight option perfect for fall and winter, that has held up exceptionally well over more than 5 years of wear. I appreciateTie Bars focus on affordable, elevated style for men, and enjoy the ways in which they have sought to innovate over the years. Todd Snyder specializes in collaborations with iconic and innovative brands from Champion to Timex to the Peanuts gang. Men's Croft & Barrow Slim-Fit & Regular-Fit Plaid Woven Flannel Button-Down Shirt, Big & Tall Sonoma Goods For Life Regular-Fit Flannel Button-Down Shirt, Big & Tall Apt. See my interview with founder Tom Patterson for more about Tommy John and why he thinks the right underwear can change your life. Richmond, Virginia-based menswear startup Lebury has to be my favorite destination for off-the-rack dress shirts. Founded by serial British entrepreneur Nicholas Wheeler in 1986, Charles Tyrwhitt is famous for its 4 shirts for $199 deal, which works out to just under $50 per dress shirt. Flaws but not dealbreakers: When we originally published this guide, extended sizes of this pick cost $118 $20 more than the standard-size shirt. Use code SMALLBIZ to get 60% off of your purchase. Still scratching your head about what to buy? Dress shirts start at $29.90 or potentially less on sale. How to improve your shirts sustainability, J.Crew Broken-In Organic Cotton Oxford Shirt, Banana Republic Slim-Fit Non-Iron Dress Shirt, Uniqlo Men Super Non-Iron Slim-Fit Long-Sleeve Shirt, J.Crew Bowery Wrinkle-Free Stretch Cotton Shirt, Brooks Brothers Stretch Madison Relaxed-Fit Dress Shirt, Brooks Brothers Original Polo Button-Down Oxford Regent Shirt, Banana Republic Untucked Standard-Fit Cotton Oxford Shirt, Alex Mill Mill Shirt in Garment Dyed Oxford, Abercrombie & Fitch Linen Button-Up Shirt, Banana Republic Untucked Slim-Fit Linen-Cotton Shirt, Brooks Brothers Regent Regular-Fit Sport Shirt in Irish Linen, Untuckit Wrinkle-Resistant Linen Crianza Shirt, The Mens Travel Clothes I Pack No Matter Where Im Going, Our Favorite Clothes to Wear While Working From Home. Sizes: XS to XXL (the tall fit comes only in sizes M to XL)Fabric: 100% organic cottonFront pocket: yesFit: classic, slim, slim untucked, tall,relaxedNumber of colors: up to 15 (including white, blue, several stripes, plaids). The shirt I tested had a few stray threads sticking out from the seams, but the combed-cotton fabric was thick. Here are great options for dress shirts for men above and beyond the $50 range. How it feels: The fit is more relaxed, and the fabric is substantial, if a little stiffit wears like a shirt that will last a while. At 5-foot-6, theyre often left with too much bulk on dress shirts, which makes tucking unwieldy. To try shirts from both sizing categories, we enlisted a group of five testers: Wired service editor Alan Henry, Wirecutter senior staff writer Kimber Streams, Wirecutter editors Treye Green and Thorin Klosowski, and style writer Justin Krajeski (thats me). There was a significant difference in quality between $20 shirts and those that cost $30. (We tested the Kamakura New York Slim Fit in the dress-shirt category, too, and we encountered these same perks and issues.). The Untuckit Wrinkle-Free Las Cases Shirts wide shoulders looked silly on me, falling way below their natural slope, even after I followed Untuckits instructions to find my correct size. The best custom dress shirts for men: Proper Cloth. The problem with cotton is that it tends to absorb moisture instead of venting it, likely resulting in a pool of sweat underneath your arms. In order to view the gallery, please allow Manage Cookies. For one, Ratio Clothings shirts are ethically-made in Americayet dont cost a fortune. (They also have less-extreme cutaway collars.) Sort By :.css-17f9qbw{font-family:var(--chakra-fonts-base);font-size:var(--chakra-fontSizes-md);font-weight:var(--chakra-fontWeights-normal);color:var(--chakra-colors-txt-primary);}, Hayden Pass 2.0 Long-Sleeve Shirt - Men's, Adventure Performance Button-Up Shirt - Men's, Cathedral Ledge Long-Sleeve Shirt - Men's, La Liste Full-Zip Long-Sleeve Shirt - Men's, Silver Ridge 2.0 Long-Sleeve Shirt - Men's, Short-Sleeve Agave Button Down Shirt - Men's, Silver Ridge 2.0 Plaid Long-Sleeve Shirt - Men's, Solid Texture Short-Sleeve Button-Down Shirt - Men's, Silver Ridge Lite Long-Sleeve Shirt - Men's, Silver Ridge Lite Plaid Long-Sleeve Shirt - Men's, Short-Sleeve Casual Button Down Shirt - Men's, Flare Gun Utility Long-Sleeve Shirt - Men's, Merino Sport Short-Sleeve Button-Up Shirt - Men's. Made with NASA phase change materials, the breathable, wrinkle-resistant shirt is 19 times more breathable than traditional cotton and regulates your core temperature in real-time.. Best known for their undershirts and underwear, Tommy Johns makes stretch performance dress shirts from a ComfortStrength thread fabric of 72% Cotton, 23% Nylon, and 5% Spandex. It feels great with or without an undershirt, he told me. In my first round of testing, I wore each shirt for a few days. Lets start with the size range. Another is the ability to select a specific sleeve length down to the inch (32, 33, 34, etc). Hiking, Backpacking, & Mountaineering Boots, Men's Button-Down Short-Sleeve Shirts (72), Men's Button-Down Long-Sleeve Shirts (41). Shirts from $85. This shirt is well-constructed enough to work into your weekly wardrobe. Nordstrom is my go-to-department store for the digital age. The well-priced Uniqlo Oxford Slim-Fit Long-Sleeve Shirt has sturdy buttons, even seaming, and a universally appealing fit. I brushed up on the difference between button-up shirts and button-down shirts. A button-up shirt may be your closets stealthiest chameleon, equally at home in a blue-chip law firm, at an oonz-oonz dance club, and at a Sunday farmers market. When you buy through our links, we may earn a commission. This shirt was spacious enough for me to easily lift my arms and have a good range of motion, said Treye, who wore a 15 x 32. In our tests, it shrank only half an inch in both body and sleeve length. These offers appear to come-and-go so check out Brooks Brothers website for their latest deals. Kimber Streams, a senior staff writer who is non-binary, enhanced the scope and feel of this guide with their participation. It makes a wide range of performance dress shirts for men that feature a quick dry tech fabric made of an 85% Polyester 85% and 15% Spandex15% blend. The Kirkland Mens Tailored Fit Dress Shirt has a relaxed fit, which most of our testers liked. Tie Bar makes more than just ties. Swap your shorts and sneakers for breezy linen or linen-blend trousersor comfortable, lightweight, and tailored stretch chino pantsthen add suede loafers for a dressy finish. Second, the stock and sizing are both extremely limited. Fabric blends, like a stretchy, breathable combo of polyester and cotton, are a much better bet. Batch specializes in utility shirts. Im 5-foot-11, and a 16 x 33 shirt hit me mid-thigh. Like all linen shirts, this one is meant to wrinkle. Like the Uniqlo Oxford, the Club Monaco linen shirt comes only in a slim fit. The fabric is stiff and doesnt breathe well, Kimber said. Flaws but not dealbreakers: This shirt feels stiff at first, but it softens after repeated wears. Though many people tend to use the terms button-up and button-down interchangeably, a button-down shirt refers to shirts with collars that button down at the corners, typically Oxford shirts. Though both feel tough, the Uniqlo shirt was still stiff, even after weeks of testing and a few washes. A solid dress shirt in tons of sizes: Bonobos Tech Button Down. We independently review everything we recommend. *At the time of publishing, the price was $67. Founded in 2004, the Chicago-based brand carries affordable but stylish clothing and accessories for men, including a nice selection of dress shirts. It looks stylish and tailored, and still holds a tie well. ), The best destination for mens dress shirts: Nordstrom. Please upgrade to one of the following for a smoother, safer shopping experience with us: Enjoy exclusive offers, the latest on products, and new ways to get outdoors. But it is also, in fact, a button-down because its collar is secured by buttons. Well keep an eye on this shirt and report any issues. Many consider it a badge of honor to wear an Oxford for so long that the collar and sleeves begin to fray. It fit me notably well. The Uniqlo Oxford comes in five colors: off-white, gray, yellow, blue, and navy (though these update seasonally). The fabric is light, and one tester thought the stitching felt less sturdy and more likely to loosen over time. *At the time of publishing, the price was $30. Note: In December 2020, Hugh and Crye posted a note indicating that the company is in a holding pattern and figuring out next steps in light of the pandemic. If you dont mind a more-transparent linen shirt, try the J.Crew Baird McNutt Irish Linen Shirt. At first touch, the fabric felt cheap, according to Kimber. Following the trend of a number ofdigital-first brands who have opened physical stores, State and Liberty has opened several brick-and-mortar locations including in Washington, DC. Its dress shirts, like its suits, have a little bit of an edge. I started by researching hundreds of button-up shirts. Im convinced that Charles Tyrwhitt is one of the best dress shirt brands you can buy for under $50. Its weave is more textured than that of cotton, and many people relish how the coarse, breathable fabric feels against their skin. This was my favorite fit out of the Oxfords that I tried, Treye said. Keep this in mind for sizing and when deciding how to clean the Uniqlo shirt. I found the Alex Mill Mill Shirt in Garment Dyed Oxfords long sleeves oddly short. Some may love the pleating along the wrists of the Brooks Brothers Stretch Madison Relaxed-Fit Dress Shirt, but I find the look too stylized to appeal to a wide audience (and I personally dont like it). They rotate oftenthis exact pattern is already sold out. When all else fails, turn your button-up shirt into a paint smock, or upcycle it in other fun ways. Mens Journal has affiliate partnerships so we may receive compensation for some links to products and services. And although the Untuckit is well constructed, the cotton fabric feels scratchy, which is unfortunate for a shirt thats around $100. I recruited panel testers of different sizes to wear each shirt, from S to 3XL. Brooks Brothers has, at times, matched Charles Tyrwhitts offer of 4 dress shirts for $199 or advertised 3 shirts for $149. Are they my favorite? While the trend began with lululemon and similar brands producing workout wear and athleisure clothing, technical fabrics can be found in everything these days. For a slimmer Oxford shirt, the Club Monaco Long Sleeve Oxford Shirt is a great, narrow-fitting option that comes in solid and striped varieties. Their fit system makes it one of the best dress shirts for an athletic build. As with most shirts we tested, with this one various sizes and colors tend to go in and out of stock. We also looked for fabrics that are easy to care for. But they are super-affordable and ship quickly. When picking out a summer button-down, focus on the fabric. It has an unusually cut collar thats flatter, wider, and less pointed than those on the shirts we recommend above. Hes very well versed in carrying. Flaws but not dealbreakers: If you have an especially long torso and plan on wearing the shirt tucked, you might find the Club Monaco Slim Linen Shirt to be too short. Pleaseenable JavaScript in your browser; it's quick and easy! Choose from brands including Alton Lane, Apposta, Blank Label, Deo Veritas (see my interview with founder Vinnie Sikka), Hockerty, Indochino, Knot Standard and Lanieri, an Italian startup that delivers custom suits (and shirts) using premium fabrics. The arms hit at the right length, and there wasnt any extra fabric when it was tucked in. The J.Crew Oxford is made from lightweight, 100% cotton, so its nice for warmer weather or layering under a sweater. If youre worried about sizing issues, test it out in-store, or order a few sizes online and factor in the $7 return shipping fee. A slim, breezy linen shirt: Club Monaco Slim Linen Shirt. The Kirkland Mens Tailored Fit Dress Shirt is made from two-ply 100% cotton, with straight, consistent stitching. Its one of only two shirts we recommend with a high-quality thread shank to secure the buttons and make them easier to fasten. Your current browser is no longer supported on llbean.com. The Brooks Brothers Regent Regular-Fit Sport Shirt in Irish Linen is too expensive to feel this coarse, IMHO. Ledbury is one of my favorite destinations for menswear period. No nipple peeks at all, even without an undershirt, which wasnt the case with a few of the other dress shirts I tested (the horror). A nicely priced Oxford: Uniqlo Oxford Slim-Fit Long-Sleeve Shirt. The Uniqlo shirt is shorter than some button-ups we tried29 inches; this would be tricky only if you prefer a tucked look, or if you have a long torso. Prices range from $69.50 for a Milano slim fit dress shirt to $225 per shirt for the Golden Fleece collection. The cut is generous, ideal for someone with broad shoulders, big arms, and a wide chest. Flaws but not dealbreakers: The J.Crew shirt feels less substantial than other Oxfords we wore. I agreed. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. The well-made Kirkland Mens Tailored Fit Dress Shirt is nicely priced, and its fit is roomy, not slim. The H&M Slim Fit CoolMax Shirt was so synthetic that I found it distracting. Because it is pure cotton, this shirt is not stretchy like the Bonobos shirt (if you favor the give of spandex, this isnt the shirt for you). The shirt fit most of our panelists well in their normal sizes, but the biggest caveat is right there in the name: Slim-Fit. And the shirt has strong buttons and nice, rugged double-stitched seams. Its clear that Uniqlo is definitely made for thinner people, Alan remarked after testing a 3XL, which had a chest measurement of 28 inches. The fabric is totally opaque and feels durable, especially for the price. But when in doubt, go classic and casual. Here are several options for custom-made dress shirts: Jacob Wood makes perfect fitting clothing easy with his stylish mens online custom clothing brand Woodies. Most importantly, Woodies nailed my fit the first time around via an extremely easy and quick intake process. The J.Crew Broken-In Cotton Oxford Shirt is constructed from a pre-laundred, ultra-soft cotton. Since they come in a variety of colors and prints, button-down shirts give you the chance to incorporate some pattern into your shirts rotation, which is always a solid style move. After getting a sense of the feel, I eliminated ones with thin- or starchy-feeling fabric, transparent fabric, ragged stitching and frayed seams, or flimsy buttons and irregular button holes. Flaws but not dealbreakers: Although the Uniqlos fabric is generally comfortable, we preferred the more expensive J.Crew Oxford. Named after the Rhone River in Europe, Rhone specializes in clothing made from performance fabrics. But when I did get my hands on one that fit, it was pleasantly unstarchy. Like the H&M Regular Fit Linen Shirt, the Abercrombie & Fitch Linen Button-Up Shirt (now sold out) is super-rumpled to start, with lots of loose threads along the seams. (Take a look inside the Suit Supply in DCs Georgetown neighborhood to get a glimpse of their made to measure lab.). Our testers loved the inclusive sizing of the Bonobos Tech Button Down shirt. In general, that wasnt something that irked our testersor something they even noticedexcept when it came to length. And it comes in a wide range of colors and sizes, more than for any other shirt we tested. 9 Seriously Soft Plaid Regular-Fit Stretch Flannel Button-Down Shirt, Big & Tall Croft & Barrow Classic-Fit Flannel Button-Down Shirt, Big & Tall Eddie Bauer Everyday Flex Flannel Regular-Fit Plaid Button-Down Shirt, Men's Sonoma Goods For Life Flannel Woven Button-Down Shirt, Men's FLX Dynamic Stretch Button-Down Shirt, Men's Hurley Hooded Button-Down Plaid Shirt, Big & Tall Eddie Bauer FreeDry Mountain Button-Down Shirt, Big & Tall Eddie Bauer Classic-Fit Guide Shirt, Men's Apt. I tested the navy and was surprised at how polished, sleek, and expensive it felt, especially for something costing $30. Hugh and Crye is running a clearance on all in-stock styles. The brand describes the linen as lightweight. Every button-up shirt will eventually reach the end of its lifetime in your closet, but the better you take care of it, the longer it will last. You can also elongate a shirts life by washing in cold water and ironing on low heat (when necessary). If the thought of wearing button-down shirts in the sizzling summer heat makes you cringe, then keep readingbecause were about to change that mindset. The extended-size range goes from 2XL to 4XL and is currently offered in standard and prominent fit. In really muggy weather, or whenever you think you might get sweaty, you want to avoid attire thats made with 100-percent cotton. *At the time of publishing, the price was $100. Honestly, Im about to go buy more of these shirts, Alan wrote. Fabric: We tested shirts in several different types of fabric. And the design allows for micro sleeve adjustments, thanks to the two buttons on the wrists. Nordstrom also carries a number of other fresh, stylish mens clothing brands, making a great one-stop-shop for refreshing your wardrobe. Some of our panelists thought that the cotton weave was rough and itchy, especially compared with the feel of the Bonobos shirt. Both of Amazons house brands offer button-down dress shirts for men, including Buttoned Downs supima cotton non-iron dress shirt and Goodthreads The Perfect Oxford Shirt.. My favorite Brand is Panache Bespoke Mens Dress shirts its so luxury brand. The Kamakura Tokyo Slim Fit is a really special Oxford shirt, with clean construction and beautifully tight stitching. The length of the sleeves and the width of the collar is perfect. After it was machine-washed and -dried, this shirt shrank an inch in body length. But this undeniable utility can make choosing a button-up overwhelming, especially since you can spend upwards of $300 on a bespoke version or just $10 for one from a mass retailer. Lets start with the chart below, which compares the cheapest, best dress shirts for men: Since its not practical (for most of us anyway) to buy a closet-full of expensive dress shirts, I wanted to break out a separate category of affordable dress shirts under $50. Whether it's finding great products or discovering helpful advice, we'll help you get it right (the first time). With Tie Bars 3 for $140 deal, their stylish shirts are affordable, clocking in at around $47 each. For example, Im a medium and also a 16 x 33 (which represents neck circumference and sleeve length in inches). Shirts from $195 (potentially less when on sale). FREE SHIPPING with $50 Purchase - or - FREE with the L.L.Bean Mastercard Details. Unlike some synthetic blends we tried, this fabric didnt feel slippery or overly thin; it didnt feel like the kind of fabric you should be very careful wearing around a fire pit. The standard-size shirts range from XS to XXL and can also be fitted for chest and shoulder measurements (tailored, slim, standard, or athletic) and shirt body length (regular, short, or long). I particularly loved the stylish details, like the white shell buttons (on the white shirt I tried). Today, based in Long Island, Ricardo Goldschmidt, Harry Cedarbaum, Asher Weinberger and Eli Blumstein run the business that stemmed from a shirting business founded by Goldschmidts great-grandfather. Tester fit: I wore classic M, Alan wore classic XXL, Kimber wore classic S, and Treye and Thorin both wore slim S. Why its great: If youre looking for a well-fitting, breathable Oxford that comes in a ton of cuts and colors, our panelists agree that the J.Crew Broken-In Organic Cotton Oxford Shirt is your best bet. But no matter a shirts composition, we insisted the fabric felt comfortable against the skin, and that it was durable and opaque enough that it didnt require an undershirt. Some feature flash patterns, colors or cutaway collars (some feature all three). Look for classic chino shorts with a seven- or nine-inch inseam (so they hit above the knee) and pair them with a button-down and white canvas sneakers for a laid-back look. But this style comes in many other colors and patterns. As such, dress shirts are not technically button-downs, though both dress shirts and Oxfords are button-ups (meaning they fasten at the center with buttons). Uniqlo makes super-cheap dress shirts for men. Let me know in the comments. Menswear shops with a brick and mortar presence including Brooks Brothers, Ledbury and Suit Supply also cut made-to-measure shirts. But that shouldnt be a problem since dress shirts are meant to be worn tucked inthe longer the shirt, the less opportunity it has to come untucked. The brainchild of a group of students at MIT, Ministry of Supply uses space-age materials (like the kind that regulate astronauts body temperature) in its line of performance professional button-down dress shirts.