Mens Formal Shirts - Collars Never Fit

bret69

I've tried on shirts in so many stores trying to find the right fit but all shirts that fit me properly on the neck are WAY too big for me in the body.

Similarly, those shirts that fit me well in the body are way too small in the neck.

I need to have my top button closed as I wear a tie for work.

Has anybody found any solutions to this problem?

shinikins

bret69 wrote: »

I've tried on shirts in so many stores trying to find the right fit but all shirts that fit me properly on the neck are WAY too big for me in the body.

Similarly, those shirts that fit me well in the body are way too small in the neck.

I need to have my top button closed as I wear a tie for work.

Has anybody found any solutions to this problem?

You need to specifically look for a fitted shirt. Mens shirts are sold in classic fit and fitted, sounds like you are only trying the classic. Also, generally speaking they are sold folded and in packets that are not allowed to be opened to try on, so have you been looking at off the rack, casual shirts? They tend not to be as good fit as they are designed to be worn open collared rather than with a tie. Have a look in the formal shirt sections of M&S, Debenhams and Next, they will all have a good selection of fitted formal shirts.

Ebbs

Slim fit shirts are available in most good brands, M&S even do many of their styles in Slim Fit. You wont find most brands doing very big ranges of them but if fitted shirts dont work for you than try looking for slim fitted.

bret69

shinikins wrote: »

You need to specifically look for a fitted shirt. Mens shirts are sold in classic fit and fitted, sounds like you are only trying the classic. Also, generally speaking they are sold folded and in packets that are not allowed to be opened to try on, so have you been looking at off the rack, casual shirts? They tend not to be as good fit as they are designed to be worn open collared rather than with a tie. Have a look in the formal shirt sections of M&S, Debenhams and Next, they will all have a good selection of fitted formal shirts.

Thanks for the response but the ones I've been trying are fitted and they fit me excellently. The trouble is when I close the top button, it's way too tight.

Also yeah I'm not trying on casual shirts. They are formal ones but places like Arnotts, Zara, Ted Baker (formal range) etc all allow you to try them on.

Would you really buy a shirt without being allowed to try it on first?

baby and crumble

You're probably going to have to get your shirts tailored. You'll need to buy the one that fits right at the neck and get them taken in in the body and sleeves. Might add €10 to the cost of your shirt, but it's worth it if you're uncomfortable or not happy with the way shirts currently fit on you.

bret69

Yeah that's what I have been doing. Problem is it's always €20 plus...so it adds considerable cost to the shirt!

baby and crumble

Yeah, bit of a pain alright. Try H&M, apparently their shirts are very slim fitting, so you might get lucky?

Pandoras Twist

Go into T.M Lewins on South Anne Street. They should be able to sort you out and they do good sales. Great store.

MickeyD

Same problem here, standard shirts are just way too baggy. Try Pink on dawson street, they have a decent range of slim and super slim fits and they're pretty helpful. Pricey enough though!

dingbat

How to buy a shirt that fits.

Tip #1: if the collar doesn’t fit, the shirt doesn’t fit. This is the single most important point to take away from this entire article. Almost anything else in a shirt can be altered, but the collar is to the shirt as the shoulders are to a suit – they are what they are and no amount of tailoring or self-delusion will change that fact. So, make sure the collar fits.

But how do you really know when it fits?

The first thing that one should know, and they rarely offer this information in the shop, is that a shirt collar will always, ALWAYS, shrink by at least 1/4 of an inch after a few washes. The result of this is that if the collar fits perfectly when tried on in the shop, it is likely that in just a couple of weeks it will have started to feel restrictive.

A simple trick: when trying on a shirt in the shop, close the top button. There should be enough space to be able to insert two fingertips between the collar and neck. This will be enough room to allow for shrinkage while still allowing man to breathe with the top button neatly closed while wearing a tie.

Sadly it is not that salespeople are trying to pull a fast one in order to sell more linen to the working male, rather it is that many of them are blissfully unaware of this simple, yet crucial, piece of knowledge.

Tip #2: The shirt cuff should sit at the base of the thumb. Shirt sleeves that are too short make the wearer look like an overgrown schoolboy; too long and the wearer might be accused of borrowing his father’s clothing. Luckily, If sleeves are too long they can be easily shortened by a tailor.

Tip #3: Most English shirts are made with a very full cut (i.e. tentlike), in contrast to the more slim cut which is deemed more fashionable among younger gents. However, unless the shirt is needed for immediate wear restricting one’s choice to “slim-fit” shirts is not a priority. Any tailor can take in the body of a shirt very easily, as little or as much as one might require. So long as the shirt’s front and tails are long enough to fit comfortably into one’s trousers without fear of them pulling loose over the day, that’s good enough.

http://www.halcyonmag.com/2011/05/26/halcyon-basics-a-shirt-that-fits/