Types of Dress Shirts for Men - Casual to Formal
Like there must be a little black dress in every woman's wardrobe, there must be a dress shirt in the man's wardrobe.
It is an essential part of the outfit for special events like weddings and important meetings where the man represents himself for the first time.
Whether that would be an interview or a first date, the dress shirts are a universal part of the look for different occasions.
Surprising to some of the men, the dress shirts vary in design and application. Depending on your personal style and taste, as well as on the event you are attending, there are five main types of dress shirts - from casual to extremely formal.
Need some help to easily recognize which type of shirt you need for tomorrow's interview?
Check our brief bit very helpful guide through the varieties of men's dress shirts.
Men's Utility Dress Shirt
The utility type of dress shirt has the ability to upgrade the casual look. It is very comfortable for wearing and easy to maintain.
This dress shirt is the perfect balance between too casual and too formal so when you are not sure how formal the event you are attending would be, just go for the utility dress shirt.
Your look will be neat and elegant but keeping the casual vibe. This dress shirt combines well with denim and formal trousers.
They can be tucked or untucked. To make sure that you always have the best utility dress available, supply your wardrobe with one white, one black and one navy dress shirt.
Men's Casual Dress Shirt
As the name of this type of dress shirt hints, it doesn't give you a too formal look but still is very elegant and ensuring a tailored fit.
It can be easily dressed up or down and worn with trousers and leather shoes at night or joggers and tennis shoes during a walkout in the day.
The casual dress shirt should be breathable and lightweight and of course, the fabric should not allow seeing through.
Band Collar Shirt
The band collar shirt is only a pinch more formal than the casual dress shirt. Its collar design makes it very fashionable and makes the man wearing it very attractive.
Being a twist of the classic style of the dress shirts, the band collar shirt is perfect for official and non-official occasions depending on what you will pair it with.
Canvas, cotton, poplin and oxford are among the wide variety of fabrics you can choose your band collar shirt from.
Another option you can select your dress shirt from is the number of pockets. Wear the dress shirt buttoned all way up or open over a T-shirt for a more casual look.
Business Casual Dress Shirt
The business casual dress shirt is the best outfit for the working days, providing you with an elegant look with no compromise to comfort.
When shopping your collection of business casual dress shirts, consider the following important characteristics that will make maintenance easy:
- The fabric should not be prone to wrinkles after washing and during wearing
- The hidden-button spread collar lets you wear it two ways
- Try the dress shirt out before paying for it to make sure that it fits you well
- Watch for details like back neck detail and buttons type "mother of pearl"
- Consider equipping your wardrobe with business casual dress shirts in the basic colors.
After work is over, you don't need to get changed, just untuck the dress shirt for a more casual look and head to your meeting with friends.
Formal Dress Shirt
The tuxedo shirt, also known as a formal dress shirt usually pairs with formal suits and tuxedos.
This type of dress shirt is the most formal one. It is always tucked in and cannot be worn casually. It is worn rarely, mostly on very formal occasions like weddings.
To feel and look good in such a dress shirt, it should be perfectly tailored. To be always prepared for special occasions, make sure that you have one or two of the formal dress shirts in your wardrobe.
