Style Tips: Men's Button Down Shirts
Over the past generation, men's button down shirts have gone from an occasional clothing option to catch-all safety net. Whether it is dinner out with friends, a Tuesday morning meeting,...
Over the past generation, men's button down shirts have gone from an occasional clothing option to catch-all safety net. Whether it is dinner out with friends, a Tuesday morning meeting, or grocery shopping on Saturday afternoon, what was once a staple of the office has made the full transition to regular daily wear.
Finding Your Fit
But there a few details which the average man seems to be glossing over when it comes to wearing these new staples of style. First, there is the matter of fit. Having been raised in a department store generation, many men do not remember the days of tailored clothing, and now that men's button down shirts have come back into the main focus of style, fewer men are paying attention to the all-important details.
Look for a button down shirt which fits snugly at the shoulders and contours the body without hugging it. The secret is to complement your body’s natural shape, and since every man is different, this might take some work. Be prepared to spend some time shopping, and by all means, never be afraid to ask for help. Just like purchasing a vehicle from a dealership, there is a reason retailers spend so much time and effort training their stylists and tailors.
Shirt Tails
Second, watch your tail. It may seem as if all men's button down shirts are created equal, but the dawning of a new era of style has brought with it a type of shirt which is specifically designed to be left untucked. If this is your style, purchase the right shirt for the job. Simply leaving a regular dress shirt untucked can easily make the top half of your lower body simply disappear, leaving you with a significantly shorter appearance…or worse, looking like a seventeen year-old hipster girl in skinny jeans and an ironically over-sized top.
And remember, the same holds true in reverse; never try to tuck in a shirt that doesn’t have enough fabric to make it past your belt loops. You’ll look like a person trying to tuck in a shirt that is too short…mainly because that is exactly what you will be.
The resurgence of the button-down is a return to traditional masculinity which is both welcomed and embraced…as long as it can be worn tastefully.
