The shirt is, as is well known, a gentleman’s calling card.
These days the shirt is drawing ever more attention, since the tie is more often stepping into the background. Now more attention should be paid to the shirt, since it can no longer be hidden.
It is easy to conceal a shirt when a tie is tied over it. If the collar is too narrow — that is, not tall enough — then the shirt can be held in place by the tie and no longer slip beneath the jacket collar.
For it is important that at the nape the collar stands 1 cm above the jacket collar. Equally important is the button placket. If you do not wear a tie, the buttons come into view — and plastic buttons are distinguishable from fine mother-of-pearl buttons at a glance by the connoisseur.
Since we are now no longer trying to hide anything, let us look at the shirt in practice and
discuss its individual parts and how they should properly be worn.
The collar
We start at the collar. The correct height is a first hallmark of a well-cut shirt, and should be at least 4 cm tall. Measured at the back of the collar (see illustration).
The ideal point length should be around 7 cm, so that it does not disappear beneath the jacket. With the heights and lengths mentioned, the collar looks flattering.
Here, however, the individual person and their own body measurements should also be taken into account. The longer the neck, the taller and longer the collar should be.
Tip: You will recognise the right collar size when you close the shirt and
there is still room for two fingers. If it is too tight, it will be painful when
a tie is added. If it is too large, it will appear embarrassing rather than comfortable. Even
without a tie, worn open, a collar that is too large is noticeable.
The shoulder
The correct shoulder width ends where the shoulder itself ends. The sleeve seam should be neither too low nor too high. If it is too low, you will have too much fabric under the arm and it will “bunch” beneath the jacket. If the seam is too high — that is, the shoulders too narrow — it becomes uncomfortable and restricts your freedom of movement.
The body
The body, as it is called, is the main part of the shirt and determines whether it is comfortable to wear or not. For many years now, men have been talking about slim-fit shirts, since a gentleman generally likes to appear slender and modern. Yes, it is true that the days of the wide shirt are over.
But caution is called for here, as “slim fit” can quickly backfire. Slim fit standing up is not necessarily slim fit sitting down. If there is a hint of a belly, then when seated you will find yourself short of breath rather than looking modern. In both cases the necessary freedom must be present.
Tip: The shirt should not pull either sitting or standing, and should not be too loose either. The correct width is something your tailor should be able to calculate for you.
The bespoke shirt is the right solution, especially if you have broad shoulders and a narrow waist.
The sleeves
Sleeve width is just as important as body width. Too much fabric under the jacket is uncomfortable, and so are sleeves that are too tight. The middle ground is therefore always the right solution.
Sleeve length
The correct length is responsible, among other things, for both comfort and appearance. If the sleeve is too short, your freedom of movement is reduced when you stretch your arms forward. If the sleeves are too long, not only the cuff but part of the sleeve itself will emerge from beneath the jacket sleeve.
Tip: You will recognise the correct length by opening the cuff, letting the arm hang down and seeing whether the edge of the cuff reaches the middle of the back of the hand. When closed, the cuff should emerge about 1 cm from beneath the jacket sleeve.
The cuffs
Here it depends on the width of the cuff. If the cuff is too tight, you will find it uncomfortable to wear. If the cuff is too loose, the sleeve slips too far over the hand and looks unkempt. With a bespoke shirt the width of the cuff is also determined. The left cuff is given more room so that the watch fits underneath — provided the size of the watch is within the normal range.
Tip: The cuff is at the correct width when, once closed, there is comfortable room for two fingers.
Shirt length
We are forever seeing people wearing short shirts over their trousers. But it must be said quite clearly that it is an absolute no-go to wear a shirt untucked beneath a jacket — it has no place in the business wardrobe. On holiday you may wear a linen shirt over your bermudas, but for everyday business it is out of the question.
Tip: The shirt length is correct when it covers the seat. Then you can be sure that the shirt will not slip out of your trousers when you move.
Even though the shirt is a garment that is changed daily, it should be regarded as a full-fledged item of clothing and chosen accordingly. It no longer counts as mere underclothing, as was once the case 40 years ago.
Further reading
https://ziadelachi.ch/jetzt-gehts-an-ihren-kragen/
https://ziadelachi.ch/masshemd-video/