Men’s Custom – Made Shirts: 5 Highly Helpful Tips before Buying

The deeper you understand, the more you discover and the better you look afterward. That’s the Menswear segment.

Yes, it’s definitely true. People often have a misconception about the size and depth of the menswear segment. Even if a single aspect of men’s clothing (say, Shirt)is taken into consideration, we could uncover numerous amount of insights that could help us in making effective buying decisions as well as in looking spectacular every day.

We feel obliged to present to you the five most important yet the most helpful tips men need to know before buying a custom-made dress shirt. We’re very certain that all these tips will benefit you in making effective buying decisions.

The top 5 highly helpful tips before buying a custom-made dress shirt are:-

1. The Perfect Fit

The first and the foremost tip that we would like you to understand is that how important is the fitting of the shirt. It is considered to be one of the most relevant aspects of menswear and we would urge you to consider this before buying any custom-made shirt. In order to have a perfect look, you definitely require a perfect fit that is tailored according to your physique, and also, make sure that the fitting isn’t too tight or too loose, especially from your shoulder points, sleeves, and buttons area. Because even after the custom-fit, if your fitting is not coming perfect, it will not give you an elegant look.

Apart from this, you should consider two more small tips which are, knowing your measurements (i.e. having an idea about your neck size, arm length, chest size, and waist size.), and knowing your body type (i.e. whether you’re a tall, medium or short height person and whether you’re a big-size, skinny or muscular person).

These small tips will assist you additionally in getting my perfect fit shirt for yourselves.

2. Fabric Type

Once you understand how important the perfect fit is for you, you should consider the next important aspect and that is which fabric type to choose from. In order to make this buying decision effortless yet effective, you should first understand your requirements and then the purpose of buying.

You can opt for different fabric types and since every fabric has its own properties, the choice can be made accordingly. Some of the most common ones you’ll find in the market are:-

1. Cotton: Cotton is one of the most popular fabrics when it comes to custom-made shirts since it helps regulate your body temperature, which makes it suitable for year-round wear. Also, these shirts are breathable and comfortable, making them a good choice for those with sensitive skin.
2. Linen: Linen is slightly expensive than cotton, but is still a good investment for those who prefer shirts that are lightweight and gives a breezy feel to them. It also evaporates sweat much more quickly, making it comfortable to wear even in very humid countries.
3. Silk: Silk is another fabric type that you can opt for if you’re looking for a shirt with a natural sheen and luxurious touch. Even in a plain white shirt, the effect will be subtle yet eye-catching for all.
4. Cotton-Synthetic Blend: Apart from these, you can have a blend of fabrics (like cotton-synthetic) that will benefit you with the properties of both. Cotton-synthetic blend adds strength and resistance to an overall shirt cloth.

Also, with the available fabric types, you can opt for a particular weave type such as plain weave, twill weave, basket weave, etc.

3. Collar Type

There are numerous collar types & styles in the market right now from spread collars, to cutaways, to button-down, to the really pointy forward point, the choices can become overwhelming.

Some of the collar types you will find in the market right now are:-

1. Classic/Point Collars: These are suited for formal wear clothing, with the collar’s angle being less than 90° and which works great with neckties.
2. Spread Collars: These are also suited for formal wear clothing, but with collar’s angle being more than 90° and which work great with large neckties.
3. Button-Down Collars: These are more suited for casual wear clothing, which holds the collar points through the buttons.
4. Hidden Button-Down Collars: These are suited for classy casual wear clothing, which holds the collar pints through the buttons (similar to button-down collars), except that behind the shirt point, there’s a small loop sewn on for buttoning. 

No matter which collar type you choose from, you should also consider one more important aspect and that is the collar should be stiff enough to hold itself well, while not looking flappy at all. For making it a high-quality collar, you can always opt for collar stays (whether plastic or metal) that will help in maintaining the structure of the collars throughout.

4. Cuff Type

Shirt Cuffs are a small yet important part of a gentleman’s ensemble. It should always be made sure that the cuffs are of good quality and are well pressed in appearance.

With a variety of cuff types available in the market, you can always choose a specific cuff type having specific properties that distinguish one from another. Some of these popular cuff types are:-

1. One-Button Cuff: This is a classic wardrobe staple that features a single button and sharp right angle corner, making it a default for most business and casual shirts.
2. Two-Button Cuff: This type of cuff is commonly seen in off-the-rack shirts, and features a double button with its corners being square, mitred or rounded.
3. Rounded Cuff: This type adds a level of formality to your shirt, with the outside corner of the cuff being rounded to a gentle arc.
4. French Cuff: This is a formal choice, perfect for dress shirts and to complement a dinner suit. Since it is twice the length of a regular cuff, it is folded back and fastened with cufflinks in order to create a distinctive and distinguished appearance.

5. Pocket & Placket Type

The types of pocket, as well as placket, are two aspects, which shouldn’t be ignored. Both of these aspects have a distinctive role to play, which can change the look of the shirt and also, your overall look.

In terms of Pockets, you can opt for one of the types:-

1. No Pockets: This is the most appropriate type of formal or dress shirts nowadays, as it portrays a more formal look to the shirt.
2. One Pocket: This type has been in the market for a long time and is believed to be used in formal or semi-formal shirts. Depending on the other aspects (say, fabric or fit), the overall perspective of the shirt changes between formal and semi-formal looks.
3. Two Pockets: This type surely gives a casual feel to the shirt and you would never find it in a formal or dress shirt. Also, adding flaps to the pockets makes it look more casual.

Whereas, In term of Plackets, you can opt for one of these types:

1. Standard Placket: This type is a visible placket, which is found mostly on everyday dress shirts and casual shirts. The shirt fabric is folded back over the front and stitched to create a visible strip of raised fabric, though sometimes an extra strip of fabric is attached instead of just folding.
2. French Placket: This type of placket is also known as the No Front placket since the material of the shirt is folded towards the underside. And since they are present underside, no stitches are visible towards the front, making it a clean and plain front that fits perfectly with the modern man’s needs.
3. Concealed Placket: This type of placket is used for the shirts which are worn with the tuxedos alongside a silk bow tie for formal events. As the name suggests, here the buttons are hidden behind the front centre of the shirt, through an extra layer that is folded and stitched like a flap. By opting for this type of placket, it gives a sleek and sophisticated appearance to you.

We hope you find this all relevant and thus, will surely benefit you all in understanding fashion from a broader point of view.

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