I have a collection of nice formal shirts, unfortunately at the moment there's only one in there that fits. Since I have a second interview today I went on autopilot into Marks and bought a nice crisp, white cotton shirt. Thirty quid. Job done.
Two of the same grudges that I've been harbouring for years:
1) solve the plastic crisis overnight - buy unpacked shirts. Are we as men so soft in the head that we can't envision what a buttoned-up work shirt looks like without half a kilo of cardboard and plastic stiffeners? At least they've stopped strategically hiding pins in them I suppose.
2) I'm six feet, reasonably slim, wear a 16 1/2" collar. According to ye olde shirt sizing algorithm, I should have a 40" waist, a chest like a gorilla, and arms that end somewhere near my ankles.
Well that feels better anyway
Comments
I have broad shoulders and every off the peg shirt is a huge tent of a thing around the waist.
Find yourself a tailor and either have your shirts custom made, or buy off the leg and have them taken in.
Budget for £100-150 per shirt.
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Football is rubbish.
OTOH I think it's easier to get oversquare trousers from M&S (ie bore aka waist > stroke aka leg) ...
Seriously: If you value it, take/fetch it yourself
Any shop that is worth its salt will allow you to try on sample shirts in the various sizes and fits. I have large shoulders and a tiny waist (29") so have to compromise similarly on what will fit. Ie it doesn't fit anywhere, but almost fits one way or another for each bit (collar too small, waist too big etc). On average my size seems to be 15.5" collar, but usually I can't properly do it up yet the belly and waist area is billowing. If I need to be able to do the collar up and I can't hide it with the tie, I'd buy a size up but get a fitted one, or even a "muscle" fit. I'm hilariously un-muscley by the way but they fit the shoulders.
On the flipside, often a size down of "regular" fit is also adequate, if you don't need to button up the top.
Don't be fooled by the name Slim Fit, it's not necessarily made for slim people it's the shirt that is slimmer (left to right, not the belly billow)
PS budget £100 per shirt?! That would be at least £1000 a year for me on shirts (I tend to have 10 at a time, ie two weeks worth, replace once a year), with a budget of £100 for a shirt I don't imagine it's difficult to get one. It's a bit like saying "My Fiat is a bit slow, I should get a Ferrari!"
I've got three Tyrwhitt and two TM Lewin waiting to be opened though so will be interesting to see which last longer. Had Tyrwhitt ones in the past which were lovely with very soft material but unfortunately they were a bit flashy and I looked like I was going to a wedding rather than sat in an office. These ones are just plain so hopefully should be more appropriate!
I recently had an interview, wore my favourite grandad shirt. 2 of the 3 guys who interviewed me weren't wearing ties.
best interview I had was with a bloke wearing a ripped faded red t shirt, scruffy white trainers, faded jeans with his knees poking through, and looking like he hadn't shaved for 4 days. at the time I wasn't wearing a tie either but I felt well toshed up compared to him. decided he could have been the kind of bloke I didn't mind working for.
Seriously: If you value it, take/fetch it yourself
Yep.
I have a 15.5 inch collar for which the standard block measurement is around 40 inch on the waist, which is fucking ridiculous, unless you're fat. Also they never fit properly on the cuffs.
I don't think people understand how a shirt should fit properly (same as a suit) until they've had one made for them. Problem is that once you do it's difficult to go back. Can be an expensive business.
Not sure why you're receiving LOL's for a perfectly sensible answer.
I can't help about the shape I'm in, I can't sing I ain't pretty and my legs are thin
But don't ask me what I think of you, I might not give the answer that you want me to
Seriously: If you value it, take/fetch it yourself
I don't normally need formal shirts so for something like a funeral or job interview I have a couple of old faithfuls that I put with the fit for a day which depends on how fat I currently am.
It's still a perfectly sensible answer. The OP didn't mention a budget. Just that he wants a shirt that fits properly.
Unless you're a really weird shape, you won't fit an OTP shirt.
The value is actually really good with tailored clothing. Cost of labour is actually quite cheap compared to most industries. It's just the time that it takes to properly make something that raises the price.
The killer with most shirt makers is that they will have a minimum order of 5-6 shirts, so it is quite a big outlay initially.
I can't help about the shape I'm in, I can't sing I ain't pretty and my legs are thin
But don't ask me what I think of you, I might not give the answer that you want me to
Another fan of CT Shirts here.
I have the benifit of a 19.5" collar size, I have reasonably large shoulders but suprising not that much of a beer gut (still fat though innit). So Off the peg shirts in my collar size are a) not stocked, b) too short and won't stay tucked in, c) Made by a tent maker and of epic proportions.
I recently took youngest lad into Cambridge to fit him out with decent shoes and shirt. CT shirts came up trumps with 5 shirts for £135. Since they actually had them that fitted me I had four for work and son had one. Beat the crap out of the shirt I bought at M&S earlier this year in a bit of a hurry, and cheaper too!
People here will happily spend £5k on a guitar but £150 for a shirt seems excessive.
Typical musicians, basically....
Studio: https://www.voltperoctave.com
Music: https://www.euclideancircuits.com
Me: https://www.jamesrichmond.com
Football is rubbish.
Stupid iPad.
Studio: https://www.voltperoctave.com
Music: https://www.euclideancircuits.com
Me: https://www.jamesrichmond.com
Football is rubbish.