There is no garment in a man’s wardrobe more versatile than a white button-up(or down) shirt. Usually made from cotton, but can be made from polyester or silk, it can fit any occasion in a man’s life. A more casual fabric, with rolled up sleeves, works great for blue-collar work (And indeed, a denim button shirt is what gives “blue collar” its name), or weekend chores, whereas a crisp white shirt with barrel cuffs is the anchor for a white tie party. Most men feel that a T-shirt should be the anchor of their wardrobe, I argue it should be a comfortable button shirt.
Anatomy of a Button Shirt
Pretty much every long-sleeved shirt for sale today is has buttons. First introduced by Brooks Brothers in 1896, it soon became a staple of men’s and women’s wardrobes not long after. The line of buttons, called a placket, is what gives the shirt its name.
Above the placket is a collar, usually a point collar, but occasionally can be a spread, sport, spearpoint, club, eyelet, tab, varsity, or even tunic collar. Most of these aren’t incredibly important, unless you really want to deep dive into fashion, but just know they exist.
Cuffs are the fold of fabric at the end of each sleeve and are usually barrel cuffs, but can also come in French or Single cuffs. 90% of what you buy will have barrel cuffs, which come with a pair of buttons, so you can adjust the fit. French cuffs are much more formal and are used with cuff links, instead of buttons. Single cuffs are something you either already own, or will never need to know about.
The hem of a button shirt is generally pointed to help you tuck it in (and make it easier to wear shirt stays!) or rounded out when its meant to be worn untucked. Yes, this is the entire secret behind Untuckd, I just saved you hundreds of dollars, you’re welcome.
Fabrics to Know
Most button shirts you buy will be made of cotton or polyester or some combination of both. For most of the year, you don’t need to pay much attention to fabric type, but in the extreme heat, you’ll be looking for lighter fabrics and weaves like chambray, linen and seersucker. In the depths of winter, you’ll be looking for duck cloth, heavyweight denims and cottons and flannels.
When to wear a Button Shirt
Always. You should always wear a button shirt. As I write this, I’ve got on a chambray button shirt, it’s 90 degrees outside and I’m comfortable. I’ve worn button shirts when it’s ten degrees below zero and been comfortable and I’ve worn one when its over hundred. Wearing a button shirt properly, tucked in with most of the buttons done up, or all of them if you have neckwear, just makes you look better. Pair it with properly-fitted pants, and you’ve set yourself apart from 95% of men.
