How to choose a shirt for a suit

The choice of a shirt for a business suit is a delicate matter, not limited only to the correct selection of a shade of color. It is important to consider the shirt model, fabric quality, color and pattern. It is extremely important and correctly choose the size and length of the sleeve. So, how to choose a shirt for a suit so that all these parameters are met and do not contradict each other?

When choosing a shirt for a suit, you need to clearly understand that the actual shirt in this case will not work. According to classical norms, it is customary to wear a men's shirt under a business jacket or suit. The differences between these two wardrobe items are significant. The shirt can be:

from any fabric (denim, knitwear, cotton, linen, synthetics);
with long or short sleeves, with or without cuffs;
designed to be worn loose (in this case, there are small cuts on the sides, often rounded);
with a large print that looks chic on its own, without any additions in the form of a jacket or cardigan;
almost always has pockets on the chest (such a shirt is not worn under a suit).

In other words, a men's shirt is an independent item of a basic wardrobe, which is usually worn both on its own and “in company” with sweaters, jackets, cardigans, vests, etc.

A shirt is a more dependent and unified item, subject to standard rules and reduced to a single pattern. A shirt is always a pair of k, i.e. under the suit you need to wear a shirt.

It is sewn according to a certain pattern, therefore it differs in such features:

always has long sleeves;
sewn from cotton fabric (it is possible to add linen, silk or synthetic fibers), which allows a man to feel comfortable in a suit;
has a stiff, heavily starched collar;
does not have pockets on the chest, as in a regular shirt;
has a decent enough length so as not to ride up from under the trousers when a man crouches or bends over.

Common Mistakes

The very first and main mistake of many men is that they wear a shirt under a business jacket (suit), and not a shirt. This indicates that the man does not understand this issue.
The second mistake concerns the collar. As it was said, the shirt has a hard collar. The tougher it is, the more formal the style. If, for example, you need to appear at some official celebration in a black formal suit or even a tailcoat, then the collar of a snow-white shirt in this case should just practically stand with a stake. It should be very starched, not sag, not wrinkled and serve as a harmonious frame for a tie or bow tie.
A softer version is suitable for a light (summer) linen suit, which in itself does not look particularly strict. For a casual suit, you should choose something in between the first and second options.
Another common mistake is that some men wear a shirt on their naked body. Remember: a classic thin shirt under a classic suit is always worn only with a certain type of underwear - a white T-shirt! Black can be worn under a black shirt.
There should not be any T-shirts under the shirt, but the nipples that show through the thin cotton fabric are completely superfluous, overly sexy for strict classics “accessory”.
It is not uncommon for some gentlemen to confuse styles. For example, they put on a sports shirt under a classic jacket or, conversely, wear a strict white shirt with a hard collar along with jeans. These are stylistic errors!
Another mistake concerns the materials from which these clothes are sewn. Some men do not know how to choose a shirt fabric that is suitable for wearing under a classic jacket / suit. What should be the fabric, consider further.

The right shirt fabric

When choosing a shirt for a suit, you can not stop at knitwear or synthetics! Fabric made of artificial threads looks too cheap and unworthy of a high classic style. A knitted shirt will look absolutely ridiculous with a classic suit.

The “correct” shirt for a suit is only made of natural high-quality cotton. The content of linen or silk is allowed.

The material from which the shirt is made under the suit must be 100% natural. A very small percentage of synthetic fibers is allowed (no more than 5%). Thanks to these impurities, the shirt will wrinkle much less when worn.

The weaving of the fibers should be smooth, dense, fine-meshed. For men's shirts, some types of weaving threads are specially used, which form a smooth fabric structure. This is poplin, cotton twill, heringbon.

For each suit, it is desirable to choose at least 3 shirts that will blend perfectly with it. And one more recommendation: to look at 100, you need to buy very high quality, ideally expensive shirts. Cheap fabric greatly spoils the appearance of the entire ensemble and reduces the cost of the look of the costume.

How to choose a shirt for a suit by color and pattern

The strictest rules concern the selection of a shirt for a jacket by color. There are strict standards for the compatibility of colors and their shades, violating which can greatly spoil the whole image. So, here are the main shades that combine well with each other:

A white classic shirt is a universal classic, suitable for a suit of any color, and not just classics (black and blue).
A blue or lilac shirt will suit black, blue and gray suits.
A pink shirt will look good with a black, gray or brown jacket.
Yellow looks good with black, gray, brown and beige suits. It is not recommended to combine a yellow shirt and a blue jacket. It looks too simple and cheap.
An ivory shirt is perfect for a suit in black, gray, brown and beige.
A gray shirt requires monochrome sets - a black or gray jacket.
Purple is suitable for such colors of the jacket: black, gray, blue and blue.

Since black and blue suits are the most popular colors, many men are wondering what kind of shirts they should be combined with. Any shade of shirt will suit the black top of the suit. If you chose a blue jacket, you can choose white, blue, lilac or purple shirts for it.

If the suit is not plain, but has a light stripe or a cage, it is worth picking up a plain shirt in the same color as the strip (cage). The main rule of compatibility says: the shirt should be several tones lighter than the jacket in color, and the tie should be several tones darker than it.

There are exceptions when dark shirts look good with light suits and ties. But to correctly assemble such a combination, you need to have a lot of experience. If a man is not well enough versed in this area, it is better to stick to the classical canons.

Combinations of plain suits and shirts with small prints (polka dots, flowers, coats of arms, rhombuses, etc.) look good. If the jacket is not plain, but also has its own pattern, it is important to choose a shirt with a smaller print than his. By no means the other way around!

Prints also need to be combined in a certain way. It is best to combine the same type of drawings: a strip - with a strip, a cell - with a cell. A report, or repetition of elements of a pattern, should be more often on a shirt than on a jacket.

Size, cut and good fit

In order for the shirt to fit well and be worn for a long time, it is important to choose the right size. The main criterion in this matter is the collar. It should be tight enough, but not too tight around the neck. Tight, because the collar is worn buttoned up and with a tie. And not too tight, because after washing the fabric can simply sit down and it will be simply impossible to wear such a shirt.

Attention! The ideal distance between the collar and the neck of a man is 1-1.5 cm.

Sleeve cuffs should not be completely hidden under jacket sleeves. If they are fastened with buttons, then the edge of the cuff should look out from under it by 1 cm, if on cufflinks, then by 2 cm.

It is also important to choose the right shirt length. The lower edge of her shelves should cover the buttocks, otherwise the shirt will straighten out of the trousers during movement. This gives the impression of slovenliness and comedy. You do not want to look like a clown in the eyes of others.

According to the type of cut, men's shirts are straight (classic), fitted and semi-fitted. If a man is overweight, he should not buy fitted / semi-fitted models. A straight silhouette is ideal.

It is also important to choose the right shirt size. It should sit fairly loose on the torso without looking a few sizes too big. The shoulder seam on the sleeve should be located exactly along the line of the end of the shoulder, in the middle of the shoulder joint. The cuff on the sleeve must cover the wrist.

Where could I buy

Whatever shirt a man is wearing, it should suit him according to the color type. This applies to the combination of fabric color and skin tone: the color of the shirt should not make the face paler than it actually is. When shopping, always try on the shirt in front of a mirror!
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There are many rules for choosing a shirt for a suit, but this does not mean that it is very difficult to follow them. It is based on the elementary laws of logic. If you carefully analyze the rules we have listed, this becomes quite clear. Nothing is impossible if you want to look stylish.

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