Shirt Options

Wednesday, September 5, 2012

Shirt Options

BLUE

Everything goes with a blue shirt. When white seems too stark, sub in one in any shade-from powdery to bright.

CHECKS

There's no better way to breathe life into a gray suit than with a gingham shirt-even a black-and white one does the job.

STRIPED OXFORD

The striped oxford is an all American classic. You can pair it with jeans or khakis-tie optional and feel free to roll up the sleeves.

CONTRAST COLLAR

The contrast collar isn't just for bankers. Worn with a dark suit, the distinguished shirt works for any dressed-up event

MILITARY

Shirts with military detailing have a structured elegance that make them slightly more dressy than the average button-down. Wear one out to dinner, without a tie .

VARIEGATED STRIPES

This suave, Italian-style pattern is better suited for evenings out than boardroom meetings. 

Just keep the number of undone buttons to a minimum.

GRAY

The gray shirt is an underrated alternative to blue and white. In fact, a dove-colored one is an even better complement to navy suits.

PLAID

The associations with grunge and golf have been vanquished. The new breed of plaid  shirt looks well with suits and ties or just tucked into trousers.

PENCIL STRIPES

The pencil-stripe shirt adds dimension to a suit-and-tie without overwhelming it. Just make sure the stripes are slender and the colors are coordinated.

BAND COLLAR

The band-collar shirt had a bad moment during the days of Miami Vice. It's now made a comeback as a worthy alternative to the oxford.

FLORAL PRINT

It takes moxie to pull off a flowerprint shirt. The very confident can wear oversize, brightly coloredstyles; the rest of us should go for something more understated .