Initial shirt line-up for a new hire

A friend of the family is excited about the new job he's starting with your firm this summer, and wants to make sure he shows up looking like a member of the team. He asks you,"What are the first six shirts I should buy, so that I can make it through the week?"

What mix of color/patterns? (solids, checks, stripes)
What collars? (spread, button down, cutaway)
Any specific brands to shop/avoid?

 
Best Response

My recommendation (a.k.a. safe bet):

  • 10 shirts instead of 5-6 in case you cannot make it to the cleaners/ have to skip laundry
  • White and variations of light blue, discrete stripes and checks work fine
  • Moderate spread collars and point collars are the easiest to wear, with or without tie
  • The Charles Tyrwhitt non-iron extra slim is a solid bet, especially the 5-shirt deal; other brands that pop up include Brooks Brothers, TM Lewin, JoS A Bank
  • Additional advice: get shirts tailored to fit if they need it - fit is what matters most
 

You're absolutely right that fit is immediately noticeable, which is part of the challenge: CT extra slim may be perfect for a marathon runner, but way too tight through the chest for a rower.

In terms of collars, do you actually see a lot of point collars on young guys? The market has shifted strongly to spread, particularly with senior finance executives. https://www.wardrobeessentialist.com/post/dress-for-the-setting-meeting…

 
WardrobeEssentialist:
CT extra slim may be perfect for a marathon runner, but way too tight through the chest for a rower.

You're right, but I think they would also fit "regular Joes" who work out moderately. They will certainly not fit wider upper-body types.

WardrobeEssentialist:
In terms of collars, do you actually see a lot of point collars on young guys? The market has shifted strongly to spread, particularly with senior finance executives.

I tend to not see buttons and interpret button-downs as point collars from a distance, so I am biased, but I still see a decent representation of such collars in more conservative settings. More than cutaways, for example.

 

Twillory does orders of 4 or more for ballpark $54 each, no shipping or tax. Better than tyrwhitt and brooks brothers for my money. Cuffs in particular are way better. The standard CTs have vertical cuff buttons as opposed to horizontal, so if you have narrower arms you cant make the sleeves actually fit you properly - they look loose and oversized. Get 6 white twilllory and 4 blue

 

If cost is no object, and your not the "body double" of the guy the brands use to cut their patterns, T&A custom is a great way to go: I've been a customer for years.

If I were starting over with custom today, however, I'd probably start with Proper Cloth: great selection of fabrics, and much more convenient if you're not in the neighborhood of Jermyn St. in London or 57th St. in NY.

 

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