Choosing a Formal Shirt

How to Choose the Right Men's Formal Shirt

A formal shirt is essentially a smart shirt, intended to be worn for business or formal social occasions, always with a tie or bow tie, and so usually with a crisp, sharp collar. So if you need to look smart for work and wear a business suit and tie, then without doubt, you will need a formal shirt. But choosing the right formal shirt for your needs can be a little daunting given the choice of formal shirts available. So we have included a selection of a few of the most popular styles of formal shirts below, plus some information further down the page to help you pick out the best shirt for you.

Our Pick of the best in Men's Formal Shirts

Above are just a few of the finest formal shirts for men. Use the links on the right to find more of the best formal shirts, in a range of colours, materials and styles to suit you.

Formal Shirts and Dress Shirts

A formal shirt must be smart. This is rule number one, and to make life simple in choosing a shirt, the only rule. If it doesn't look smart, it's not formal, so it's not right. Looking smart means that having a shirt with a crisp collar is a priority. A creased, casual shirt with a floppy collar simply won't cut it – you'll end up looking like your old, scruffy science teacher or an adolescent forced to dress smart for a first interview.

Shirts designed for evening wear are also referred to as formal shirts, although specifically they are known as dress shirts or evening shirts. These are usually white, with a textured pattern at the front, and worn with a bow tie and dinner jacket or tuxedo. So if you're attending a formal evening event, a “black tie” event as they are often know, then you will be needing a dress shirt. For more information on choosing an evening shirt or dress shirt, see our Dress Shirts page here.

How to Choose the Right Formal Shirt for Work and Business

A formal business shirt will always have a collar for wearing a neck tie. There are different collar styles, such as cutaway and button down, plus other choices you will have to make such as colour, material and cuff style.

The Right Collar Style

To keep it simple, in men's formal shirts there are 3 types of collar styles: standard (or classic), button down and cutaway. If you aren't sure, always go for the classic or standard style, where crisp collars will be pointing downwards, with enough room for a smart looking tie know. A cutaway collar, sometimes called a spread collar, leaves a bit more space for a fuller tie know, such as the Windsor tie. This is a very smart look and very popular in business circles. A cutaway collar shirt will help you show off a bit more of your tie and therefore perhaps a bit more colour. However, a cutaway collar does tend to suit slimmer, taller men more than stockier builds.

A button down collar shirt can look quite smart, but usually comes with less stiff collars, and therefore not considered quite as smart as the shirts above.

The Right Colour

The colour of the shirt should always match or compliment the colour of the suit and tie with which it will be worn. This is why you will find many formal shirts in white or light blue. These colours match the traditional navy blue, grey, black or pinstripe suits perfectly, and also act as a blank canvas for any patterned or colourful tie. These colours are also considered more traditional and business-like, compared to brighter and bolder colours.

The Right Material

Most quality formal shirts will be made from all natural materials, usually cotton. Often the best quality cotton is considered to be Egyptian cotton, as this has longer threads, giving the material a softer, more lustrous feel. There are some formal shirts made from a mix of cotton and man-made materials, often with the intention of making the shirt cheaper, but also easier to care for in terms of washing and ironing. However, a formal shirt made from 100% cotton will always feel softer on your skin.

Cuff Styles

Many formal shirts come with the traditional "double cuff". This is where the cuff is double the length it needs to be for wearing, and so is folded back and pinned in place with a cufflink. The alternative is the more common and simpler button cuff, also known as the single button cuff.

Formal Shirts for Evening Wear

Evening wear formal shirts are usually referred to as dress shirts in UK. They can come with a choice of standard style collar or wing collar. A dress shirt is meant to be worn with a bow tie and usually a dinner jacket or tuxedo. White is the ideal colour for a dress shirt. Think James Bond. There are other colours available, but tradition states that rich, dark colours should be avoided unless you want look like a comedian from the Seventies! Dress shirts also come with a choice of button or double cuff. The best dress shirts are made from 100% high quality cotton.