How Dress Shirts Should Fit

A well-fitting dress shirt can transform your appearance, making you look sharp and confident. To achieve the perfect fit, it's essential to pay attention to various aspects of the shirt, including the collar, shoulders, torso, sleeves, and cuffs. In this guide, we'll discuss how each of these elements should fit to ensure you look your best.

Collar

The collar of your dress shirt should fit comfortably around your neck without being too loose or too tight. As a general rule, you should be able to fit one to two fingers between the collar and your neck. The collar's main job is to frame your face, so it's crucial to get this aspect right.

Shoulders

The shoulder seams of the shirt should hit at your natural shoulder lines, not up on the collar bones (too small) or hanging down on the upper arm (too big) . A proper fit in the shoulders ensures that the arms will sit correctly and the shirt will sit well on the chest.

Torso

A dress shirt should fit snugly around the chest, under the armpits, and across the upper back, giving you a full range of motion. The shirt should taper from the chest to the waist, following the contours of your body and creating a clean line when tucked into your pants. To check if your shirt fits properly, button it all the way and tuck it in. The buttons should not pull across your chest or rib cage.

Sleeves

The sleeves of your dress shirt should not be so tight that you can see the details of your arms, but they should also not be so loose as to billow. When you bend your arm, your cuff should not move more than an inch up your wrist. The armholes should be contoured in a way that creates a tapered feel under your arm, yet leaves a full range of motion.

Cuffs

Your cuffs should meet the point where your palm begins (about 2cm up from your wrist bone) . They should be tight enough that your thumb notch at your wrist will stop the cuff from moving up your hand but should be a bit looser than a properly fitting watch and not go farther up your wrist than that watch.

Sleeve Length

The sleeves of your dress shirt should cover your wrist bone when your arms are at your sides. A well-fitting dress shirt should have the right length for you, with most dress shirts today being cut relatively short.

Bottom Hem Length

A dress shirt should always be comfortably tucked in. To test if it's the right length for you, untuck it and look in the mirror. It should fall two to three inches below your waistband.

By paying attention to these details, you can ensure that your dress shirt fits perfectly, making you look polished and professional. Remember, a well-fitting dress shirt not only enhances your appearance but also boosts your confidence.

How are shirts supposed to fit?

A properly fitting shirt should enhance your appearance and boost your confidence. The collar should fit comfortably around your neck, allowing for one to two fingers between the collar and your neck. Shoulder seams should align with your natural shoulder lines, and the torso should fit snugly around the chest, under the armpits, and across the upper back, tapering from the chest to the waist. Sleeves should not be too tight or too loose, and cuffs should meet the point where your palm begins, being tight enough to stop at your wrist. The shirt's length should cover your wrist bone when your arms are at your sides and fall two to three inches below your waistband when untucked.

How tight should a dress shirt collar be?

The collar of a dress shirt should be comfortably snug around your neck without constricting it. As a general rule, you should be able to fit one to two fingers between the collar and your neck. This ensures that the collar frames your face properly without causing discomfort. If the collar is too tight, it can make it difficult to move your neck and may even cause difficulty in breathing. Conversely, if it's too loose, the collar will not hold its shape and will look sloppy.