10 Dress Shirt Tips Every Woman Needs to Know
Dress shirt is one of these basics that every professional woman is supposed to have in her closet. However, if you are buying one for the first time or replacing one you’ve worn into the ground, it can be difficult to find the shirt that really works. No worries. We’ve come up with 10 dress shirt tips to help you pick the perfect shirt that complements your sense of style, personality and wardrobe. 1. Quality is Key When it comes to women’s dress shirts – quality is key. A proper dress shirt looks crisp, clean and professional. Moreover, it also makes the wearer look elegant and well-dressed. Quality shows: it gets noticed and reflects well on your style. Also, quality shirts usually last longer, are well made and from good quality materials. Whereas a cheap white shirt may wear out in just a few weeks, a better-quality shirt could stay looking smart for years. This means that the more expensive shirt actually offers better value for money. 2. Make sure your dress shirt fits! Ill-fitting clothing is very unattractive and unflattering, so avoid it at all costs. Though it can be tempting, don’t purchase dress shirts for a slimmer future that doesn’t yet exists and don’t buy shirts that are oversized, either. The whole point of buying and wearing a dress shirt is to look sleek, flawless and effortlessly elegant. Make sure you find a well-fitting shirt that compliments your physique in all the right places and always makes you look your best. 3. Know your measurements Knowing your measurements is particularly important when shopping online. Sizing varies from brand to brand and your size is not always the size you are used to wearing. You should always choose the dress shirt size based on your specific measurements with the help of the size chart. Choose the size that best fits all of your measurements, but most importantly the largest one. If you find that your measurements are between sizes, you should always choose the larger size. 4. Opt for natural fabrics All fabrics are not created equal, especially when it comes to those used to produce women’s dress shirts. Quality, durability, and price vary widely and along with that also how the shirt is going to look and feel. In order to end up with a beautiful shirt, you need to choose one that is made of quality fabric. Cotton is the most used fabric for quality dress shirts. It is strong and durable – ready for a full day of business meetings and travelling. It is also soft. Breathable. Easy to care for. It is a wardrobe essential because it’s the most versatile and reliable option out there. 5. Look for an easy-care option In order to make life easier for yourself, look for an easy-care option. Easy-care shirts are designed with textile technology that enhances fabric silkiness, prevents wrinkling and is very easy to iron. As the name suggests, you have to do very little to keep them looking smart and crease-free for longer. Timesaving, easy to care for and no fuss, these dress shirts are the best investment you can make. You’ll always look sharp with minimal effort and avoid the dreaded creases from driving or sitting down for a long time. It is an ideal solution for the fast-paced lifestyle. 6. Make sure the collar is crisp Collar is the pride of a dress shirt and its most standout feature. No matter what type of outfit you’ll be wearing, your collar will always be noticeable. It can either make a look or kill it entirely. In order to get the most out of your dress shirt, always pick one with a crisp collar. The collar of a quality shirt is kept stiff by using a special material known as interlining between the top and bottom pieces of the collar. This forms a sort of skeleton providing rigidity and shape. 7. Don’t deny yourself the pleasure of wearing cufflinks Most women’s dress shirts come with buttons on the cuffs. This type of sleeve is called the barrel cuff and it comes with either one button or two. However, if you want to wear cufflinks, there are two types of shirts that you may choose from: French cuffs or convertible cuffs. French cuffs have extra length that is folded back and fastened with cufflinks. Convertible cuffs are single cuffs that have an extra buttonhole between the buttons where a cufflink can be threaded through. This unique configuration means one can wear it buttoned or with cufflinks. 8. Embrace colours and patterns White shirt is a classic choice and a must-have in every woman’s wardrobe. It should, however, not be the only choice. Dress shirts are available in so many colours and patterns and are a superb way of bringing more colour to your day-to-day wardrobe. Colours and patterns like checks or stripes really help to add a note of individuality to your outfits without never being over the top. All dress shirts are always easy to combine and they make your outfits and accessories look different and fresh. 9. Take Good Care of Your Shirt Taking good care of your shirt will ensure it stays as clean and crisp as the day you bought them for a long time. Wash the shirt in cold water using the delicate cycle on your washing machine. For best results, skip machine drying the shirts and allow them to air dry. This will extend their life by cutting down on fading and wear. Also, cotton is prone to shrinking and fading and washing in cold water in the wash and air drying, will address both problems. When you remove the shirt from the washer, hang it to dry on hanger. Button up the top two buttons to maintain the shirt’s shape. 10. Store your shirts on a hanger Everyday shirts should be fully buttoned, hung on a sturdy hanger, and stored in your closet. Make sure the seams along the shoulders line up evenly with the edge of the hanger. Also, keep hanger evenly spaced with room in between to prevent crowding, snagging and wrinkling. For shirts that you don’t wear often, store them in a cotton garment bag. The cotton allows for air to circulate and prevents the shirts from yellowing.