The great Italian poet Dante famously wrote that upon reaching middle age he found himself lost in a dark forest of moral, spiritual and existential crisis. For all our readers out there who’ve past the 40 year mark, we hope you’re dealing with aging a little better than Senor Alighieri. But even though you may be halfway through your own life’s journey, you’re never too old to care about your appearance and look your best. Read More
Just like pleats and darts, how many of you guys out there know what a placket is? Our suspicion is not very many. It sounds like something that should be hung on your wall, or scraped from your teeth, but actually this term refers to the area where the two flaps of your shirt are buttoned together. Often ignored, this little aspect of the dress shirt is yet another one of those places guys could – and should – consider when it comes to creating a truly unique custom shirt. Read More
In 1961, the famed Spanish painter Joan Miro created one of his most famous and important works of art, Blue II (above left). This simple piece features only a blue background, a series of small black circles and a single striking red line that takes the picture from monotonous to mesmerizing – at least we think so. But, even if you aren’t the world’s biggest art buff, there is still a lesson here: real creativity is often found in simple details. This rule holds true not only for paintings, but your outfit as well. Read More
So July is finally here (happy belated Canada Day and July 4th to our North American readers) and temperatures are on their way up. It’s now once again the season for backyard barbecues, patio dining and pool-side drinks. Looking stylish never seems more important than in the summer, so if you want to add a touch of the trendy to your classic dress shirt line up this season, bright colors are a must. Read More
Numerous men – mostly those with a high level of machismo – tag pink as a feminine color. A lot of you guys still refuse to wear pink clothes because of this unfortunate stereotype, and further argue that if it’s weird for a man to wear pink underwear, donning a pink dress shirt would be totally out of the question. In response to this, let’s hear the voices of women from around the world on what they have to say about men wearing this controversial color. Read More
For the most part, dressing appropriately is not encouraged, but compulsory. Wearing the appropriate clothes means wearing the right dress shirt color, too. And by putting on the right style and shade you’re showing not only your respect for the occasion but also your mood and feelings, as well. So, accepting this to be true, what effect will a white shirt have on the mind of the wearer and the people around them? Read More
For a true dress shirt fan, there are few things more heart-breaking than having the collar of your most beloved shirt curl up like the hands of an old crone. It might be a bit like watching the petals on a flower fall to the ground or the pages of your favorite book turn yellow. These things may be inevitable, although having a thing of beauty or sentimental value fade away is never easy. But, if you want to get as much life out of your shirt as possible, a good pair of collar stays will be essential. Read More
If you’ve been following our series on dress shirt color psychology, you’re probably familiar with the way color can influence and reflect mood. We were curious about what the fairer sex had to say about some of our findings. So, with this in mind, we’ve interviewed women from all around the world to get their take on men in black dress shirts. Their responses may surprise you. Read More
Our reaction to different colors results from the subconscious effect they have on our thoughts and emotions. And, as we have been telling you all along in our earlier posts, every color carries with it a kind of meaning and has a different effect on both the wearer and observer. Therefore, if you follow our psycho-sartorial thesis, the appropriate color shirt to wear depends not only on the situation, but also your personality. Read More
If you’ve ever searched online or asked your friends for clothing care advice, you’ve probably found that it can be a bit like asking a group of geriatrics about how to cure the common cold: everyone has their own preferred, home-brewed remedy that they allege works best, but which the listener will never be able to successfully duplicate. Yet despite the plethora of folk knowledge floating around out there, if you don’t take care of your garments you could be slowly destroying them. Read More
