Five Types of Shirts All Fashionable Men Own

If you feel like 2022 is the year to update your wardrobe after lounging around at home in your PJs and casual wear more over the last couple of years, it’s crucial to pay particular attention to the shirts you have in your closet.

The right tops can elevate your style, make you ready for any occasion, and help you make the right impression. It’s necessary to have various options to choose from so you’re all ready to go, though. Read on for five of the key shirt styles all fashionable men own.

Dress Shirt

Even if you work in a job that requires you to wear a uniform or are part of a laid-back company where no one worries about typically office-focused outfits, you should have at least some dress shirts in your closet. You are sure to have occasions arise, such as weddings, awards ceremonies, and fancy dinners, that require you to be more formal with your clothing choices.

A dress shirt is structured and rigid, made from thicker material than other shirts, and acts as a frame for other pieces. The idea of these shirts is to top them with a jacket of some kind, such as a blazer, tuxedo, suit, or sports coat. The focus is on the collar and cuffs, and each can handle some starch which keeps the fabric stiff and more formal. Dress shirts are traditionally crisp white and feature a cutaway collar or a pointed wing. They often feature double cuffs that you can wear cufflinks in, too.

Overshirt

A type of shirt that’s handy for the season we’re in right now, the overshirt can be worn by itself but is typically, as the name suggests, worn over another top, such as a tee. During transitional times of the year, such as spring and fall, overshirts are the perfect piece of clothing to pop on top of a shorter-sleeved item to get a funky layered look.

This type of shirt suits traveling perfectly since you may not be 100 percent sure about what the weather will be like. If you need something slightly warmer at night to ward off a chill, you can pop this top on instead of a full coat or a sweater. It suits activities completed both during the day and at night, so you can get decent wear out of an overshirt as a result.

Oxford Button-Down Shirt

There are many occasions when men want to look a little dressed up but not overly so, and an Oxford button-down shirt can be just what they need to fit the bill. Oxfords feature thicker fabric than traditional dress shirts and a button-down collar. You might like to pair an Oxford shirt with jeans, corduroys, or chinos.

Versatile and a nice mixture of casual and professional, Oxford button-down shirts come in handy at laid-back weddings, coffee meetups, networking events, and much more. They’re also suited to wear by people working in creative office environments.

Polo Shirt

Look at the news about popular men’s summer fashion items this year, and you’ll see that polo shirts regularly make the list. These versatile tops are still comfortable and quite casual but, being made of woven fabric rather than typical t-shirts, they come across as stylish and smart, too. Polo shirts are the perfect choice for dressy and laid-back events such as a dinner to meet parents, outings to barbecues, a drink at a beach club, or a first date.

They automatically give you the sleeves and often collared appearance that many pubs and clubs and other places request to see these days, which is handy. Plus, you can buy them in a range of colors and patterns and should find that the gauze-like weave doesn’t make you sweat as much as some other shirts. Choose between two to four buttons at the neck according to fit and your tastes.

Standard Button-Down Shirt for the Office

Anyone who works a desk job needs to have at least a few quality button-down shirts to wear to the office. Giving you a business-casual look, these shirts create a professional vibe and are neat and tidy but don’t leave you having to be more formal by wearing a tie, too, unless you decide you want to.

Popular color choices for office button-downs include pale pink or blue, white, cream, and soft gray.
Focus on products in two-fold poplin cotton weaves that are breathable and nice on the skin. Textures like herringbones, Oxfords, or twills are suitable. Happily, you’ll find plenty of shirts perfect for the office that utilize anti-wrinkle fabrics these days, too, so you can get out of doing too much ironing.

Having shirt variety in your wardrobe will help you be ready for any occasion and event and feel confident when you go out. If you’re lacking one or more of the above styles, now is the time to go shopping and add to your collection.