The best white dress shirts to form the foundation of any formal look
Much like the white T-shirt before it, white dress shirts are one of the staples of which you could always use another. From your first day on a job to your last day on a job, your graduation to your wedding day, white dress shirts are pretty much the uniform to every conceivable event in the game of life. Like a well-fitting suit and freshly shined shoes, a good one, two or ten to a man’s wardrobe will separate the red-carpet heroes from the workaday city commuters.
When it comes down to it, there are just a couple of rules by which the perfect white dress shirt needs to abide. First is the structure: unlike an Oxford shirt, the collar should be stiff and tall to stand out above the lapels of your suit jacket. Then there’s fit: unlike the summer-friendly trend for billowing, oversized men’s shirts, good white dress shirts will be slim-fitting enough to tuck without ballooning, but not so tight that they’re uncomfortable for nine-to-five wear.
Nail those and the rest is more about personal preference. Bib or no bib? One hundred per cent cotton or something with a little stretch incorporated into the fabric? Thankfully, our selection leaves no white dress shirt unironed. Shop GQ’s pick of the best below…
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How many white dress shirts should I own?
Depending on wardrobe space and, quite honestly, how prone to coffee spillages you might be, the number of white dress shirts that one should own can fluctuate on a case-by-case basis. Generally speaking, we’d recommend having at least three in your sartorial arsenal, ensuring that there’s always one at the ready, newly clean and (hopefully) ironed.
How to wear white dress shirts?
The ultimate foundational piece of all good tailoring, a white dress shirt can be worn under all manner of suiting, from linen to tweed, from black to pastel. That said, and simple though the piece may be, a white dress shirt can still be used to make a statement. Be it the Harness shirt from Alexander McQueen or the Vintage Check trimmed options from Burberry, there’s more to this wardrobe stalwart than just stiff collars and mother-of-pearl buttons, you know.
How to care for white dress shirts?
Once you’ve made your investment and found the white dress shirt of your tailored dreams, you’re going to want to know precisely how you can wash it and make the most of it, right? We’d suggest washing your prized dress shirt possessions on a delicate cycle, using hot water to enhance its bright white hue. Once washed, remove your shirts and hang up promptly before wrinkles can set in. Finally steam/iron to your heart’s content.
