Logically speaking, there shouldn’t be much to say about the long-standing and unbeatable formula of shirt + suit.
But even the business elites who most often deal with suits in the current context may not be able to make this old recipe with ease, or in other words , it almost makes sense.
In fact, I have talked about this topic a little bit from the perspective of suits, so today I specially use shirts as the entry point to share how to choose a shirt to match a suit. It will be more suitable.
The scenes of suits that we are most involved with in daily life are nothing more than business commuting and leisure orientation. After all, Formal dresses are rarely worn on rare occasions, so I will ignore them here.
Practitioners in industries such as insurance, real estate, banking, finance and other industries need to show a professional and capable appearance due to their occupation, so they are certainly no stranger to business suits;
As for suit users who love suit culture from the bottom of their hearts, they certainly have their own opinions on mixing suits and single suits.
So for the above two most common needs, you can actually match them with the fineness of the shirt fabric according to the casual orientation. The more formal the suit, the more important it is to choose a shirt that looks exquisite and feels smooth.
The formality of a shirt and a suit is judged on the same basis. The exquisite appearance of a business suit with a high degree of formality is absolutely indispensable to the fabric.
Had it not been able to meet the decent feel required by business occasions in terms of feel and gloss, (high count) worsted wool would not have become a common practice. Business suit fabric.
As for the inner shirt, in order to harmoniously match the business suit to improve the completion of the entire look, it is natural to also pay attention to the exquisiteness of the fabric when choosing it. strength and skin-friendliness.
As we all know, the sense of formality in traditional impressions is mostly determined by the texture of the fabric. Like suits, the texture of shirt fabrics also depends on the type, weave, count, etc.
Generally speaking, it is recommended to choose poplin shirts with high thread count as a business choice.
First of all, whether it is wool or cotton, the raw materials of high-count worsted fabrics are slender fibers that have been screened out by combing, and finally appear The shirt material is of course soft to the touch and feels skin-friendly and comfortable.
Like high-standard island cotton and Egyptian cotton, the fineness of the fabric is not comparable to that of ordinary cotton. The same is true for linen, flannel and other fabrics.
Especially double/multiple yarns, which means that the fabric is woven by two or more yarns twisted together. In addition to improving the toughness and strength, it also gives the fabric Greater durability and drape.
Shirt companies usually indicate the fabric parameters on the label. Something like “140/2” means that the shirt fabric is made of double 140-count yarn. The threads are twisted into strands to weave.
As for why it is poplin, in addition to being personally verified by traditional gentlemen, its actual performance is indeed still good today.
There are many ways to weave shirt fabrics, and poplin is one of them. Poplin is called Poplin in English and is a plain weave fabric.
Traditionally, it is made of wool, cotton or cotton and silk blends. It has a simple cross-rib texture and just the right luster. It is also why dress shirts, business Shirts can express a solemn and elegant temperament.
The higher the count, the smoother the shirt will be. High-count poplin fabrics are usually lighter and thinner, with a smooth surface and a smooth and stiff feel. They can be regarded as the same as all other poplin fabrics of the same specification. One of the most exquisite-looking configurations among shirt materials (the only nitpick is probably the common problem with plain fabrics, which is prone to wrinkles).
However, as the dressing atmosphere becomes increasingly relaxed, casual shirts with flavored textures such as Oxford are more popular than poplin.
As a result, many people who have little understanding of suits may act unintentionally and think that a casual white shirt = a formal shirt.
Although Oxford spinning is also a plain weave, its warp and weft yarns have different thicknesses and colors.The same, and the texture is thick, which results in an obvious graininess in the fabric texture.
Not to mention denim, twill, different-color yarns, and the effect of fading have already established a casual orientation.
Imagine if a wool suit with a count of 150s or higher is worn with an ordinary oxford or even denim shirt with a rough texture. This kind of The difference in texture is enough to make the whole style look inferior.
Of course, there are exceptions if you have to be stubborn, unless you are smart enough to find Pinpoint Oxford, which is as fine as poplin.
It has the same weaving structure as Oxford cloth, but uses thinner yarns and a tighter structure. For business purposes only, it is undoubtedly more formal than ordinary Oxford fabrics, but suitable for both casual and casual wear.
Usually this kind of fine Oxford fabric is slightly thicker than poplin fabric, and its durability and wrinkle resistance are indeed better.
If this kind of fabric is not available, don’t worry. Should you wear a business suit, or should you just go for the unmistakable poplin? Shirt.
Generally, the count of 80s~140s is comfortable enough and full of luster. The double-strand thread is enough to maintain the strength of the fabric, even with high count. Durability.
Although there are not so many restrictions on matching shirts with casual suits, I still want to be conservative and harmonious. You have to follow the idea of similar texture.
For example, whenever we have to deal with hot weather, a variety of cotton and linen/strongly twisted fabric suits that are easy to wrinkle and have bright lines will appear.
As for shirts, on the premise that the texture is similar to that of a suit, the gloss of twill weave will be slightly higher than that of plain weave, and the diagonal twill The texture of the thread is distinct and the weave structure is tighter than plain weave.
Especially for twill shirts made of low-count yarns, you will find that the formality is more than one level lower than business shirts.
It is undeniable that twill fabrics are softer and more close-fitting than plain fabrics such as poplin. However, although they are relatively easy to iron and wrinkle-resistant, they lack the stiffness and sharpness of business shirts. Sophistication.
Especially in the summer, everyone will wear linen shirts with great style to extend their lives.
Generally, linen fabrics are looser in weave than wool and cotton fabrics, resulting in a lower degree of reflection. In other words, the gloss has already improved. Inferior to poplin.
Besides, as we all know, linen fabric has a unique texture, and the shirts made from it are also quite easy to wrinkle. In the past, cotton was not popular, and with the starching treatment, the material for formal shirts was not harmful.
However, in the modern context, its unique style has become a personalized choice for leisure time.
Unless it is a high-quality long-staple linen fabric such as Irish linen, its transparent and soft appearance is difficult to match with a business suit for a more formal look. occasion.
In addition to raw materials such as cotton and linen that exude a casual atmosphere due to their properties, the same applies to ordinary Oxford, denim and other shirts mentioned above.
So, it is better to maximize their characteristics and simply wear them with cotton and linen suits/casual suits of similar texture in your spare time, creating a relaxed and elegant gentleman look.
As for the thought of matching business suits, just trust the smooth high-count poplin.
