7 Stellar Shirt Brands Every Stylish Guy Should Know

For more than a decade, a sizable chorus has lamented the slow but steady dressing down of society . This tipping of the scales toward casual attire was sent into something of sartorial lightspeed over the past few years when elasticated waists and hoodies became the de facto daytime standards for many. Yet even though suits and ties may not see the kind of heavy rotation they once did , there is one garment that has somehow refused to relinquish its grip on our closet real estate: the classic dress shirt.

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But its staying power really shouldn’t come as a surprise. Dating back to 16th-century Europe, the dress shirt has lived many lives, reviving itself and becoming relevant in new ways more than once. Though considered formal attire today, these tailored garments were originally intended as underwear for men meant to provide a buffer between the wearer’s body and costly outer garments. And because they were classified as nondescript foundational pieces, shirts were often laundered in large batches making it impossible to tell them apart. This started the enduring practice of embroidering them with their owner’s initials. Eventually, dress shirts became more elaborate with delicate ruffles along the placket and pleated fronts before streamlining into the version we know so well.

Whether casually thrown over a tee or crisply layered beneath a double-breasted blazer, the modern dress shirt can take you anywhere. But how do you know which purveyors consistently cut the most superb examples? Regardless of whether you’re looking to go bespoke, or prefer the convenience of something you can grab off the rack, you’re bound to source the dress shirt that’s right for you from one of the top brands on our list.

Charvet

Considered the world’s first dedicated chemisier , Charvet is a standard bearer when it comes to dress shirts and some of history’s most stylish men – from Oscar Wilde to JFK – were regulars. Its headquarters on Paris’ Place Vendome is filled to the brim with winding bolts of fabric, most of which are exclusive to the brand ensuring any shirt you get is quite literally like no other. The brand’s ties and cufflinks are nothing to sneeze at either if you want to complete the look.

100 Hands

India has a long tradition of superb needlework (the biggest French couture houses have done embroidery there for decades), so it makes sense that 100 Hands founders Akshat Jain and Varvara Maslova would cultivate that artisanal skill toward making some of the best shirts on the market. Every shirt in the label’s Gold Line involves 35 hours of detailed handwork, including buttonholes that take 45 minutes of stitching each. Try one in fine Giza cotton for the smoothest handle

Turnbull & Asser

Want a shirt fit for a king? Established in 1885 and possessing the official warrant to craft shirts for the English royal family since 1980, Turnbull & Asser has just the thing. Boasting an address on London’s famous Jermyn Street, this institution offers everything from ready-to-wear to made-to-measure to bespoke. Each of its shirts is composed of 34 exactingly cut pieces assembled by a skilled team with many members who have worked at the company’s UK factory for decades.

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Budd

Another stalwart of English shirtmaking, Budd has fashioned fine shirting since 1910 in its jewel box of a shop located within London’s Piccadilly Arcade. Its ready-to-wear options exemplify the house’s classic British style and are always constructed using the best fabrics sourced from Italy, Switzerland and the UK. Some of Budd’s signature striped shirting even has a subtle jacquard running through it for an added sense of dimension you just can’t find in lesser examples

D’Avino

Neapolitan tailoring is some of the world’s most revered for good reason. D’ A vino contributes to this reputation though its dedication to the entirely handsewn shirt, a rare practice even among the best European brands. Every example that leaves its family-owned and -operated workrooms requires 25 hand-sewing operations and a full 32 hours of precision labor to complete. The natural elasticity of a handsewn seam creates a unique wearing experience that molds to its owner’s every movement, a quality that keeps patrons coming back again and again.

The Armoury

Originally hailing from Hong Kong and now boasting two additional locations in New York, The Armoury is renowned as a resource for the finest menswear, with top artisans regularly hosting trunkshows on its premises. The retailer absorbed this sartorial knowledge and poured it into its house label, including beautiful dress shirts that it manufactures in Naples. Each shirt is hand-cut and employs 11 handsewn operations to execute, painstaking work highlighted by subtle contrast stitching.

Ralph Lauren Purple Label

Ralph Lauren may be a fashion behemoth, but the brand hasn’t strayed from its commitment to crafting menswear the old-fashioned way. The label still uses the best Italian mills to source its shirting fabrics and they come in just about every color and pattern imaginable. The company’s extensive retail network and strong online presence means that, even in an emergency, you’re never far away from the perfect button-up for work or play

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