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Jul 13, 2023

Best Dress Shirts For Men 2023

The best dress shirt for men are the quintessential dress up or down fashion piece. They work in any scenario to add some personal style to your look, and if fitted and styled properly, they can

The best dress shirt for men are the quintessential dress up or down fashion piece. They work in any scenario to add some personal style to your look, and if fitted and styled properly, they can really elevate your game. Every guy needs a few good dress shirts to round out his foundational wardrobe.

The best dress shirts for men keep you looking polished for workdays to weddings.

But finding the best men’s dress shirt comes down to being well versed in fit, fabric and quality. We reached out to professional stylists to ask for their top picks for a variety of body types and work-life situations. Whether you’re into fashion or just need a step up from your “nice t-shirt,” here are the best dress shirts for men that we highly recommend. Our advice: Stock up on multiples and wear these regularly.

Bonobos

Neck Sizes: 14.5 to 17.5| Sleeve Lengths: 32 to 36 | Fabric: 75% cotton, 21% polyester, 4% Lycra | Colors: 19 total including, Solid White and Jet Black

Since 2007, Bonobos has been popular with working professionals, and this comfy, stretch fabric shirt is great with or without a blazer. “Bonobos has a variety of fits, so it's a great place to go for a different builds,” says Natalie Tincher, founder and principal stylist at BU Style. “They carry shirts for slim, tailored, athletic, and standard builds and are more size inclusive than many brands—carrying up to a 22-in neck and 4XL sizing.”

Banana Republic

Sizes: XS to XXL | Fabric: 100% cotton | Colors: 9 total, including Classic Pink and Country Blue

Banana Republic has long been a go-to for workwear staples, and their well-made button downs come at a wallet-friendly price point. “Banana Republic provides a great shirt for under $100,” says Ben Twaits, lead male stylist at Wardrobe Therapy. “They do sizing by letter instead of neck and sleeve length, and they also offer tall sizes.” Whether you’re on a budget or like a bargain, this pick is a good foundational piece in your wardrobe.

Todd Snyder

Neck Sizes: 14.5 - 18 | Fabric: 100% cotton | Colors: 8 total, including White and Banker Stripe

Cut from Italian cotton, Todd Snyder x Thomas Mason’s dress shirt has all the hallmarks of a classic design: the spread collar (named for the angle and distance of the collar’s “points”), pearly white buttons, end-on-end alternation of light and dark warp and weft threads. The crisp white color stays true after multiple laundry trips and washes and looks great no matter what you pair it with.

Tie Bar

Neck sizes: 14.5 to 18.5 | Sleeve length: 32 to 73 | Fabric: 100% cotton | Colors: 2 total, including White and Light Blue

If you don’t have time for ironing or steaming, Tie Bar’s Pinpoint dress shirt is specially treated with a non-iron finish to remain wrinkle-free, even after washing and putting in the dryer. The point collar is sharp and stylish, making this a good pick for dressing up for a wedding or the weekend. If you buy three, you pay just $50 each.

Suit Supply

Neck Sizes: 13.5 to 18 | Sleeve Lengths: 25.25 to 27.25 | Fabric: 100% cotton | Colors: 3 total, including White and Light Blue

Suit Supply specializes in custom made suiting. Like all their dress shirts, the Oxford style can be customized online—choose your collar type and height and interlining. You can do alterations in their stores if necessary, and all items ship for free to your home. With its heat-sealed buttons and detailed stitching, this shirt is the next best thing to made-to-measure.

Mizzen+Main

Sizes: S to XXL | Fabric: 88% polyester, 12% spandex | Colors: 12 total, including White and Light Blue

Think of this as a refined dress shirt with the toughness and odor-fighting capabilities of workout clothing. “It looks and feels like a regular dress shirt to the eye, but once you put it on it stretches and moves with you like a knit,” says Tincher. “It’s great for packing or for people who are on the road a lot and have to go right from a plane to a meeting.” They’re versatile in terms of styling options because they come in classic solids and low key, casual patterns. “These shirts have stretch, are wrinkle free, and moisture wicking,” says Twaits. “They are also easy to launder—no dry cleaning!—and they offer shirts in tall sizes.”

Ted Baker

Neck Sizes: 15 to 17.5| Fabric: 100% cotton | Colors: 4 total, including Pale Blue and White

Ted Baker initially opened its doors in Glasgow in 1987, and at the time even provided a laundry service for every shirt purchased. The brand remains focused on quality and unique detailing. “Ted Baker offers a good range of classic-with-a-twist shirts in nice prints, textures, or with subtle details like contrasting stitching in the buttons that make them a good basic that's not boring,” says Tincher. This slim-fit shirt also comes in white, pink and lavender.

Rhone

Sizes: S to XXL | Fabric: Not listed | Colors: 13 total, including White and Blue

Designed to be ultrabreathable and stretchy without losing its shape, Rhone’s top-rated Commuter Shirt is easy to wear all day. It comes in both slim and classic fits, and has a button front with hidden button collar for a streamlined look. It’s finished with wrinkle-release fabrication to keep things low maintenance.

Eton

Neck Sizes: 13.75 to 18 | Fabric: 100% cotton twill | Colors: 7 total, including White and Navy Blue

This polished style offers high-impact solids in luxe fabrics with flawless lines. “Swedish-brand Eton has beautifully cut European-style shirts that are offered in four different cuts—super slim, slim, contemporary and classic,” says Tincher. “Overall, they’re great for slender builds and for those with a slim and inverted triangle shape.” The Eton brand is also a favorite for Twaits. “Eton is a moderately high-end dress shirt that we often go to because of the fit and quality,” he says.

Everlane

Sizes: XS to XXL | Sleeve length: 32.5 to 36 | Fabric: 100% organic cotton | Colors: 6 total, including White and Light Blue

Everlane’s bestseller is a casual spin on your traditional oxford with a more relaxed fit. Cut from 100% organic cotton, it has a roomy design so it can be worn untucked or tucked in, depending on your outfit. Also great: It comes with a 365-day guarantee, meaning if this shirt gets a hole or the color fades within a year, Everlane will replace it for free.

Neiman Marcus

Sleeve Lengths: 38 to 46 | Fabric: 100% cotton | Colors: 2 total, including White and Blue

Italian luxury fashion house Zegna has been a powerhouse for men’s fashion since 1910, and while their shirts are a splurge, men love them for their quality, fit and sleek sophistication. “The fabrication and construction of this brand are so beautiful,” says Twaits.

Nordstrom

Neck Sizes: 15 - 18.5 | Fabric: 100% Pima cotton | Colors: White, Sky

“For an athletic fit that’s a little more casual, I like David Donahue shirts, and in particular their Fusion knit collection,” says Tincher. “This style fits more body types because it’s constructed like a dress shirt style in Pima cotton but has 4-way stretch that allows for a more forgiving and comfortable fit.” The length is also cut slightly shorter, so it can be worn tucked or untucked with trousers or jeans, which makes it an all-around good choice for the office.

Faherty Brand

Sizes: XS to XXL | Fabric: 55% Supima cotton, 16% lyocell, 25% recycled nylon, 4% Spandex | Colors: 17 solids and patterns

Founded by twin brothers Alex and Mike Faherty in 2013, Faherty is a self-described family brand focused on “great quality, legendary comfort and good vibes.” In under a decade the brand has become a button-down favorite, and this shirt scores major points for being comfortable and wrinkle resistant. “For weekend shirts or for creative types in more casual work environments, Faherty has great options that you can wear untucked with the sleeves rolled up,” says Tincher.

Hugo Boss

Neck Sizes: 14.5 to 17.5 | Fabric: 64% cotton, 25% polyamide, 11% elastane | Colors: Open Blue

For a look that’s classic but slightly more laidback, this shirt from Hugo—a sub-brand of German lifestyle brand Hugo Boss—is a great piece for under $200. “Hugo skews business casual, and [many of] their shirts come in a variety of cuts,” says Tincher. ‘They’ve got slim, regular, extra slim, classic options. They also come in regular or long lengths.”

When looking for a men’s dress shirt, fit is key. “It’s most important to look at the shoulders and the chest because both areas are difficult to tailor and altering them will affect the overall construction of the shirts,” says Tincher. The shoulder seam should line up with your shoulder bone. And a tell-tale sign that you should pass on a shirt? “If buttons are pulling at all, then that’s not the right fit for you,” she says. Similarly, if your off-the-rack shirt isn’t the perfect fit, take your shirt to a tailor, although you may want to account for that in the purchase price. “It should be easy to tailor the torso to be made slimmer and to shorten sleeves,” Tincher says.

While sleeve length is important, another factor to pay attention to is neck size. “If you’re buttoning the top button, you need to be able to fit about two fingers between the collar and your neck,” says Tincher. If there’s a lot more room, then it’s too big and will throw off the look, and if it’s less, you’ll likely feel suffocated. Also, when accounting for fit, remember that the size of the shirt may change with time. “Keep in mind that even if it says a shirt is preshrunk, shirts tend to shrink a bit more after about ten washes or trips to the dry cleaner,” Tincher says.

While it can be tempting to go cheap on dress shirts if you’re not wearing them all the time, you shouldn’t doubt the article’s quality right out of the gate. “Ask yourself, are the seams and stitching around the cuffs or buttons already pulling or wearing?” says Tincher. “That’s a bad sign.” Similarly, if a shirt’s material feels thin or see-through, you may want to pass.

The most versatile and classic colors for a business setting are blue and white, so you should probably have those as the foundation of your closet before branching out into more daring patterns and prints. But bear in mind you may have to replace those white shirts more often than other colors. “There really is a shorter lifetime for white shirts,” says Tincher. “Between your sweat and oxidation and deodorant and laundering chemicals, over time there will be a natural yellowing. If you are laundering them, find the best cleaning services. They will typically treat those areas before washing them to give your shirt more longevity.”

Also, if you’re looking for a wrinkle-free option, be aware that the smoothness factor may be fleeting. “A lot of people like no-iron fabrics, but that’s just a finishing on the fabric,” says Tincher. “Over time, the non-iron finish on the shirt will wear off.”

Think about the cost per wear for any men’s dress shirt you purchase. While some brands may give you sticker shock, the fabric and construction is likely superior, which means you’ll wear the shirt more often and it will last. In general, once you find a shirt fit that works well for you, experts recommend purchasing multiple colors or patterns.

“First and foremost, consider body shape and fit when shopping for dress shirts,” says Twaits. “If you have a rectangle or v-shaped silhouette, look for brands with slim or trim fit shirts. If you are more oval shaped, look for brands that have a classic fit.” One particular feature to look for, according to Twaits, is darting on the back of a shirt. “This will make the waist of the shirt slimmer and sometimes allow for a broader shoulder,” he says. Overall, know that even if you find a great shirt for your body type, you may still need to consider alterations to get the best fit.

“If the dress shirt hits below the seat, then it should always be tucked in, no matter if its dressy or a more casual shirt,” says Twaits. “The more formal dress shirts should always be tucked in, even if you are wearing them with jeans and a sport coat.”