The Definitive Guide to Slim Fit Shirts

[imageWIS]

Originally Posted by ramuman

I don't get the TM Lewin hype. The fabric is alright for the price, but the fit and proportions are a mess on all of these. I mean a mess in the objective sense, not for my body. I've tried three different styles in two orders and they all went back. Either the collar is huge (Reverto) or they put enormous sleeves on a slim shirt (Buckingham). Seriously, a triple pleated/shirring sleeve on a slim fit shirt?

Brooks Brothers on the other hand has an extra slim line. The chest on these is 8"(!) slimmer and the waist 6.75"(!) slimmer than their traditional fit of the same size. The extra slim actually fits me well, but I shudder to think how anyone could have my neck size but need a chest 8" bigger.

I don't get where we lost the sense of a shirt that fits well.

I am so pissed off that when I was buying BB shirts they didn't make slim fit shirts, but now, that I have my wardrobe basically finished, they do...

[nringo]

Picked up a few of the extra slim fit shirts at the downtown DC Brooks Brothers this weekend - great fit. Also very nice that they are classic cotton and not the non-iron variety. I think the best part of them was how much more slim they were in the waist and seat so they tuck in nicely. Hopefully they sell well and introduce more styles.

[Cognacad]

Hello guys,

This topic is getting pretty huge. Has there been a compilation of the information in this thread in one post/page?

I would appreciate it! Don't currently have the time to read through the whole thread unfortunately.

[Lendial]

Finding a nice shirt that does not look like a tent has been a problem for as long as i can remember.

I find hugo boss (slim fit or even regular) works well, or h&m if you're on a budget, but don't expect it to last as long as the hugo shirt would.

the "slim fit" in many american brands like calvin klein are still too big, they poof in the back and the hands are too baggy but look decent if tucked in.

[Jonah]

I was looking around the past week all over London for decent dress shirts. I checked every single highstreet store from Banana Republic to Zara (including TM Lewin and Charles Tyrwhitt). I found that H&M premium slimfit dress shirts had the best combination of material, cut and price.

[John_Edward]

Originally Posted by Lendial

Finding a nice shirt that does not look like a tent has been a problem for as long as i can remember.

I find hugo boss (slim fit or even regular) works well, or h&m if you're on a budget, but don't expect it to last as long as the hugo shirt would.

the "slim fit" in many american brands like calvin klein are still too big, they poof in the back and the hands are too baggy but look decent if tucked in.

I believe it was mentioned earlier in the topic (I can't be arsed to look as it's become infinitely long): Express has got decently trim slim-fitting shirts (MX1 I believe?). The quality's not exactly brilliant, but for $40 a shirt, it's fine. Give it a go next time you're at the mall.

Originally Posted by Jonah

I was looking around the past week all over London for decent dress shirts. I checked every single highstreet store from Banana Republic to Zara (including TM Lewin and Charles Tyrwhitt). I found that H&M premium slimfit dress shirts had the best combination of material, cut and price.

I've had a few shirts from Zara which I thought were fantastic value for money and had a much better fit than nearly any high-street shirt in America. However, the fit seems to vary between sizes and perhaps even between the countries in which they're sold. Still may need to whack some darts on the back though.

[onemoreyear]

+1 for Barba and Loro Piana shirts.

[StennyH2]

Since my last post I went to: HM, Uniqlo, Express, BR, and a bunch of other stores mentioned in this thread and couldn't find anything that fit me. The main trouble is I can't find anything that can accommodate my broad shoulders but is small enough in the waist. Surely in this huge city of New York there's something out there for me?

Originally Posted by StennyH2

I am 6'4", 170 pounds. My shoulders are pretty broad - around 19 inches, but my chest and waist are thin (30.5-31 inch waist). Ideal sleeve length is around 36". I am looking for slim V-shaped casual shirts with long sleeves and total shirt length enough to tuck in. I want both casual and dress shirts, but my priority is casual long sleeve shirts.

I haven't really found anything that works for me. I have ended up liking vintage shirts made of stretch polyester in sizes too small for me because the shoulders will stretch to accommodate my width, but then the chest and waist will taper in. The only trouble is the sleeve and total shirt length are usually to short.

I've read this thread without any clear winners. Is anybody about my dimensions? Any recommendations?

I live in NYC.

[Lendial]

Originally Posted by John_Edward

I believe it was mentioned earlier in the topic (I can't be arsed to look as it's become infinitely long): Express has got decently trim slim-fitting shirts (MX1 I believe?). The quality's not exactly brilliant, but for $40 a shirt, it's fine. Give it a go next time you're at the mall.

You mean 1MX fitted right? i actually have a few 1MX modern(apparently its the less slim version) in my closet, still too baggy on the sides (and poofs in the back) when tucked in but i will stop by to try the slim version later. The recently purchased shirt from h&m fits like it was tailored and has honestly made the rest of my dress shirts obsolete in terms of fit. I'm just worried it's going to fall apart after 2 wears or 1 wash. Between express and h&m , which has better fabric quality/durability?

cut - fabric quality/durability - price point , you just cant have all 3 it seems.

Do you know of any other brands within reach of a broke college student? I really don't want to shell out 150++ for every shirt. Thanks again.

[Jimbo26]

Express fitted shirts have higher armholes and darts in the back, so they fit pretty slim. Quality is less than H&M, though -- threads were coming out after just a couple wears and they really don't hold up to washing very well. Material feels weird, too, it's not soft at all.

Ben Sherman makes good slim-fitting shirts that I can usually find for $30-40 at department/discount stores. I also tried on a Brooks Brothers extra slim fit shirt that fit pretty well, I'm hoping they come out with more patterns and do a 3/$159 sale sometime soon.

[John_Edward]

Yeah, the 1MX fitted are the slim ones.

Quality's definitely not great. I'll see what happens after a few washes.

An H&M finally opened so I'll look into their shirts. I do hope I'm surprised.

I'll give the Ben Sherman's a go if I see any. I can't stand button-down collars, pockets, or logos on a shirt so I can't recall having ever seen shirts under that mark I liked. Then again, the good stuff's not going to show up at Nordstrom Rack.

[whymakemedothis]

Express 1mx shirts are not great, not good, not bad, but TERRIBLE. not being hyperbolic -- ive had to throw away literally 7 shirts or so before i learned my lesson

[John_Edward]

They fell apart, shrunk, or are generally not good value for money?

I had never bought anything from them until last week. I purchased two shirts. They fit perfectly before washing, and still fit adequately afterwards, but have shrunk a smidgen. I've also noticed that because of the 'stretch cotton' some of my jumpers shed whereas it never happens on other shirts.

Oh well. Perhaps a lesson learnt.

[Skyro]

You can get express shirts for under 25 bucks each when they have their 30 off 75 coupons (which they have all the time). The feel of the fabric isn't soft at all but I don't know what you expect from a 25 dollar shirt.

For those who have tried the various brands, how does the fit of H&M, Zara, and BB extra slim fit compare to express? Quality issues aside, express has been the best OTR fit for me I've found so far.

[imageWIS]

Originally Posted by Skyro

You can get express shirts for under 25 bucks each when they have their 30 off 75 coupons (which they have all the time). The feel of the fabric isn't soft at all but I don't know what you expect from a 25 dollar shirt.

Benetton often has good sales, thus you can pick up a shirt for around $30 - $40, and they are definitely slim-fit.