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The case for black dress shirts?

moseymosey

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I do not have a black dress shirt. I have four. Don't ask.

The prevailing opinion is that the black dress shirt is simply not a wise choice, under almost all circumstances. I'd like to throw out a few examples which might bolster an argument to the contrary. Personally, I'm starting to agree that wearing a black dress shirt is a no-no. Nevertheless,

700


Could this be borderline acceptable? Yes, it is a black dress shirt, but I think the brown jacket/belt/shoes(presumably) offset it appropriately and elevate the whole look. I think it would be hard to argue that this look is a total failure, could you? Why?

700


This one is slightly more dressy. Could even be worn in a business casual office, perhaps. Again, additional colors (purple/brown) make it less depressing and more cohesive as an outfit. If you disagree, why?

700


This one is technically not a black dress shirt, since it has some sort of partially visible print on it. But the idea is very similar and I think this dude carries it off well.

I am playing devil's advocate here, since I'm about to purge my black shirts. Or maybe not. Thoughts?
 

Master Squirrel

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Keep one or two. They come in handy for evening casual, but beware of being mistaken for waitstaff if you wear it.
 

lawyerdad

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I think part of the difficulty here is with the ambiguity of the term "dress shirt". Are you using it as a synonym for "long-sleeved shirt with a collar"? Otherwise I would suggest you're begging the question a bit -- what are you dressing for?
 

moseymosey

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Primarily for a business casual office (but that's just me). I wanted the discussion to be broader, since it could be employed in a much more formal occasion (wedding? formal dress event?), or in a more casual situation (out for drinks, for example). I've heard the "you look like the waiter" argument, and I agree with it. I've also heard the "you look like a bad lawyer" and "you're in the mob?" and "you are not Johnny Cash". All good points. But you can make similar arguments about other specific articles, such as cowboy boots. Would it mean you need to avoid cowboy boots always and ever? Probably not, since they -could- work.

Business casual office would mean wearing it during daylight hours. Challenging, yes, but impossible?
 

msulinski

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I say you complete the purge. The first 2 photos certainly aren't my favorite, but I hate the last one. I think all of the outfits could be better with a different color shirt.
 

Liquidus

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The first and second are not business casual outfits in my mind. Fine for going out at night. The third guy just looks terrible.
 

HughJ

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I kind of hate them all but the second one, and I think the scarf being a greater offense is just distracting me.
 
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topos

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Quote:
A standard argument heard around here breaks down to something like the following: if the only parameter we're allowed to vary is the shirt, then the outfit can be improved by replacing the black shirt with (say) a light blue one. I'm not going to argue that light blue is the ideal choice in this situation, only that it is a better choice. So what makes the outfit a "failure" is that there is a better choice than a black shirt. And which leads to the generalization, after consideration of many outfits, that one should not own a black shirt, because replacing it with a shirt of another color is (almost) always an improvement. Which is (probably) where the advice "don't buy/own/wear" black shirts comes from.
 

js4design

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If you must wear a dark dress shirt, navy almost always makes more sense than black.
 

philosophe

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Black shirts are fine for casual evenings and to be avoided during the day.
 

cptjeff

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I think they work in certain circumstances. Never with a tie, and it's a hard item to wear, experts only. Otherwise, you end up looking like guy no. 3.

As for the others, no. 1 looks pretty good, but no. 2 is wearing such a stupid scarf that I can't tell if the shirt works or not.
 

meursault42

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I am of the opinion that a black dress shirt, for a casual evening is a perfectly acceptable, even preferable choice. I'm not sure why it gets so much hate here on sf. Yes, you can wear it poorly. Yes there are times (lots actually) when it is not appropriate. But that can be said of any number of garment. It doesn't mean it deserves abject hatred. I mean, everyone here agrees white is the universally accepted proper choice, but seriously think of the number of poorly worn white shirts you've seen. Un-tucked, ill fitting, too tight, god help us, shiny. I think black is perfectly acceptable.

EDIT: just re-read and noticed OP said for business casual. Do not. Black shirts are not for the office. Purge.
 
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Tesla

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Black and brown, no thanks (I thought that was common sense already), although the first pic almost pulls it off...almost.
 

McBindle

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Black shirts? There is a time and a place for them. The time is never. You can figure out the place on your own. - the Most Interesting Man in the World.
 

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