Getting 6 MTM shirts other than white and blue, what color and style should my other 4 shirts be

For perspective i have 2 3-piece suits (navy and charcoal), 1 medium grey suit and 1 ill fitting navy with light pin stripes.

Blue, blue, cream or off white, lavender, or maybe a light pink

I agree with a light pink.

Consider some shirts that have small stripes or checks and look solid from a distance, such as a light blue hairline stripe or puppytooth. After that, consider larger stripes such as candy or bengal, again in blue.

Unless you have many white shirts, I'd suggest getting 3 white. You can also get multiple shades of blue. Besides solid white and blue, get white with grey and blue stripes or small checks. Today, I wore a grey suit with a grey on white tattersall shirt and a burgundy tie...got lots of compliments.

1 white, 2 solid blue, 2 bengal striped, 1 check pattern. Done!

White is really formal and harder to work with than people think (see Manton's thread on it).

Unless you work in a very formal environment, having half your MTM order be white shirts seems highly excessive to me.

Just one dude's opinion, though.

It's almost impossible to have too many light blue shirts. They go with pretty much everything and look great. If this is a "I'm only going to have six shirts" thread, I'd go with white and blue as the first two you suggest. If you work in a very conservative field, all white or blue is a good safe bet. You can do blue broadcloth, end-on-end, herringbone, bengal stripes, etc. Assuming these are to wear with suits, I'd go with:

1) White solid
2) White solid
3) Blue solid
4) Blue bengal stripe or herringbone
5) Blue check
6) Pink or lilac solid / bengal stripe

If you don't wear a suit everyday, I'd replace one of the white shirts with a blue OCBD. If you're in a more fashionable field or don't mind a bit more color, replace one of the blue pattern shirts with pink or lilac (whichever you did not get in 6) above).

When starting out, staples are critical, especially if you have a small shirt rotation. This means boring old white and blue. As you buy more shirts and expand your wardrobe, more color and patterns are a good idea.

Lilac solid seems like a good one to round it out.

I think lilac works with more complexions than the pink spectrum.

White
Blue
White (striped)
Blue (any pattern)
Lilic (any style)
Pink (any style)

Personally I would go for 2*white, 2*blue, 2*lilac (one plain and one patterned for each)

background i almost never wear a tie and i am considered of the more fashionable men in my office. i also love color. so i shouldn't bother with any contrast collar shirts? what about collar type and french cuff vs standard. i do have a good bit of slim fitting white shirts



quaker13 said:

background i almost never wear a tie and i am considered of the more fashionable men in my  office. i also love color. so i shouldn't bother with any contrast collar shirts? what about collar type and french cuff vs standard. i do have a good bit of slim fitting white shirts

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French cuff shirts generally take a jacket and tie. If you're not wearing a suit or tie with these shirts, you probably should get some barrel cuff shirts vs. french cuff. Seeing as you already have a decent number of white shirts, I'd think about getting only one white french cuff shirt for special occasions when you'll be in a suit and tie. You have other white shirts so have no need to get more. Light blue is always a good idea, and maybe add another pink or lilac shirt depending on what looks best on you.

Contrast collar shirts pretty much require a tie IMO and don't tend to look as good as most wearers think they do. I'd avoid them.

What industry do you work in? Not to offend, but some people do not dress appropriately for their industry and could stand to make some adjustments.

Like what you just described wouldn't seem appropriate if you worked in corporate finance, as an example.

French cuff are more formal so I'd get a standard, mitered cuff and single barrel or double barrel would both be fine.

TM79 said:

What industry do you work in? Not to offend, but some people do not dress appropriately for their industry and could stand to make some adjustments.

Like what you just described wouldn't seem appropriate if you worked in corporate finance, as an example.

French cuff are more formal so I'd get a standard, mitered cuff and single barrel or double barrel would both be fine.

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no offense taken, i work for a teeny tiny lil known government agency

archibaldleach said:

French cuff shirts generally take a jacket and tie. If you're not wearing a suit or tie with these shirts, you probably should get some barrel cuff shirts vs. french cuff. Seeing as you already have a decent number of white shirts, I'd think about getting only one white french cuff shirt for special occasions when you'll be in a suit and tie. You have other white shirts so have no need to get more. Light blue is always a good idea, and maybe add another pink or lilac shirt depending on what looks best on you.

Contrast collar shirts pretty much require a tie IMO and don't tend to look as good as most wearers think they do. I'd avoid them.

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thanks, what about collar should i do a spread, standard...etc

like i said i generally just wear a suit or sportscoat sans a tie



quaker13 said:

no offense taken, i work for a teeny tiny lil known government agency

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Hmm... in light of the NSA news: WHAT ARE YOU HIDING???

I kid, I kid. But really, PM me... haha.

For collars, I think a button down collar looks nice without a tie. Plus you have the added advantage of those buttons keeping your collar from flying away on you or getting all flattened out.

Semi-Spread would also look pretty nice with the top button undone. A full spread collar would probably be way too much separation up top and your collar points would be ending out by your shoulders or close to it.