The Definitive Guide to Slim Fit Shirts

And what about Thomas Pink slim fits? I have heard a couple people mention them, and while they are indeed pricey, I'd like a better idea of fit and quality overall.

Originally Posted by bigbilly

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couldnt agree more with mkarin...i used to believe the fashion brands = quality. over the years ive learned that is absolutely NOT the case! i find they often STARTED as quality, but once its a big business its all about the $$$$$$$!

I have spent thousands over the past few years on fashion brands that did not work out because either they didn't last (because of poor quality) or were too trendy, or both and had to be replaced. I have now learned that one's wardrobe should be an investment. I am now building my wardrobe with an eye towards that - and SF has been instrumental in that.

Originally Posted by Seph

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At Proper Cloth, we've done some serious research on this topic - see here: http://blog.propercloth.com/2008/10/...t-dress-shirt/ I haven't covered every shirt for sale, but got quite a few... The slimmest fitting shirts are from Esprit, Kenneth Cole, DKNY and Banana Republic. You'll see that the Brooks Brothers Slim Fit Shirt is really not that slim at all.

This chart was moved to http://propercloth.com/blog/2008/per...t-dress-shirt/.

Any other charts or data people interested in seeing?

I'm currently looking for some decent quality slim fit dress shirts (that need to be tucked in) that are mostly slim on the arms and the waist. I normally use a 15 1/2 collar/neck.

I've been using theory and some hugo boss as of late I just want to see my other options. Price range would preferably be between 60 to 200 dollars per shirt.

what shirts would give me the most bang for the buck (preferably towards the lower 100 dollar range per shirt if possible.)

There's a brand out of canada called 'Lipson Shirts' i think they have a few lines; the more reasonably priced one is called Jack Lipson ; the more expensive one is 'Signature' i hear they make a good product for the money .......

Originally Posted by unicornwarrior

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I'm currently looking for some decent quality slim fit dress shirts (that need to be tucked in) that are mostly slim on the arms and the waist. I normally use a 15 1/2 collar/neck.

I've been using theory and some hugo boss as of late I just want to see my other options. Price range would preferably be between 60 to 200 dollars per shirt.

what shirts would give me the most bang for the buck (preferably towards the lower 100 dollar range per shirt if possible.)

There's really not many quality slim fitting shirts in that price range off the rack. Thomas Pink makes a good quality shirt that a lot of my customers seem to like. Although for me their slim fit fits pretty tight in the shoulders - as if the sleeves are sewn on the body angled downwards more than I'm used to. They also don't put a lot of taper in the waist. You're talking $150-$180/shirt. Pink is nice because they have both classic whites and blues as well as really interesting bright, bold stripes. They also are all single needle stitching, the slim fits have an extra panel in the side to give the shirt more shape, and reinforced gussets. Nice details that usually signify quality.

I recently was in Ted Baker, and their shirts seemed to be decent quality, and the fit was pretty slim. Only problem was the collar. As the manager told me - "Size 17 is a fat mans shirt". Well, what if I have a 17" neck but am not fat??? I did like the fit of the Size 16 - was pretty slim with sleeves that are plenty long - but I wouldn't be able to wear it with a tie. The collar was just too tight - and this is before it shrinks. The other problem is that most of their shirts are too flashy for the office, which is what I usually look for.

You can always go made-to-measure - and get something that fits really well, is high quality, and costs less than $100. You just might have to wait a week or two before you get it.

Originally Posted by unicornwarrior

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I'm currently looking for some decent quality slim fit dress shirts (that need to be tucked in) that are mostly slim on the arms and the waist. I normally use a 15 1/2 collar/neck.

I've been using theory and some hugo boss as of late I just want to see my other options. Price range would preferably be between 60 to 200 dollars per shirt.

what shirts would give me the most bang for the buck (preferably towards the lower 100 dollar range per shirt if possible.)

RL Custom Fit's are a better fit than Pink or Tyrwhitt IMHO. You can get them from Polo's website or check Belk, Marshalls, TJ Maxx, Ebay, etc. Overpriced retail but are a value on sale and would definitely fit your budget.

I went to a store for the first time today - Lugo on Mott St, NYC. It's a small store, but there are many dress shirts available.

I picked up a classic white shirt with barrel cuffs - the fabric is crisp, the buttons are mother of pearl, single-needle stitching, and the fit and finish are all top notch. It's cut slim, though slightly bigger in the shoulders. It's not as slim as H&M's can be, but it fits great. There's no front pocket and no pleats in the back, so it's a very streamlined look. It's a nice twist to combine the super-slim fit with the a more classic relaxed look.

According to GQ, the fabric is sourced from Italy (the guy in the store said it comes from one of the best mills in the country) and then the shirts are also made in Italy.

The price is the best part: I paid $150. A bargain for the quality in my book. The shirts with patterns are a bit more ($200), but they have some very unique (and fantastic) looking shirts. Ties are also very reasonably priced around $98.

Depending on the cut, APC button-downs offer an great fit in XS. Their sizes can be inconsistent, but the shirts that fit me best come from APC, and I always get questions on where I found such well-fitting shirts. I'm a size 36 and 5' 10", by the way.

TM Lewin does a number of slim fit shirts. Though they do vary in terms of widths in their chest sizes. Their slim fit shirts are called semi fitted but one fit which caught my eye was the fitted shirt. Definitely the best fitting shirt in the torso. Also received acknowledgements from the sales staff and customers about the fit. Nearly bought it but unfortunately the sleeves felt too loose for my liking. Although the sales assistant mentioned that they could correct the problem for a fee of £8 it would push up the cost of the shirt nearer to the better quality shirts prices therefore making it poor value for money.

Curtis & Hawes semi fitted shirts (slim fit) were similar in fit to the TM Lewin's slim fit shirts.

Brook Brother's shirts fitted like a tent in the torso as well as arms. Shame really, I liked the fabric.

Thomas Pink's slim fit shirts fitted like reasonably and the arms were baggy and long. Nice shirts but not the fit or price I was looking for.

The H&F shirt looked nice but the sales person felt that the shirt would be too big for me.

H&H were waiting on their delivery of slim cut shirts but I've heard a variety of chest sizes. Anything for 38" to 41". Disturbing one claimed that there would be no orders with 15" collars. Very helpful staff. The shop had some interesting casual coats/jackets on show.

I think Hugo Boss shirts are slim fitted. From pit to pit it measured 48cm with collar size being 15". I did't tried them on as I though they were expensive for £75. Considering that I could get a bespoke shirt made for me for just £85 including the fabric.

My favourite fit was the H&M shirt with french cuffs. Perhaps it was too fitted in the torso as it was difficult to tuck the shirt in properly. But for £20 it is something that I can easily overlook for the moment.

Somehow, I think it is going to be very difficult, without going through mtm/bespoke route, to find a quality RTW shirt, priced reasonably with a great fit. The search will go on...

I concur with the express shirts thing. I washed two of them and one is now unwearable because inexplicable stains came from somewhere. Of course theses are the regular ones not slim-fit. The slim-fits do have a better feel quality though.

Originally Posted by Another level

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TM Lewin does a number of slim fit shirts. Though they do vary in terms of widths in their chest sizes. Their slim fit shirts are called semi fitted but one fit which caught my eye was the fitted shirt. Definitely the best fitting shirt in the torso. Also received acknowledgements from the sales staff and customers about the fit. Nearly bought it but unfortunately the sleeves felt too loose for my liking. Although the sales assistant mentioned that they could correct the problem for a fee of £8 it would push up the cost of the shirt nearer to the better quality shirts prices therefore making it poor value for money.

Curtis & Hawes semi fitted shirts (slim fit) were similar in fit to the TM Lewin's slim fit shirts.

Brook Brother's shirts fitted like a tent in the torso as well as arms. Shame really, I liked the fabric.

Thomas Pink's slim fit shirts fitted like reasonably and the arms were baggy and long. Nice shirts but not the fit or price I was looking for.

The H&F shirt looked nice but the sales person felt that the shirt would be too big for me.

H&H were waiting on their delivery of slim cut shirts but I've heard a variety of chest sizes. Anything for 38" to 41". Disturbing one claimed that there would be no orders with 15" collars. Very helpful staff. The shop had some interesting casual coats/jackets on show.

I think Hugo Boss shirts are slim fitted. From pit to pit it measured 48cm with collar size being 15". I did't tried them on as I though they were expensive for £75. Considering that I could get a bespoke shirt made for me for just £85 including the fabric.

Somehow, I think it is going to be very difficult, without going through mtm/bespoke route, to find a quality RTW shirt, priced reasonably with a great fit. The search will go on...

I have been wearing Hugo Boss slimfits and while they fit me quite well, at their regular price (US $150), I am contemplating getting bespoke or MTM ones instead. Do you guys think bespoke or MTM shirts will be significantly better than Hugo Boss, for example, in terms of fit and durability?

I have found shirts from Modern Amusement to be very well fitted. Also they are quite cheap, running about $120.

To buy my shirts slim and fitted when on-line I shop at Gap or JCrew, BR etc that offer tall sizes. I am generally an XL size in shirts to to get a slimmer fit I order an L in the tall catagory. It works most of the time.

Originally Posted by modernaRRL

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I have found shirts from Modern Amusement to be very well fitted. Also they are quite cheap, running about $120.

Well, i'm not sure I'd say 120 dollars is necessarily cheap. Modern Amusement has some pretty neat shirts, but I'd say most of them would have to be used in a purely casual setting. Also I have to say the quality on a few of the pieces is lacking for the price.