How much do you $ on a Dress Shirt?

[Harold falcon]

BB OCBD in 100% cotton at around $60 when on sale is my usual purchase. But I own several propercloth (but no longer made in the USA) and other MTM that I will spend $150-$200 on. I would have a hard time justifying more than $200 on a dress shirt.

Originally Posted by sportin_life

How many wears do most of you get from your shirts? I try to keep my costs under $100 each b/c I have issues w/ collar stain and wear usually and end up tossing my shirts after 25-30 wears, which is why I cringe at spending more on them.
Although contrast collars are now a fashion item, they were originally the result of replacing dirty collars. If you buy your shirts from a local tailor he or she might be able to replace the collars if they get too dirty. This would be significantly cheaper than having to buy a new shirt, and would extend the life of the shirt, thus allowing you to justify spending a little more on the initial purchase. I have done this with two of my nicer MTM shirts that I did not want to part with. My local tailor replaced the collars for less than $25 each.

 

[Don Carlos]

Originally Posted by harvey_birdman

Although contrast collars are now a fashion item, they were originally the result of replacing dirty collars. If you buy your shirts from a local tailor he or she might be able to replace the collars if they get too dirty. This would be significantly cheaper than having to buy a new shirt, and would extend the life of the shirt, thus allowing you to justify spending a little more on the initial purchase. I have done this with two of my nicer MTM shirts that I did not want to part with. My local tailor replaced the collars for less than $25 each.
+1 There are very few dress shirt colors and patterns that wouldn't handle a white contrast collar well. I have had several frayed collars replaced in white, to no ill effect. I'm not suggesting that folks go out and actively try to convert all of their collars to white. But know that it's a much better alternative to tossing a high-quality, beloved item.

 

[dieselman89]

Great replies. I will most likely keep my $150 bespoke shirt. I really love the design, I have been looking for something like it for quit some time and finally got it!

In the future, I will look for BB and RL sales for dress shirts. I own several RL dress shirts which I've owned for 3-5 years and they have held up nicely. Especially my suede twill..

Also, a poster had mentioned NOT dry cleaning shirts. What is the recommendation to clean shirts if you don't dry clean? I've hear throwing them in the wash machine on delicates and then perm press in the dryer does the job. Thoughts?

 

[Don Carlos]

Originally Posted by dieselman89

Great replies. I will most likely keep my $150 bespoke shirt. I really love the design, I have been looking for something like it for quit some time and finally got it! In the future, I will look for BB and RL sales for dress shirts. I own several RL dress shirts which I've owned for 3-5 years and they have held up nicely. Especially my suede twill.. Also, a poster had mentioned NOT dry cleaning shirts. What is the recommendation to clean shirts if you don't dry clean? I've hear throwing them in the wash machine on delicates and then perm press in the dryer does the job. Thoughts?
Don't dryclean cotton shirts. Period. Either wash them yourself, which is the slightly OCD, Styleforum-approved method, or have them laundered at the dry cleaners. Key word being "laundered," i.e., "wet cleaned." The cleaners will run them through a washing machine and, more likely than not, stick them in a pressing machine to get them crisp. This machine can damage buttons pretty easily, and also abrade fabric over time. Hence, the enthusiast/OCD preference for home laundering. If you have the time, machine wash (cold, delicate cycle) your own shirts, hang to dry for a little while, then iron while still slightly damp. Do not put them in the dryer. If you don't have time for this routine, see if your local cleaners will wash and hand-iron your shirts. The better ones will, but expect quite an upcharge for the service.

 

[dieselman89]

Originally Posted by Don Carlos

Don't dryclean cotton shirts. Period. Either wash them yourself, which is the slightly OCD, Styleforum-approved method, or have them laundered at the dry cleaners. Key word being "laundered," i.e., "wet cleaned."

The cleaners will run them through a washing machine and, more likely than not, stick them in a pressing machine to get them crisp. This machine can damage buttons pretty easily, and also abrade fabric over time. Hence, the enthusiast/OCD preference for home laundering.

If you have the time, machine wash (cold, delicate cycle) your own shirts, hang to dry for a little while, then iron while still slightly damp. Do not put them in the dryer. If you don't have time for this routine, see if your local cleaners will wash and hand-iron your shirts. The better ones will, but expect quite an upcharge for the service.

Thanks. Well what about non-iron shirts that you can get from BB? I've always been informed to delicates>perm press.

 

[NORE]

I go up to $50 for NWT Polo Regents. Maybe $80-$90 for a NWT RLPL Keaton.

via eBay or B&S of course.

 

[mrbig]

Originally Posted by Antonio Centeno

A $50 shirt worn 2 times and then given away because you never really liked it is a waste of money.

A $200 dress shirt you just love and wear 200 times over 10 years until it falls apart is a love story.

I spend about $100-$150 per shirt, always buying them on sale but will buy staples at full retail. I buy shirts almost exclusively from Turnbull & Asser, They fit me well and are well made. I bought my first T&A shirt, a white one, back when they were 75GBP a pop (which seemed like a fortune for me then, it was AUD200 then too). Recently I found the collar frayed at the neck band and its at the point of re-collaring...when I pulled it out of the machine (which i always use on gentle for shirts) and saw it; I actually felt sad. When I had my old PRL OCBD's get shredded (once a long time ago), I just binned them and bought more. You get what you pay for.

 

[alliswell]

Originally Posted by cthip

this plus $10-$15 at a good tailor yields a shirt that is nearly impossible to beat for $50

sadly, i don't see their sales dipping down into that low price range anymore. also i've realized their collars are somewhat out-of-proportion with the small-ish knots that my slim ties make

They're at $38 right now.

 

[J. Cogburn]

Originally Posted by dieselman89

Bottom line, do y'all think $150 for a bespoke shirt is too much? I've never spent that much on a shirt...

I don't think you can get a bespoke shirt for that price outside of the better Hong Kong tailors such as W.W. Chan. MTM pretending to be bespoke, maybe. But perhaps I'm not as dedicted a shopper as some.

I took the plunge last week and ordered the first batch of about a dozen bespoke dress shirts. $350 or so each. Worth it i think. OTR shirts are rarely if ever going to perfectly fit at the collar and wrist and the body will only approximate what it would be in an ideal world given your body. Plus, you can have exactly what you want as far as fabric is concerened. I doubt that even the best OTR shirts at $500 will best a well-executed bespoke shirt (and are often more expensive to boot).

 

[Eustace Tilley]

Originally Posted by hermes man

i normally spend around 500$usd each (After discount they cost more before sale here..) (mostly are Giorgio Armani and 1 Gucci) ( but it could be cheaper in your place since my country has stupidly ridiculous boutique markups)

i want to get a dress shirt from Ermenegildo Zegna in the future if I have extra cash... right now i am keeping my money for something else...

You spend $500 on Armani shirts?

 

[Eustace Tilley]

Originally Posted by J. Cogburn

I took the plunge last week and ordered the first batch of about a dozen bespoke dress shirts.

Field?

 

[AB01]

Shirts that actually fit cost $99 to $175. I am currently making due without new shirts because of other life expenses, but worry shirts will sell out in my size once I can afford yet more shirts.

 

[alliswell]

Originally Posted by J. Cogburn

I took the plunge last week and ordered the first batch of about a dozen bespoke dress shirts. $350 or so each. Worth it i think. OTR shirts are rarely if ever going to perfectly fit at the collar and wrist and the body will only approximate what it would be in an ideal world given your body. Plus, you can have exactly what you want as far as fabric is concerened. I doubt that even the best OTR shirts at $500 will best a well-executed bespoke shirt (and are often more expensive to boot).

Did you get your pattern worked out first?

 

[Imhoff]

Originally Posted by Don Carlos

Don't dryclean cotton shirts. Period. Either wash them yourself, which is the slightly OCD, Styleforum-approved method, or have them laundered at the dry cleaners. Key word being "laundered," i.e., "wet cleaned." The cleaners will run them through a washing machine and, more likely than not, stick them in a pressing machine to get them crisp. This machine can damage buttons pretty easily, and also abrade fabric over time. Hence, the enthusiast/OCD preference for home laundering. If you have the time, machine wash (cold, delicate cycle) your own shirts, hang to dry for a little while, then iron while still slightly damp. Do not put them in the dryer. If you don't have time for this routine, see if your local cleaners will wash and hand-iron your shirts. The better ones will, but expect quite an upcharge for the service.
This. I learned the hard way about dry cleaning. Key is indeed to launder your shirts and not dry clean them. My shirts have lasted much longer doing it this method. Course, Don also makes a valid point in doing it yourself, but it is extremely tedious and time consuming. I usually spend anywhere from $20 to $100 on dress shirts. These are representing sale prices. Of course I have not stepped up into the world of MTM or Bespoke, but will always make sure the OTR shirt fits as best as it can with little alterations as possible.

 

[spitfirees20]

I know this is just going to get lumped in with the rest of the posts, but my advice regarding shirts is to disregard price. I know this sounds crazy, especially if you're on a tight budget, but it truly makes sense. You can get a (really nice) MTM shirt for $110 - $150, and you can get an absurdly good made to measure shirt for under $200. Take the time to replace all of the shirts in your wardrobe with MTM, no matter if it takes 3 weeks, a year, or a couple of years, and you will be a very happy camper. You'll have shirts that fit perfectly, in the exact fabrics that you want, with the exact details that you want; assuming your body doesn't drastically change, you'll wear these shirts day in and day out for years to come, and you're going to look great the whole time. The best part is you already have great shirts, and you're not going to have to buy new ones every season, or really replace them for awhile. Shirts are a staple you wear almost every single day; spending money and getting something you truly want that lasts awhile just makes sense.