Choosing fabric for online MTM shirts

[g trotter]

Hi all,

This is my first post and I've been reading through dozens that ask things similar to this but still feel lost, so go easy on me

I'm trying to build a business wardrobe and want to spend somewhere in the range of $500 on 4-5 shirts and about the same on 2-3 pairs of slacks. At first I was set on finding a bespoke tailor in Chicago who could do decent work for somewhere in the $120/shirt price range, but after reading up on the local tailors here on SF, they're either significantly out of my price range, or simply not reliable.

That pushed me to MTM tailors online, but though I understand a little about fabrics, I'm still finding it really stressful to determine what separates an average Jos. A Bank looking fabric from a nice Hugo Boss one.

Could anyone help me out with a suggestion of what a good base line is for a few professional shirts that I could wear to client meetings and at least fit in with a crowd that buys everything at Nordstroms? Would it be a better idea to just buy four or five Hugo Boss shirts which fit me relatively well for about $120 each, or is it worth it to go MTM online without even getting to feel the fabric first?

 

[unbelragazzo]

1) Hugo Boss shirts are crap in my experience

2) Things that separate a good shirt from a crappy shirt (in order of importance IMHO):

-fit
-collar
-fabric
-construction (stitches per inch, stuff like that)
-detailing

3) Worth it to go MTM online. Go slowly - it might take a couple of iterations to get the fit right, so nail down the fit on one shirt first before proceeding to ordering more. Most places will be willing to send you some swatches of fabrics for you to choose from.

 

[Gauss17]



-collar

This one is huge.

 

[connor09]

I agree with going for MTM online for you r shirts and sometimes you get a good offer online for purchasing multiple shirts. Of course, everything that should be taken into account, collar, fit, etc.