How do you prefer the details of your shirt?

[Kaplan]

When ordering MTM/bespoke or when picking something up off the rack, what do you look for?

I have some preferences myself, but not all of them are necessarily thought very much through, so I would like to hear about why you pick what you do - be it for purely aesthetic, functional, historic, related to craftmanship, or some other reasons.

Here are some of the specifics I have in mind:

Cloth (quality and weave), collar (type, size and interlining), cuffs (french, mitered, round, square, size), cuff buttons (# of, placement, gauntlet button or not), front (french or placket), back (pleats, plain or darted), gussets, split yoke.

Please comment on as few or as many details as you like

 

[ksuhwail]

I shy away from box pleats and pockets for some reason and love French cuff. I also look at the quality of the buttons and at pattern matching. I'm no tailor so this is my improvised ruler of quality.

 

[centrix]

french cuff ftw i have pockets for functionality tho even if they are ugly they are goddamn useful

 

[card_richelieu]

Very important: Fairly high collars; spread or cutaway collars. Not having these is not a deal breaker but the shirt better have some other highly-redeeming quality.

I try to avoid pleats and pockets. I really like 2 collar buttons too, but that is usually just gravy.

 

[VKK3450]

No pleats, plain placket, darts.

K

 

[apropos]

For all shirts: 2-ply 100s minimum, prefer 120s, plain placket front, side pleats at back, split yoke, side gussets, pattern matching, 2mm shell buttons If barrel-cuffed: collar spread/short spread, soft collar, 2 cuff buttons, 1x gauntlet button, mitred cuffs, 1x chest pocket If french-cuffed: collar spread/short spread/cutaway, moderate-hard collar, no chest pocket

 

[P-K-L]

Spread collar, thick mop buttons, no pockets, fatte a mano fetish stuff.

 

[R.O. Thornhill]

I get pretty much all of my shirts made in the same way:
- Collar: semi-spread collar (though am continually varying small details like length and exact angle of points)
- Cuffs: french cuffs, no gauntlet button
- Construction: placket (I find a placket helps the collar stand up better when worn without a tie), darts (I like my shirts quite fitted, and have a significant drop), split yoke (not sure why), no pleats, never a pocket
- Materials: High quality cottons (Alumo, Acorn - mainly in 2x120, but also some in 2x150, and one in 2x200) mainly plain blue/white/pink with some sort of texture (weave, herringbone, royal oxford), as well as a couple of stripes; and nice MOP buttons (not too thick)

 

[Kaplan]

Thanks for your replies - especially to those who took the time to write a little about why you choose what you do.

To those that mentioned they prefer a 'plain placket', do you actually mean 'french front' (without stitching) or 'placket front' (with an extra strip of cloth sewn on).

Keep in mind that Jantzen switched these two around, leading to some of the confusion with these terms...

 

[VKK3450]

I call a French front a plain placket. No piece of fabric and to me a much cleaner look.

Considering todays sewing technology is there any functional benefit to gussets anymore? I know they were reinforcements before, but do we need them at all now?

K

 

[Kaplan]

^^ I don't think that gussets are necessary for the longevity of a shirt (I have shirts I bought more than 18 years ago that show no particular signs of wear in those areas), but I think they can be an interesting design detail.

Originally Posted by R.O. Thornhill

- Cuffs: no gauntlet button
Why no gauntlet button?

Originally Posted by R.O. Thornhill

- Construction: darts (I like my shirts quite fitted, and have a significant drop
Are darts pretty much necessary for a MTM shirt to be slim fitting for someone with a drop of 6"?

 

[R.O. Thornhill]

I just feel that gauntlet buttons look busy (and they are fiddly in use as well). I like the clean look of not having them

As for darts viz drop size. Not sure at what point they become a necessity, but I have a 9-10" drop so for me they are pretty much essential (or at least none of my shirtmakers have managed a good fit without them)

 

[brewstafari]

As far as collar & cuff go (both type and color), you have to mix it up - it's boring as hell to have all of your shirts the same style.

Same for materials, but a fine twill and end-on-end broadcloth are hands down my two choices. I like solid, textured shirts and slightly busier ties.

Always edge stiching on the cuff & collar, no pocket thick MOP buttons, split-yoke in the back (drapes better for me), and side pleats. I go side pleats on my MTM shirts because i've found it's the only way for my shirts to fit correctly (9" drop) without darts. The side pleats don't open entirely, but they're just enough to allow the shirt to sit right. I've tried many shirts without pleats at all, and they are always SLIGHTLY too tight around my chest when they are sized to fit the rest of my body.

My 'favorite' combo is semi-spread collar (like what Brooks Brothers calles the Ainsley, as an example--i like wide-spread collars but I find it's tough to wear a tie without it showing under the collar) and mitered french cuff (french cuff with the angular edge).

Kaplan - you can definitely pull off a 6" drop without darts

 

[bowtielover]

When I get shirts made I look for the color or pattern I want first then pick out the fabric. I like a nice cotton or cotton blend and i always look for the highest thread count. The collar must be wide spread or a cut away, and the buttons to be hidden. I also like french cuffs, a center seem in the back, tailored threw the mid section and monogrammed on the sleeve with no pocket.

 

[nordicstyle]

I prefer shirts with pointy or longer collars (i.e. no spread/business collar), since I don't wear ties. I also like them to be as plain and simple as possible, preferably with no pockets. Sometimes I'll go for the placket covering the buttons, but usually not. I like slightly longer cuffs and a slim cut with surpressed waist. French cuffs are also nice from time to time. Fabric should be soft and not too warm, but solid enough not to be see-thru.