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Intense Question: Placket or No Placket? Or a Concealed Placket!?

Harold falcon

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Originally Posted by Made in California
There have been a few mentions of no placket looking cheap. I was looking at my wardrobe, which doesn't consist of many shirts, and I noticed that the most expensive shirts that I own (Versace and Costume National Homme) both do not have plackets, and the cheapest shirts I own do have plackets. So I don't think I agree that having no placket will be perceived as lacking in build quality or being cheaply made.
bigstar[1].gif


There's your problem. Stop buying Italian trash. You're overpaying for name and not getting a quality shirt.
 

Made in California

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Originally Posted by harvey_birdman
There's your problem. Stop buying Italian trash. You're overpaying for name and not getting a quality shirt.

But I love the look of the Versace one! It's quite comfortable and it looks like no other shirt I've seen! I care much more about the appearance than whether or not it lasts 10 years (and yes, I realize everyone here disagrees with this). However, you will be happy to know that this thread was created in the anticipation of getting my next shirt MTM.

Originally Posted by harvey_birdman
One would look silly without a placket.

Can you elaborate a little bit more on this?
 

TheFoo

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Originally Posted by Made in California
Originally Posted by harvey_birdman
One would look silly without a placket.
Can you elaborate a little bit more on this?

There's nothing to elaborate on since that's a ridiculous thing to say. It's also ridiculous to claim that only cheap shirts don't have plackets. Case in point, only my cheaper shirts have plackets--but that doesn't mean plackets are indicative of cheap shirts. It's not a matter of expense or propriety, but stylistic choice. For example, it seems that Italian shirtmakers are more likely to prefer placketless shirts than English shirtmakers, for whom a placket appears all but mandatory. My bespoke shirts from Naples are all without placket, and it's hard to imagine them looking right otherwise. There is no ultimate right or wrong here and anyone who pretends otherwise is blowing hot air.
 

Ataturk

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Depends on what you want the shirt for. If it's going to be a light-colored, daytime shirt, I'd go with a placket. If it's made right (without interfacing or, heaven forbid, fusing) and left unstarched, it'll wrinkle (maybe crinkle is a better word) a little and give the shirt a softer and more casual appearance.

On the other hand if you're looking for a black "clubbing shirt" or something, well, do whatever you want.
 

Harold falcon

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Originally Posted by Made in California
Can you elaborate a little bit more on this?

image1xl.jpg


Ridiculous.
 

TheFoo

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Originally Posted by harvey_birdman
image1xl.jpg


Ridiculous.


He doesn't look ridiculous because he doesn't have a placket.
 

Harold falcon

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Originally Posted by mafoofan
He doesn't look ridiculous because he doesn't have a placket.
seinfeld.jpg
 

Made in California

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Originally Posted by harvey_birdman
image1xl.jpg
Ridiculous.

So you would like this look a lot more with a placket, huh?
 

Made in California

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Originally Posted by Rosencrantz1
Uh, ok!

Meaning it's an admittedly small sample size, so the conclusion I draw in the following sentence *might* not be correct.
 

Made in California

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Originally Posted by mafoofan
I think the choice should have less to do with your body and more to do with the style of shirt you pick. Unfortunately, I don't have much specific advice beyond that.

Alright, then this will help. Here is the shirt:
b-1.jpg

But with portofino cuffs and a spread collar
 

username79

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Personal preference. 1 1/4" with stitching 3/8" from the sides. RLBL, RLPL do this as standard. Like so:
b-1.jpg
 

Made in California

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Originally Posted by username79
Personal preference. 1 1/4" with stitching 3/8" from the sides. RLBL, RLPL do this as standard.

Like so:

b-1.jpg


That's cool. If I do a placket I'd like to try one like that. Is it simple to ask Modern Tailor to do this? Because I feel like my options are just yes/no/concealed.
confused.gif
 

Redwoood

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I'm with foo on this one, whatever looks good.

The argument of 'cheap shirts have no placket', apart from holding no water, is irrelevant.
The whole point of mtm/bespoke is to get the shirt you want, not a shirt that has features that cheap shirts do not. Sure, if you get a quadruple-button 2 inch collar, everybody will know you didn't buy this shirt at Macy's. But how is it going to look?
My advice is, if your primary concern is a shirt that looks good (and quality of construction), design a shirt according to what's aesthetically pleasing. Websites like Tailorstore can be useful for playing around with these things (assuming they offer a similar fabric/collar/cuffs)
If your primary concern is a shirt that looks expensive, I suggest getting a designer shirt with a fat label everybody can see, or if it has to be MTM/bespoke, you could have them line collar and cuffs with $100 bills (for a subtle look). If subtle is not your thing, I suggest the following monogram, placed across the chest: "This is a custom shirt you can't afford, peon!"

For this particular fabric, I think a placket's edge could potentially interfere with the checker board pattern depending on how they cut it, though it's hard to say, and I am usually inclined towards placket-less anyway. It won't look terrible either way.
 

Made in California

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Originally Posted by Redwoood
if you get a quadruple-button 2 inch collar, everybody will know you didn't buy this shirt at Macy's. But how is it going to look?

Hmmm... pic of the quadruple-button??
rolleyes.gif
 

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