Looking for Budget Friendly Dress Shirt Recommendations (Building New Wardrobe)

[hillch12]

Hello friends,

I am rebuilding my wardrobe after a career change and could use some advice. I will be wearing dress shirts daily, often accompanied with a blazer and the occasional full suit and tie (no jeans or other such casual wear in the office), so I want to invest in some decent quality shirts. That said, I’m not at a stage in my life where I can justify or afford spending $150+ per shirt.

Two questions:
1) Thoughts on exploring the used market on places like StyleForum or eBay? I’ve purchased outerwear, trousers, etc. second hand over the years, but never shirts. Fitting on a second hard dress shirt seems like it could be difficult.

2) If I go new, any brand suggestions for under $100/shirt? The market for men’s dress shirts is overwhelmingly large and I’m having a hard time separating the wheat from the chaff.

Apologies if there have been similar threads created. Please feel free to direct me to other recent threads if you feel it appropriate.

Any insight would be greatly appreciated!

Christian

 

[grippybananas]

If you know your measurements, https://www.theweaveabove.com/products/shirts

 

[SteveMc]

https://www.charlestyrwhitt.com/intl/mens-shirts/ could be a good alternative for your budget. They often have a 3 for 99 usd deals. Decent shirts for office beaters. 3 fits and sleeve length selection per neck size enable you to find a good fit.

Spier & Mackay is also a good option. Especially if you live in the US or Canada. Their sizing is sometimes inconsistent across seasons. They run sales throughout the year.

 

[rjc149]

I second Charles Tyrwhitt. 3 for $99 is probably the best deal in dress shirts. I’ve stuck with these long after my budget allowed for nicer shirts. I simply don’t see the need to wear $100+ white dress shirts around the office.

 

[TheSuitBurnsBetter]

Cavour has really nice shirts at exactly $100.

Also look at eHaberdasher's Benjamin Sartorial line. An incredible value but not sure how many sizes they still have in stock.

 

[maxalex]

I wouldn’t buy used shirts. Not everyone wears undershirts—but even if they did, you’ve got bare necks and arms rubbing against the fabric. In the secondhand market I occasionally buy sweaters and outerwear, maybe an Hermès scarf if I spot one, but that’s it.

 

[Thomas Auer]

It really depends on what quality you are looking for. I think the cavour shirts in sale are pretty great value for money-they use decent fabrics and are single needle stitched (if this is important to you). Had some shirts from ehaberdasher some years ago and found them pretty decent (especially fit wise). Than again, if you wanna go cheaper, Charles thyrwitt is a decent option-just be aware that fabric and make are not the same as the other options

 

[Green Lantern]

LOOK for SALES! I like Eton, David Donahue, Stenstroms and the nicer Nordstrom lines. It takes time, but find the cuts you like from the various brands, then do your research. I love brick and mortar locations but I tend to use them as fitters and then I will search the web for sales. If you are diligent, you will be surprised at how fast your shirt inventory will grow.

 

[hillch12]

Apologies for the late response, I’ve been traveling for work, but these are all very welcome recommendations! I will respond below…

https://www.charlestyrwhitt.com/intl/mens-shirts/ could be a good alternative for your budget. They often have a 3 for 99 usd deals. Decent shirts for office beaters. 3 fits and sleeve length selection per neck size enable you to find a good fit.

Spier & Mackay is also a good option. Especially if you live in the US or Canada. Their sizing is sometimes inconsistent across seasons. They run sales throughout the year.

This has been my answer historically, but I’ve found the QC and the overall construction quality of both of these shirt brands to be poor (feels like they’ve gotten noticeably worse over the last couple years since COVID; maybe that’s just my experience).

If you know your measurements, https://www.theweaveabove.com/products/shirts

Checking them out as we speak. I’m intrigued… will do a bit more due diligence and may give them a shot.

Cavour has really nice shirts at exactly $100.

Also look at eHaberdasher's Benjamin Sartorial line. An incredible value but not sure how many sizes they still have in stock.

I haven’t run into either of these brands, so will explore further this evening- thank you for the suggestion!

I wouldn’t buy used shirts. Not everyone wears undershirts—but even if they did, you’ve got bare necks and arms rubbing against the fabric. In the secondhand market I occasionally buy sweaters and outerwear, maybe an Hermès scarf if I spot one, but that’s it.

Fair assessment. I’m less concerned with the potential cleanliness issue than I am with the fit and longevity, given that I don’t know how frequently the prior owner wore/washed them.

It really depends on what quality you are looking for. I think the cavour shirts in sale are pretty great value for money-they use decent fabrics and are single needle stitched (if this is important to you). Had some shirts from ehaberdasher some years ago and found them pretty decent (especially fit wise). Than again, if you wanna go cheaper, Charles thyrwitt is a decent option-just be aware that fabric and make are not the same as the other options

As mentioned above, I’ll definitely look into those options!

LOOK for SALES! I like Eton, David Donahue, Stenstroms and the nicer Nordstrom lines. It takes time, but find the cuts you like from the various brands, then do your research. I love brick and mortar locations but I tend to use them as fitters and then I will search the web for sales. If you are diligent, you will be surprised at how fast your shirt inventory will grow.

I’ve done quite a lot of that, it just gets a bit frustrating searching through picked over clearance sections and hoping for the perfect size, fabric, etc. That said, I’ll continue to peruse sales and see what I can find!

 

[maxalex]

Apologies for the late response, I’ve been traveling for work, but these are all very welcome recommendations! I will respond below…


This has been my answer historically, but I’ve found the QC and the overall construction quality of both of these shirt brands to be poor (feels like they’ve gotten noticeably worse over the last couple years since COVID; maybe that’s just my experience).

Checking them out as we speak. I’m intrigued… will do a bit more due diligence and may give them a shot.

I haven’t run into either of these brands, so will explore further this evening- thank you for the suggestion!

Fair assessment. I’m less concerned with the potential cleanliness issue than I am with the fit and longevity, given that I don’t know how frequently the prior owner wore/washed them.

As mentioned above, I’ll definitely look into those options!

I’ve done quite a lot of that, it just gets a bit frustrating searching through picked over clearance sections and hoping for the perfect size, fabric, etc. That said, I’ll continue to peruse sales and see what I can find!

Fit and wear are indeed other valid concerns with used shirts. I should revise my post to say I do occasionally buy vintage Levi's denim shirts in the secondhand shops in Naples. I'm talking about the ones with MOP snaps that were actually once made in San Francisco. There is no way to buy them new by definition, and the thick fabric lasts for many years. Plus as casual shirts I'm less picky about the fit.

 

[GaiusM]

Maker's Kamkura
Their sizing is a bit odd but once you find out what works for you their QC and price are excellent.

 

[strider11]

After dipping into the Spier & Mackay custom market (not happy with the fit after a few cleanings), I went back to the Milano line at Brooks Brothers. Usually get 2 shirts on sale for about $75-$115 per shirt. The fit is contemporary and slim without being too tight.

 

[ASNY2VA]

Hello friends,

I am rebuilding my wardrobe after a career change and could use some advice. I will be wearing dress shirts daily, often accompanied with a blazer and the occasional full suit and tie (no jeans or other such casual wear in the office), so I want to invest in some decent quality shirts. That said, I’m not at a stage in my life where I can justify or afford spending $150+ per shirt.

Two questions:
1) Thoughts on exploring the used market on places like StyleForum or eBay? I’ve purchased outerwear, trousers, etc. second hand over the years, but never shirts. Fitting on a second hard dress shirt seems like it could be difficult.

2) If I go new, any brand suggestions for under $100/shirt? The market for men’s dress shirts is overwhelmingly large and I’m having a hard time separating the wheat from the chaff.

Apologies if there have been similar threads created. Please feel free to direct me to other recent threads if you feel it appropriate.

Any insight would be greatly appreciated!

Christian

I can point you to two possible options (in no particular order)

Ledbury- They have a fairly wide range of ready to wear or made to order options, both casual and business. They may be at the top of your price range at retail, but often run promotions.

Larimars- I discovered them on these forums. I have a handful of shirts from them and think they are a great value. They also have pretty detailed size charts which helps reduce the guesswork from buying online.

 

[misterlovemenswear]

If you have difficulty with the fit of a shirt and that's your main concern, you might want to rethink your budget and try something which is going to cost more but have a better cut, and have less shirts overall. It's always better to wear the same well fitting shirt twice then two uncomfortable or ill fitting shirts. That's my opinion. Good luck with your hunt.