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Tucking in shirt - age, culture or what?

tokyodandy

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Is wearing a shirt untucked more of a US thing or an "under 30" thing or what? I'm confused!

My office is formal except on Fridays so on that day I wear jeans and a casual shirt, either tucked or untucked. Last week I wore a short-ish shirt, untucked with jeans and boots. Yesterday I wore a short-ish white shirt (casual, some fancy lining on the collar and cuffs) I had made for me, but decided to wear it tucked in with the jeans and a black Boss jacket with patch pockets for when I step out of the office. Looked fine, got compliments from the ladies and so on.

Anyway, one guy (ironically somebody who never dresses smartly or with any style at all) said to me in a condescending tone "I can never get used to this 'shirt tucked in' look" as if I were doing something wildly unconventional.

Reading SF it seems that many people feel the same - 'if it's not a dress shirt it shouldn't be tucked' is close to consensus. This is something that completely passed me by as I wear casual shirts tucked in most of the time. Is this look a complete aberration in the US? (I'm a Brit working in Japan.) Or is it because I'm in my late 30s i.e. this look is something that spread after I left school and college?

I will continue to wear whatever I feel comfortable with but I'm curious as to what others think!

TD
 

dfagdfsh

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I never tuck. It makes me feel like a total dork.
 

KitAkira

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Only time I tuck casual shirts is when I'm wearing something over them
 

TxdoHawk

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For me, it's typically a combo of length and formality. If I'm working, it's usually tucked. If I'm off the clock, untucked unless the shirt demands otherwise (and generally I won't be wearing it in that case). I'm tall thin and lanky though, so it's pretty much impossible for me to pull of a tucked shirt casually.
 

Biscotti

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All on length, it only matters what vision you wish to create. I only leave shirtjacs untucked, I tuck in other shirts. If you prefer to let them untucked make sure to hem them shorter. There are no rules!
 

Fortysomething

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Originally Posted by whodini
How about something much more simple: is the shirt long enough that it needs to be tucked in or short enough so that it shouldn't?

That's my criteria.


Agreed, but sometimes I run into the "in between length". Then what? What length says it should be tucked in as opposed to either or? The short enough part is easy if for me in the sense that if I don't think it will stay tucked in, then it won't be that way to start with.

I can understand the "I can't get used to the untucked look" comment. There are days when I wonder when untucked looks good versus too stodgey.

Edit: I find it easier to leave a non-button down shirt untucked, than a button down.
 

tokyodandy

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Originally Posted by whodini
How about something much more simple: is the shirt long enough that it needs to be tucked in or short enough so that it shouldn't?
In my case when I had the shirts made up I specified a shorter hem so that I could wear them untucked if I felt that way. Both will stay tucked, although for the next set of shirts I might have them made an inch longer.

TD
 

tatet

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I'll only tuck in if the shirt is really slim, because the last anyone wants is a muffin top with tight jeans
 

herzzreh

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Originally Posted by whodini
How about something much more simple: is the shirt long enough that it needs to be tucked in or short enough so that it shouldn't?

That's my criteria.


Yeah, but what is "long enough"?
 

Superb0bo

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I used to be very uncomfortable with tucked shirts, mostly because I felt my proportions are weird (freakishly long legs), but the last couple of months ive started tucking some shirts, chambray westerns, flannel bds, ocbds, especially when I wear something over. As I further embrace Dad´s style, I feel it just looks cleaner and neater.
 

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