The shirt is the fulcrum of every outfit. Therefore, particular attention should be given before buying one. The things to consider when you want to buy your shirt are the fabric, the collar and the cut.

Fabric

Your basic dress shirt is most likely made of cotton. Cotton is considered as the number one fitting fabric for the dress shirt. 100 percent cotton shirts provides for excellent comfort as it allows the body to breath and also absorbs moisture when you perspire. However, natural cotton costs more that the synthetic blends. It is not uncommon for today’s dress shirts to be made of silk or synthetic blends, sacrificing some element of comfort for more aesthetically pleasing sheens. There really is no “right” fabric to choose when buying a dress shirt, a balance between comfort and sheen, will dictate the choice of fabric you will want your shirt to be made of.

Collar

After a fabric has been chosen, the next thing to consider is the collar. This is probably the MOST important part of the shirt, as when one wears a suit, this is the only part of the shirt that will be seen. When choosing a shirt to wear with a suit, one must consider whether the dress shirt compliments the image the suit projects. The main collar types are listed below:-

The Rounded Collar
The rounded collar is worn starched and is so called because the collar points are rounded to give it a softer look. However, one needs to be mindful, as this type of collar does not compliment a man with a round face. .

The Button-Down Collar
This collar apparently was originally invented so that it fastened down in order to prevent flapping in a polo player's face during a match. Thus it is not considered as a dressy collar, and is more likely to be worn with jeans or khakis (chinos) for casual functions.

The Regular Straight-Point Collar
The regular straight-point collar with medium points is most likely the type of collar you will find when shopping at your local store. It is the basic upside down v shape that you see on most shirts. It is a shirt collar that can be worn with any style suit.

The Windsor Collar/ Spread Collar
It is said to be the most formal of all collar styles. Often worn with single-breasted suits, it looks best with double-breasted jackets since its crisscrossing collar suggests the crossing lines of the jacket.

The Cut and Fit

When choosing a shirt, comfort should definitely be a top priority in terms of the cut. The collar should rest comfortably next to your neck and there should be no chaffing when turning your head. The length of the shirt should hang at least six inches below the waist so that it stays tucked in when you move around. It should not be so long, however, that it creates bulges in front of the trousers. As for the sleeves of the shirt, they should show a full half an inch beyond the sleeves of your jacket. Generally, a good rule to follow is that they should finish approximately a half-inch below the break of the wrist. If you bend your arm and the cuff recedes behind the wrist, the sleeve is too short. A proper size sleeve will allow you to move your arm in any position without withdrawing the cuff. The cuff itself should fit snugly enough to hold its place snugly. Cuffs come in two basic types, the barrel and the French cuffs. The barrel cuff is usually what you would find off the rack, that is to say the barrel cuff fastens by one or two buttons whilst the French cuff folds back into itself and is held together by a cufflink. Neither is considered the better, although the French cuff by far looks more stylish. Well now that you are armed with some basic knowledge of the dress shirt.