The three essential shirts every man should have

So there are a lot of different shirt fabrics out there. If you’ve seen the BE fabric book you know there are literally hundreds to choose from. Where to begin? Well, if you’re building a wardrobe or perhaps starting all over again from scratch, there are just three essential shirts that you’ll want to have in your closet.

The following three shirt fabrics are the most versatile choices you have available. You can dress them up or down and wear them all over town. Dinners out, formal occasions, work, pleasure, and everything in between, these three shirts will provide you a solid foundation from which to build. Without a doubt, these are the three essential shirts every man should have.

1. White – but with some panache!

Face it, you need a white shirt. Whether it’s for an interview where you want something relatively conservative or plan to wear a dark suit for a formal occasion, white is the obvious choice. But that doesn’t mean it needs to be boring. For instance, BE offers 40 white fabrics of varying textures to set you apart from the crowd.

Just about any tie will work with a white shirt. And any suit for that matter.

One of the best combos with a white shirt is this: A dark blazer, dark jeans, white shirt and white pocket square. Just like that, you’re instantly dressed up and ready for anything.

Traveling? Put on your tie when you get your rental car before heading to the meeting. Dressing down? Unbutton the top button and you’re ready for happy hour. Speaking of a dark blazer, in future posts, I’ll tell you exactly what the one suit is that you need to have if you’re buying your first suit.

2. French blue – The most friendly of all fabrics

Believe it or not, studies have shown that wearing blue is often the best choice because it conveys trust and calmness and helps people to perceive you as reliable. Plus, blue is downright friendly. Why do you think so many companies use blue in their logos? 

It’s also very versatile with a myriad of neckties and suits. “Blue can be a strong background when choosing ties, but so long as you choose a necktie with a little blue in it, it’ll match with a blue shirt just fine,” says Ron. 

3. Striped – When you want to show a little style

Pick your favorite color and make it a striped shirt. Simple as that. In some ways, a striped shirt is pure business. It’ll look great with your bespoke suits and carry you through any meeting or business lunch under the sun. However, loosen the collar and throw on some nice jeans and it’ll have a whole new look. Suddenly, you’re ready to hit the streets of downtown Denver and won’t feel overdressed in a pub. Remember our last post on matching neckties to your bespoke shirts? If you missed it, you can read it here – one of the topics of discussion was to match a paisley or print tie to your striped shirts. See, now you can wear paisley ties!

If you’re only in the market for one striped shirt, then go with a lighter background and a less bold stripe. Imagine you drew on the stripes using a pen or pencil, not a marker. This will keep the shirt more casual so that you can still wear the shirt outside the office.

Wrap up

There you have it, the three shirts you need to own: White, blue and striped.

Combined with only one bespoke suit and a pair of jeans, you’ll be prepared for any situation. Now if you could only choose two more shirts, what would they be, hmmm….