A good shirt sits flat across the back and skims the chest without pulling at the buttons, so from across a room it reads crisp rather than strained. A poor one gapes between the top two buttons the second you sit down, or the collar stands away from your neck like it's not quite sure it wants to be there.
Shirts are not the answer to everything, whatever the racks suggest. A stiff cotton shirt buttoned to the top is a hard, almost severe shape, and on a soft, curvier frame it can sit like cardboard rather than cloth, especially through the hip if it's cut slim. If you need actual warmth, a shirt is doing nothing for you alone, it wants a jumper or coat over the top, and on a proper cold day it will let you down on its own. Satin ones are the worst offenders for showing every bit of what's underneath, so skip them unless you're wearing the right base layer or don't mind the outline. As for ageing, cotton and linen shirts earn their keep the longer you have them. Cotton softens with washing, loses that showroom stiffness, and starts to drape instead of stand, which I actually prefer. Linen creases on contact with a chair and that's meant to happen, not a flaw to fight, just hang it damp and most of the crumple drops out on its own. Wash on a cool setting, iron while slightly damp if you're bothered about collars, and keep satin away from the tumble dryer altogether or it goes dull and a bit sad looking.
In terms of when to reach for one, cotton and linen shirts are made for the warmer months, worn open over a vest top or knotted at the waist, and they carry a lot of weekend wear without complaint. A crisp white or pale blue one is the obvious choice for anything that needs you to look a bit more put together without trying too hard, desk days, meetings, lunches where you can't quite work out the dress code. Oversized denim or cotton shirts earn their place in the colder months too, worn as a layer over a long sleeve top, sleeves pushed up or buttoned at the cuff depending on how cold it actually is.
On colour, white is the hardest to keep looking good and the easiest to ruin with one red wine mishap, so if that's a worry, go for a pale blue or a soft stone shade instead, both hide the ordinary marks of wear far better. Black is the one that goes with almost anything you already own, which is reason enough on its own.
Oversized ShirtsGreen Denim Oversized Shirts That Have Caught Our Eye
Denim ShirtsGreen Denim Shirts: Our Current Favorites
Cotton ShirtsGreen Cotton Shirts to Wear With Your Favorite Jeans
Cotton ShirtsGreen Cotton Sleep Shirts for Off Duty Days
Linen ShirtsGreen Denim Linen Shirts We Love Right Now
Cotton ShirtsThe Prettiest Green Cotton Denim Shirts Around Right Now
Cotton ShirtsThe Green Cotton Linen Shirts Shortlist
Cotton ShirtsThe Green Cotton Oversized Shirts We’re Eyeing Up This Season
Green Beach Shirts on Our RadarAlso worth a lookDenim ShirtsThere's a particular stretch of early fenced weather, somewhere between winter coats coming off and proper summer not…See the collections →
Green 3/4 Sleeve Shirts With Real Wardrobe Staying Power
Gold Silk Shirts Edited Down to the Best
Satin ShirtsGold Satin Shirts That Feel Special
Easy Gold Sequin Shirts for Everyday Wear
Standout Gold Shirts to Shop
Gold Ribbed Shirts We Can’t Stop Looking At
Oversized ShirtsGold Oversized Shirts That Have Caught Our Eye
Linen ShirtsGold Linen Shirts That Work Hard in Your Wardrobe
Gold Lace Shirts Worth Adding to Your WardrobeAlso worth a lookOversized ShirtsAn oversized shirt is the thing you put on when you want to look like you've made an effort without actually making one.See the collections →
Cotton ShirtsEveryday Gold Cotton Oversized Shirts We Love
Cotton ShirtsGold Cotton Shirts: Our Current Favorites
Cotton ShirtsGold Cotton Denim Shirts to Pair With Everything
Gold Beach Shirts to Pack for Your Holiday
Denim ShirtsGoing Out Denim Shirts Worth a Closer Look
Oversized ShirtsGoing Out Oversized Shirts We’d Buy Again
Satin ShirtsGoing Out Satin Shirts on Our Radar
Going Out Shirts Made for Party Season
Gingham Shirts We Think You’ll LoveAlso worth a lookLinen ShirtsI avoided linen shirts for years because the first one I owned creased if I so much as…See the collections →
Linen ShirtsGingham Linen Shirts Picked by Us
The Frill Shirts on Our Wishlist
Denim ShirtsFrill Denim Shirts That Have Caught Our Eye
Oversized ShirtsOur Favorite Floral Oversized Shirts
Satin ShirtsFloral Satin Shirts to Wear With Your Favorite Jeans
Floral Shirts We’ve Been Saving
Linen ShirtsA Closer Look at the Best Floral Linen Shirts
Floral Beach Shirts We Can’t Stop Looking At
