If you are an office-goer, formal shirts are your best friend from 9-5. But even if you are not a working professional, dress shirts are a fashion staple that should be in every man’s wardrobe. Since you are reading this article, we assume you are building your workwear wardrobe, so we are here to help you.
In this post, we have curated a list of formal shirts that a man should add to his wardrobe. This will be an excellent start to your office wear wardrobe building. So, let’s start browsing the list of formal shirts for men.
Plain white shirt
Let’s start with the most basic and classic option – white dress shirts. When we talk about formal clothing for men, this particular garment first pops up in your mind, and for a good reason. It is a known fact that white shirts are a wardrobe staple, and every man should have them in their wardrobe.
White shirts are unmatchable when it comes to versatility in pairing. They are immaculate with charcoal, grey, or navy blue suits and a trouser of any dark colour. But not only that; plain white shirts can also go very well with dark blue solid or washed jeans. So, don’t hesitate to pull this unfailing pair if your office has casual dressing days.
Light blue shirt
Light blue shirts are also a wardrobe staple to office goers. So if you want to add a splash of colour to your formal clothes, this one’s for you. Although, unlike white shirts, light blue shirts do not quickly go with any bottom wear and outerwear. Hence you should be conscious when pairing this formal part of the ensemble.
Light blue shirts come in hundreds of shades, and as a rule of thumb, the more light tone you opt for, the more formal it looks. However, nowadays, we find darker colours look as elegant and sophisticated as lighter ones, so you should not be afraid to experiment.
Baby pink shirt
Pink has always been associated with femininity, and hence, it has been considered a colour that females would wear. But as now gender norms are fading away slightly, we see more and more men opting for this soft shade of red in formal settings. And without a doubt, it does look elegant.
Like white shirts, formal pink shirts can go immaculately with many suits, even modern suit colours like maroon or sequoia green, but feels homely with classic navy blue suits. Moreover, these two colours complement each other, so by pairing this, you are sure to receive a lot of compliments.
Plain ivory shirt
Although white is the most versatile colour, it often does not get along with some warmer shades like brown. That is when an ivory shirt can spell its magic. Ivory, being a warmer tone the white, can substitute the former formal shirt when paired with brown, giving a slight, healthy contrast that does not overwhelm.
Ivory shirts are truly versatile. They don’t just complement warmer tones but can quickly go with navy or charcoal too. When selecting an ivory shirt, you should remember that it should have a slightly different shade than the white colour, yet the distinction should not be too different.
Striped shirt
Stripes reside in the lower spectrum of formal clothing for men. However, they can be excellent wear on regular office days when you don’t have meetings or other important occasions. The size of stripes should be a personal preference. In my case, I would not choose extremely fine or bold lines. Instead, I would opt for the medium ones.
Blue stripes on a white background look more sophisticated. Pair it with a navy blue striped or checked suit, and it can add another pattern to your overall ensemble. For ties, you can go for a solid darker one that pops out over the shirt, or you can choose a horizontal striped one that complements the shirt.
Checked shirt
Checks are more of a casual thing, but there is nothing wrong with wearing them in formal settings as long as they are appropriate to the environment. When buying checked shirts, make sure the pattern is minimal and with complementary colours. For example, you would want to pick black or navy blue checks on a white background or red and blue checks on black background.
Red and blue are stapled colours in men’s wardrobes, so you can wear them on all occasions without looking out of place. Moreover, you can pair this with a nice blazer and make it more of a semi-formal shirt for those affairs.
Soft-washed denim shirt
A few years ago, denim shirts would be a major fashion disaster if you tried to wear them in workplaces. However, today, men gather these eccentric shirts in loads and wear them in formal places as well. So, although it might not be ideal for white-collar jobs, you can pull it off at formal parties.
Subtle washed denim shirts can tone down any formal garment you have. A good denim shirt would be perfect semi-formal wear to make your modern suit or any other formal clothes less intense and harsh.
Final Thoughts
When it comes to formal shirts, you would want to focus on style and quality because quality matters in formal clothing. And therefore, you should always choose slightly premium brands that offer exceptional quality. Thanks to eCommerce, you can surf all the formal collections virtually from your home, compare between brands, order your formal shirt for men online, and create an exceptional formal wear selection for yourself.
