Opinions on Quality Dress Shirts

I have a few shirts from Ike Behar, Hickey Freeman, Zegna, and Boss. They are all just decent, but not my first choices when I go shopping. If I had to rank them in order of quality, highest to lowest, they would be: Zegna, Ike Behar, Freeman, Boss. IMO, you can do a lot better than Hickey Freeman for $200.

 

I pretty much wear Brooks Brothers and Jos A Bank, although I don't wear ties. Business casual with a sport coat if I need to dress up a bit.

 

Zegna Couture are great shirts...if at a price.

Prolly even better to go for Zegna Su Misura.

 

but be prepared to pay...
They are the best in the business imo

 

For cheap shirts that FIT (you can send in a shirt that fits and they will take measurements):
http://www.jantzentailor.com/

For good shirts:
Theory (My favorite)
Zegna
Hugo Boss
John Varvatos

For shirts that are "good" but you never want to pay for:
Thom Browne
Anderson and Sheppard
Turnbull and Asher

Ike Behr and Burberry dress shirts can be found at Nordstrom Rack and Off 5th by Saks. I've seen Ike Behr shirts for as low as 28 dollars at Nordstrom Rack and Burberry shirts for as low as 50~ dollars (80 dollars with 35% coupon they ALWAYS send out).

I like to buy dress shirts at Nordstrom's because they provide a lot of complimentary alterations. For instance, they will move the buttons for your wrists for free. Also, if they mess up on any alterations, they replace your shirt for free.

 

I generally get my shirts custom made because I am a 36R.

For me the best shirts I own
1: Brioni (painfully expensive but the fabrics make you feel like a million bucks)
2: Loro Piana (great shirts but have guys tried their STORM PROOF CASHMERE? Its the fabric of the Gods.)
3: Charvet
4: Gieves and Hawkes

Non-Bespoke
1: Gucci
2: Prada
3: Zegna

I am not sure about Hickey...they make a decent suit but I have never had one of their shirts.

Brooks Brothers makes some decent stuff but they also make some really bad stuff so you have to be careful.

If you want durablity make sure that fabric is made some where in Europe; does not matter if the shirt is actually put togather in Europe or not, but European fabric holds up a lot better.

 

Just get them custom made, if you're going to spend that sort of money. They can make them in whatever style you want (or imitate any of those designers). Plus it will fit better, even if you fit an off-the-rack shirt pretty well.

 

How can you tell before buying a shirt what style it is? Meaning, does it have a tighter fit through out, or does it fit "loosely".

I prefer the tighter fit, as opposed to the "old school" style.

 

Brooks Bros. - Slim Fit, because they fit (me) the best and are priced right for every day work wear.

 

I would recommend that you drive over some weekend to the Sym's stores here in south Florida. I will meet you.

They usually have IKE Behar, Hickey, Burberry, Hugo Boss, Polo, dress shirts at great prices. HF long sleeve was I think $60. No damage, new shirts.

For dress white button down the only one I have had that has lasted repeated trips to the cleaner is Land's End. They last forever, although the cleaner's usually destroy the buttons.

Suits are usually at incredible prices, usually $200-$350, and this includes HF, Boss, Polo, Ralph Lauren, Burberry, along with all the Italian brands. Then they have these sales on holiday weekend and reduce the prices even more. I would think July 4 will be a good sale.

There is also a Brook Bros and Ralph Lauren outlet in west Ft Lauderdale, reduced prices.

 

They had that going on here a couple weeks ago. I got some new slacks, shirts and shorts. Gotta love 2 for 1 on the entire store...

 

The RL Purple Label dress shirts run about $600, so they are a tad pricy, however, I am surprised that no one so far has mentioned Eton dress shirts. They are a Swedish company and in my opinion, they are the best shirt out there in the $200 price range no questions asked. The Zegna shirts at that price cannot hold a candle to the Eton dress shirts. I started wearing them about 4 years ago and they are the best dress shirts that I own. Once I make more money than I will be getting custom Brioni shirts and Charvet, but for now Eton is the only dress shirt I consider

 

The last Purple Label shirt I bought was $330...Ralph Lauren is my favorite designer of all time but I will admit that there are better shirts out there. Eton makes very durable shirts, but as far as quality goes I think Zegna is better that said Eton shirts will last longer. Its sort of like those higher number super 200 somethings...they are really expensive and feel nice but you sit down once and it looks like the suit has been squashed they dont last like the super 110s and 150s.

 

Me being the 4th generation of Wendells in the high clothing industry... this is my area of expertise...

Look for ENRO no iron Shirts.... trust me!!! They are the best!

 

+1 Ascot Chang

 

I've gone the way of custom shirts in the past, and it is rarely satisfing long-term. Why? Because even though there is a consistency in clothier personnel who I dealt with, size and fabric preferences already on file so my time was minimzed, I rarely received a consistent product. Something, usually very very minor things, were different batch to batch; maker to maker. In the end, it's just not worth the cost to buy a dozen+ shirts at a time, at that high of a price point, when some other brand will work just as well for 25% the cost. That high price, for what is basically a 6 month (or less) piece of disposable clothing, does not equal value to me. My opinion.

 

My personal favorite is Thomas Pink. If you buy from their stores, they will tailor them to fit as well.

 

Ralph Lauren Purple Label

I wear them everyday. I have about 80 or so of them and love the feel of the fabric. I also have a few Armani shirts (and suits) and can say they are a definate seconds to the RL for me.

 

Does anyone know if BB sales a trim fit shirts? I just order a dozen or so and they are all a little large in the abdominal region and just make me feel likes theres a bit to much fabric.

Im trying to find nice shirts as well, that I can order and not have to worry the fit will not be correct.

Are there any slender members on here that order their shirts and have the qualities Im looking for?

TIA


PerryC

 

Yes - I order the "Slim Fit" (something like 5" off the mid/lower area) and still find them a little large, but not as bad as some of the others.

 

I have the same problem with just about every shirt. The best fitting shirts for me have always been Express for Men. The quality really isn't that good, but they fit great.