White Shirt? Colored Shirt?

[SgtRick]

Depends on the situation. I am a licensed mortician in states so business attire is the rule of the day, meaning dark suits and white shirts. However, on the weekend if no funerals were being conducted then a blue shirt was exceptable. My ties tend to be very loud and not conservative by any means. I do not like receiving ties as gifts as I view ties as being a reflection of my personality and best left up to me to decide what to buy or wear.

 

[The Good]

I wear colored or patterned shirts 95% of the time. Maybe even more than that, but always a collared shirt, whether dress, camp/safari, or polo shirt. I usually only wear my white oxford button-down shirt to church, or on occasions I would rather dress up a bit more, and this is also most often worn with khakis or dark chinos, a sweater, or my sport coat and a tie. I'm usually a jeans or khakis with dress shirt kind of guy, myself. I somehow get the impression that wearing my white shirt with jeans would look a bit off, as if I'm mixing something I would normally wear for dressier functions with my most casual pants. A patterned or solid-color dress shirt is a usual part of my style, however. There's another shirt that I wouldn't really consider wearing with jeans either; a blue/white contrast collar and cuffs shirt that requires the wear of cufflinks. That's also a more formal shirt for me, one that I would wear to church or a nice event with the family.

Just to give a bit of my background, I'm a community college student transferring to a university this spring. I'm probably what many would consider overdressed, even in jeans and a dress shirt, but I don't think much of that anymore, it's become natural for me now since I've first sported the look three years ago.

 

[Seb Lucas]

I only ever wear black shirts, often with black pants - never a tie. I can't bring myself to wear white.

 

[AtomicEraTom]

I'm in the same boat as you. I have a wide variety of different collared shirts. Patterns, solids, plaids, lots of plaids. I used to wear a lot of white shirts, but they're my uniform at work, so I like something different when I'm not there. Plus, white shirt, dark pants, and if I am out and about in the colder months with my plaid jacket and fedora. People draw comparisons.

(See, could be worse, those who get the Indy comparisons! lol)

I wear colored or patterned shirts 95% of the time. Maybe even more than that, but always a collared shirt, whether dress, camp/safari, or polo shirt. I usually only wear my white oxford button-down shirt to church, or on occasions I would rather dress up a bit more, and this is also most often worn with khakis or dark chinos, a sweater, or my sport coat and a tie. I'm usually a jeans or khakis with dress shirt kind of guy, myself. I somehow get the impression that wearing my white shirt with jeans would look a bit off, as if I'm mixing something I would normally wear for dressier functions with my most casual pants. A patterned or solid-color dress shirt is a usual part of my style, however. There's another shirt that I wouldn't really consider wearing with jeans either; a blue/white contrast collar and cuffs shirt that requires the wear of cufflinks. That's also a more formal shirt for me, one that I would wear to church or a nice event with the family.

Just to give a bit of my background, I'm a community college student transferring to a university this spring. I'm probably what many would consider overdressed, even in jeans and a dress shirt, but I don't think much of that anymore, it's become natural for me now since I've first sported the look three years ago.

 

[Steven180]

I am usually partial for white shirts in suits, although I do have a couple of simple pale blues that I slide to from time to time. Wholly dependent on what type of mood I'm in that day...and my wife will joke that's as risky as I get!

Important though is the proper fit, of which I'm finding more and more difficult to find a norm between brands for some reason. The code breaker is a tailor though, such a rarity nowadays that when you find one they're usually swamped beyond words. Mine is a spunky senior citizen who can't sit still and has her room in the back of another establishment - but she does exceptional work. Who was it who said "When you find the perfect tailor for you never give out his name even on the threat of death!" I hope most will agree whether it is white or colored, a good fitting shirt seals the deal. And a french cuff here or there is a great highlight.
M.

 

[Edward]

The majority of my preferred shirts are currently white, though only for the simple reason that those are what best offered the collar shapes I wanted. I would happily wear any of the shirts in Feraud's images, the only caveat being most of those would require more matching to individual suits etc than does plain white.

 

[Dr Kilroy]

White only.

Best regards, Dr

 

[herringbonekid]

i'm looking for a simple, white shirt. the type of shirt that will look good a bit rumpled, not a crisp white dress shirt with French cuffs.
obviously i'd like the collars to be on the spear-point-ish side without being really long.

this Gitman 'vintage' shirt looks pretty good, though i can't find them in the UK. anyone tried one or have other recommendations ?

 

[Fastuni]

You might try Swedish WW2 white shirts (they seem to be nightshirts).
They are looking rustic enough, are cheap and well crafted from sanforized cotton.
Includes a chest pocket and they are very long... allowing you to make a collar as you like instead of the rather shapeless fold down collar.

I have two of them and they are great.

 

[Two Types]

Plain white casual shirts are always the most difficult thing to find here in the UK. I just found a nice Marks & Spencer linen shirt in the sale with a nice soft, moderately pointed collar. But that was white with blue stripes. But they did have other colours - maybe they have white?

 

[Guttersnipe]

Very rarely white. I dislike the white shirt other than in formal wear.

I think this is why wearing just plain white shirts is somewhat anarchistic, if you're going for an authentic vintage look. In the era when formal wear was more common, shirts intended for daytime / non-formal wear tended not to be white. Also, white shirts are a pain to keep clean. In an time before home washing machines were ubiquitous, this was definitely a consideration.

 

[Macbeth]

I wore long sleeved white shirts (with a required tie) while teaching school, for years.
Then I wore black shirts as part of a law enforcement uniform....for years.

Now retired, I have a lot of dress white shirts in the closet. I find myself enjoying them MUCH more WITHOUT having to wear a tie with them. I really like them paired with my Bill's Khaki's in different colors, along with either Ostrich leg boots, Redwing Iron Rangers, or RC Colts. Sometimes I'll put on a Vintage Hickey Freeman Brown checked sport coat to spruce up the outfit.

Topped off with a VS hat and I feel pretty good!!

I DO have several solid BLUE oxford shirts and wear them occasionally, when I've dirtied all the white.

It's so HUMID in this area, that suits and coats are uncomfortable, except INSIDE the buildings with AC.

Oh, and lots of guys wear a white "fishing shirt" such as made by Columbia, Magellan, or so. Looks good with a Panama and Khakis.

 

[Quetzal]

Always a colored shirt for me, HOWEVER, with suits, sport coats, and sweater-vests, it's always a solid white shirt, especially with suits, as I always don cuff links with suits, and those shirts are hard for me to find in my current size (14.5" x 35) at a reasonable price, and I like to show off my ties and accompanying duds, anyway.

-Quetzal