11 Best Dress Shirts for When You Want to Clean Up Real Nice

How should I care for a dress shirt?

As with all garments, we highly recommend reading the care tags and the manufacturer's washing instructions. Some of these shirts have to be taken to the dry cleaners, and others can be tossed in the washer with your dirty towels and socks. To ensure your dress shirt lasts as long as possible and continues to look fresh, though, professional care is never a bad idea.

What's the difference between a spread collar and a point collar?

A spread collar is shorter in length than a point collar, and the two tips are—you guessed it—more spread out. This style is great for wide tie knots, and for making your face and shoulders look broader.

For a sleeker, slimmer look, a point collar comes in handy. This style has the two sharp collar points closer together, so ties fit more snugly without any gaps that show the shirt underneath. Point collars, being more traditional, are also designed to meet the lapels of your jacket rather than go underneath them.

How do I measure my dress shirt size?

Measuring for the perfect fit without the assistance of a tailor can be tricky, but it's absolutely still doable. Some shirts on this list ask for a collar size, sleeve length, and shirt length; here's how to find those out.

For your collar size, place a tape measure flush against your neck and wrap it around, with two fingers between the tape measure and your neck for comfort. Sleeve length is measured by taking the length of your mid-back to shoulder, shoulder to elbow, and elbow to wrist, then adding them all up. And shirt length is perhaps the simplest: lay a button-down you already love down flat, and measure from in between the collar to the bottom hem.