Clothing Definitions — definitions of garments and clothing terms from Apparel Search
In the United States, a dress shirt is a shirt with a collar and buttoned or double cuffs, fastened with a placket and buttons down the front, designed to be worn with a tie and suit. In the United Kingdom the same garments are simply called shirts, and a dress shirt there is a formal shirt worn with black tie or white tie. This page explains the parts that define the garment — point, cut-away and button-down collars, barrel and French cuffs — and the very specific white-tie shirt, with its pique front, wing collar and studs.
In the United Kingdom, these items are simply thought of as 'shirts', and a dress shirt is a formal shirt worn either with black tie or white tie.
Neckties, or simply ties in the United Kingdom, are commonly worn with dress shirts to formalise an outfit. When this is the case, the top button of the shirt is fastened, so that the tie can fit snug around a gentlemen's neck with a smart appearance.
(Traditional conservative combinations that are acceptable in any circumstances are a plain light blue shirt with a predominantly navy blue tie, or a shirt with blue and white bengal stripes and a red/wine colored tie.)
In the UK, a dress shirt is a particular type of formal shirt, always white with french cuffs to be worn with eveningwear. In the US, this shirt is often called a tuxedo shirt or tux shirt, although this is considered somewhat vulgar.
The shirt required for
white
tie is very specific.
It should be made of a piqu
material (sometimes known
as
marcella), have a
wing collar, and be
fastened with
shirt studs instead
of buttons on the front.
The studs should be either
gold or silver with a mother
of pearl inlay. Black onxy
inlay is also permissible.
The cufflinks match the
studs. The front panels
of the shirt are heavily
starched and polished so
that they are stiff. Traditionally,
collarless shirts with a
detachable wing collar fastened
on with collar studs have
been used, but all-in-one
designs are increasingly
common. An even more formal
alternative to the piqué
shirt front is a shirt with
heavily starched front panels
of a plane material, fastened
in the same maner; such
shirts are uncommon nowadays.
Cuffs will ideally be single,
but heavily starched and
polished.
Black tie offers more leeway. Shirts may be soft (not starched), and often have a 'regular' turndown collar. They can be made of the same piqué material as white tie, although a soft shirt with folded pleats along the front is a more common alternative. In past decades, particularly the 1970s, ruffled-shirt fronts were fashionable, although they have fallen out of favour recently. Studs are optional and are usually black. Cufflinks are generally black (ideally silver with a black onyx inlay), but can alternatively be an old school/college/regimental design
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| The above article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/dress_shirt). 1/5/06 |
In the United States a dress shirt is a collared shirt fastened with a placket and buttons down the front, with single or double cuffs, designed to be worn with a tie and a suit.
In the United Kingdom ordinary collared shirts are simply called shirts, and a dress shirt is a particular formal shirt — always white, with French cuffs — worn with evening wear, black tie or white tie.
The white-tie shirt is very specific: pique or marcella material, a wing collar, and a front fastened with shirt studs instead of buttons, the studs in gold or silver with a mother-of-pearl inlay and cufflinks to match.