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1001 YEARS KESPAJAIL22272 Posts
Not sure what you already own and what the source of your discomfort is so I dunno what exactly to recommend. You could check the tags of your shirts to see what their made of. If they're polyester or some sort of synthetic fabric, that might be the cause? They can be itchy, not breathable, or feel sticky when sweaty. I still think 100% cotton is the most comfortable (and the most ubiquitous) even when compared to wool or wool/silk shirts. Poplin shirts are the lightest if heat is the problem.
Need more details to recommend anything
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I wear Charles Tyrwhitt shirts. They're pretty reasonably priced if you get them on sale, but I'm definitely not a fashion expert.
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I'm no expert either, but I think you'd get a lot of good answers if you posted your inquiries here: http://www.teamliquid.net/forum/general/306479-mens-fashion-thread
Good luck! 
The only recommendation I can make is to make sure you get fitted for a nice dress shirt if you want to ensure a good level of comfort. You don't need to drop $80 on a shirt, but most of the time you're going to get what you pay for.
We'd need to know how much you'd be willing to spend on a nice dress shirt (as would the regulars in the Men's Fashion Thread).
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United States24673 Posts
On June 21 2015 03:09 lichter wrote:
Not sure what you already own and what the source of your discomfort is so I dunno what exactly to recommend.
Basically the collar makes my neck uncomfortable. I end up clawing at my neck all day pulling on the collar.
You could check the tags of your shirts to see what their made of. If they're polyester or some sort of synthetic fabric, that might be the cause? They can be itchy, not breathable, or feel sticky when sweaty. I still think 100% cotton is the most comfortable (and the most ubiquitous) even when compared to wool or wool/silk shirts. Poplin shirts are the lightest if heat is the problem. Yeah I've given the fabric some thought. One of my 'less bad' shirts is 100% cotton so I can try to check for that when buying shirts, but even that shirt bugs the hell out of me (it might come back to how the fabric is put together rather than just what it's made out of).
On June 21 2015 03:20 DarkPlasmaBall wrote:
make sure you get fitted for a nice dress shirt if you want to ensure a good level of comfort.
I actually have no idea how to do this.
We'd need to know how much you'd be willing to spend on a nice dress shirt (as would the regulars in the Men's Fashion Thread). I'm not sure what you mean by 'nice' but I'd be willing to spend 50 or maybe 75 dollars if the shirt really was comfortable and was professional enough that I could wear it to work.
On June 21 2015 03:15 Cauld wrote:
I wear Charles Tyrwhitt shirts. They're pretty reasonably priced if you get them on sale, but I'm definitely not a fashion expert.
Uh, are they comfortable?
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You actually don't really need to personally do anything to get your shirt fitted... when you go to a nice store that sells dress shirts (like a Men's Wearhouse), they'll take your measurements with a tape measure, and then hook you up with a shirt that's your size. If your neck is uncomfortable, it's probably either not fitted well (the neck circumference is one of the measurements taken), or the fabric is irritating. Both of these issues can be solved by talking to a sales rep at the store.
Having a price range of up to $75 is totally fine. Plenty of places have a Buy One Get One Free (or Half Price) sale too.
Comfort is subjective, so I definitely recommend going to a store, getting fitted, and trying on some different options. That's the only way you'll know for sure if a particular shirt or brand or size is ideal for you
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Baa?21242 Posts
Is your collar too tight? Or are you just not used to wearing a tie?
I recommend going to a place that sells shirts and having them measure your collar (it's usually a number like 15" or 18 1/2" or something), and then trying that size plus the one/two sizes up and down. Remember to bring a tie (or just ask them to borrow one) and wearing it like you would normally.
It's really hard to know exactly why you're uncomfortable but it just sounds like it's too tight from what you're saying.
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United States24673 Posts
Based on the information in the OP, your questions are very logical. Unfortunately:
1) If that's what you mean by getting fitted, I have done it before.
2) No, my collar is not too tight (see 1, although I've experimented with going up half an inch in the past).
3) No, it's not that I'm not used to wearing a tie. I have utterly hated every minute of it for every year I've worn one, and I finally am running out of patience with it.
Still, having this discussion with the sales rep might make the most sense. Which store should I go to? Some of my current shirts are actually from Men's Wearhouse.
edit: @csheep: It's more that the fabric "lightly" touching my neck is really uncomfortable rather than that it's too tight and actually pressing on my neck. Maybe I just have a really sensitive neck! (in addition to what I said earlier about not like jewelry and other things)
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I think once you get your shirt fitted and it's still not better, about all you can do is shake your fist at the fashion wizards for making such strange rules. Not sure if there is some kind of creme you could put on your neck to make it more resilient (is it perhaps too dry? Vaseline might help). There could also be something about the way you move your neck that causes more friction. For example if you look with your neck a lot instead of your eyes. When I worked in an environment that required business casual I sort of just learned not to move my neck much.
I sympathize with the problem though, since my skin is easily irritated as well.
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You have to build up your dresser. Buying a quality shirt once a month, or 2-3 every 2 months works well. Don' t be tempted, stick with the classical style, i.e. what you showed in a picture. You should vary a bit between light and dark.
You might want to try a wooden watch. There very comfortable and feel much better than plastic on the skin:
+ Show Spoiler +
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It's a sign that you need to quit your job, sell all your possessions, and reinvent yourself
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1001 YEARS KESPAJAIL22272 Posts
Have you tried other fabrics? You could try silk shirts, which are often smoother. Or as I mentioned, cotton poplin is the lightest and usually the smoothest of cotton weaves. Most shirts that are easy to buy are oxfords, which can be rough or rigid when new or cheap. Aside from that there's not much else you can do about the collar.
I suppose you could try to find a fabric that doesn't annoy you, get a meter of it, and line all your shirt collars with it. Shouldn't add much bulk and shouldn't be very expensive. You'd have to find a way to stitch it that doesn't annoy you though.
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I've tried tons of shirts in my life and have standardized to Brooks Brothers in the last three years. I buy three shirts a year ($225 Canadian for 3 - I'd guess they'd be slightly less in the states) and they are super comfy (serious quality cotton), easy to iron and look classic as fuck. Can't recommend them more. You'll have to spend +$150/shirt if you want better quality.
Also they'll measure you up and get you the shirt that fits perfectly.
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![[image loading]](https://damianradcliffe.files.wordpress.com/2013/04/know-your-thobe2.jpg)
For you I recommend the Omani or Emirati variations, because they don't have a collar.
It's actually considered very formal in the GCC - in banks, formal receptions, etc... this is what professionals and customer service clerks wear. It's clearly more comfortable than a suit. You can start the trend. You are the fashion leader we need.
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Try linen shirts. They are not as durable as other fabrics but they are very comfortable.
Order of most to least comfortable imo: Silk ($$$) > Linen > Cotton > Wool > Polyester
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United States24673 Posts
On June 21 2015 06:07 Chef wrote:
When I worked in an environment that required business casual I sort of just learned not to move my neck much.
Yeah I do the same thing.
On June 21 2015 09:19 pebble444 wrote:You have to build up your dresser. Buying a quality shirt once a month, or 2-3 every 2 months works well. Don' t be tempted, stick with the classical style, i.e. what you showed in a picture. You should vary a bit between light and dark. You might want to try a wooden watch. There very comfortable and feel much better than plastic on the skin: + Show Spoiler +
Why are you giving me fashion advice? My concern is about comfort! Also, I'll keep the wooden watch in mind, but it's not an immediate concern.
On June 21 2015 11:49 lichter wrote:
Have you tried other fabrics? You could try silk shirts, which are often smoother. Or as I mentioned, cotton poplin is the lightest and usually the smoothest of cotton weaves. Most shirts that are easy to buy are oxfords, which can be rough or rigid when new or cheap. Aside from that there's not much else you can do about the collar.
I suppose you could try to find a fabric that doesn't annoy you, get a meter of it, and line all your shirt collars with it. Shouldn't add much bulk and shouldn't be very expensive. You'd have to find a way to stitch it that doesn't annoy you though.
Are all of those fabrics available at standard stores, such as Men's Wearhouse? I definitely want to try other fabrics that I haven't tried before. How do you take care of them?
On June 21 2015 12:38 caznitch wrote:
I've tried tons of shirts in my life and have standardized to Brooks Brothers in the last three years. I buy three shirts a year ($225 Canadian for 3 - I'd guess they'd be slightly less in the states) and they are super comfy (serious quality cotton), easy to iron and look classic as fuck. Can't recommend them more. You'll have to spend +$150/shirt if you want better quality.
Also they'll measure you up and get you the shirt that fits perfectly.
I've never been to a brooks brothers (I have uniform parts made by them actually) but I'll give this a try when I move in a few months (none nearby right now).
On June 21 2015 19:19 batsnacks wrote:
Try linen shirts. They are not as durable as other fabrics but they are very comfortable.
Order of most to least comfortable imo: Silk ($$$) > Linen > Cotton > Wool > Polyester
I'm definitely interested in trying linen or silk shirts... how do I get them? I've only ever tried cotton or below on that hierarchy.
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I'm not sure what clothing stores are near you... most big department stores and designer stores should have some selection of fabrics, I guess you could call and ask if they have the fabric you want. Silk and linen will shrink so you can't put them in the drier; you don't need to dry clean though hang drying is fine. They also wrinkle relatively easily so you might have to iron your clothes.
If budget is not really an issue cashmere wool is also very comfortable.
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Well then, Linen is the most comfortable shirts i own/wear. Then again i have no idea if it looks professional at all. It sure is comfortable do, very light for summer use. I don' t know where to buy linen shirts in the us. I get mine cheap from h and m. I havn' t met 1 single male who likes spending money on clothes.
If you want to be comfortable, given that you have to wear shirts, choosing a fabric is the most important thing. If you have to wear them, and you have worn them for the past 8 years, find something that suits you. The only way is to go out everywhere and try, try, try until you find something that you know is yours. If you havn' t already ask your friends, family and co-workers first. We don' t know what you actually wear, but they do, so the best advice is gonna come from one of them
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United States24673 Posts
I'm going to give Egyptian cotton a try. I had a salesman at Men's Wearhouse verify my size (was correct; 16" neck, 32/33) and took advantage of their 3 for $100 sale :p. I also asked him for a detergent recommendation and will be trying a different detergent.
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On June 21 2015 12:38 caznitch wrote:
I've tried tons of shirts in my life and have standardized to Brooks Brothers in the last three years. I buy three shirts a year ($225 Canadian for 3 - I'd guess they'd be slightly less in the states) and they are super comfy (serious quality cotton), easy to iron and look classic as fuck. Can't recommend them more. You'll have to spend +$150/shirt if you want better quality.
Also they'll measure you up and get you the shirt that fits perfectly.
Brooks Brothers is the other brand I often wear, I find their stuff is nice and fits well. OP how long does it take you to determine if a shirt is comfortable or not? If its just how it touches your neck, etc. and you can figure it out pretty quickly, maybe just spend some time in a few nice stores trying on shirts?
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EPT![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/m4NJ3S8.jpg)
![[image loading]](http://www.abaeternowatches.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/wooden-watch-ray-abaeterno-422x591.jpg)
