Hey all
So having recently returned from overseas and a t shirt and jeans kinda office, ive recently found myself in need if business shirts. Ive learnt my lesson on super cheap shirts but where are good value and quality shirts (30 to fifty bucks i guess?)
Believe it or not but target used to have a reasonable collection but looking pretty crappy now.
Online?
Personally I've bought online from TM Lewin for a few years now.
Not top notch but certainly better than you would get locally for the approx $40 a shirt you pay.
I would recommend the slim fit shirts as being a bit more true to size. The regular shirts I find a bit tentish.
I'm a fan of Brooksfield/Nano/Gloweave.
For someone with my body shape (tall and tank like) I find the arms longer than I do in a lot of other brands. The price when they are on sale (or at their outlet stores) excellent value, so when they're on sale I grab a few which lasts me the year.
If you can, wait for the next van heusen bargain from the mens shop. Some spectacular deals there.
I've personally found the cut and sleeve length of Van Heusen slim fit shirts fit me really well - I also have some Brooksfield (longer sleeves than Van Heusen)…I know it sounds strange but get ALL your measurements - neck size is not enough, sleeve length and chest are also important.
I would recommend investing an hour or so trying on a bunch of different shirts at the likes of Myer and David Jones (when they have their bigger 30% off sales they may actually be worth buying there too) so that you're confident in a particular brand, size and style, then buying them online.
The Mens Shop has been mentioned a few times, I've bought from them twice and they were great each time…
I'm a big fan of Pelaco's TechnoCotton range. Rich fabric and as a cyclist/commuter they don't readily crease.
$60-80 in Myer
You used to be able to get them for $25 from the factory
They are currently $35 online but the colour range is limited: http://shop.pelaco.com.au/index.wsp/shop?page=products&tab=M…
+1 The Mens Shop.
Look out for deals and the shirts are fantastic quality for the price.
interesting guys…actually i had to buy a van heusen for a ridiculous price for a function the other week (from Myer) and the buttons were very poorly sewn and fell off!
Rhodes & Beckett warehouse sale for $45 (if you buy 4, you get 1 free). Excellent quality and the slim fits are an attractive fit.
MJ Bale
The Men's Shop.
Sometimes they have Calvin Klein slim fits on sale, which come down to about $40-50 each, which is excellent value.
just bought a pair of chinos and a t shirt from the men's shop. it didn't arrive for about 2 weeks so i gave them a call. they apologized about the lateness and sent it express post that day with a pair of cufflinks thrown in. cannot complain too much about that
I've tried a whole bunch and have a few favourites now. For genuine cheap, go to second hand stores. I've found Paul Smith shirts there for $6 (retail for $250).
As far as off the rack retail:
Brooksfield - good style and cut, good quality material (seen for $50)
Ben Sherman - good style and cut, in my experience inconsistent material quality (can sometimes get for $50)
Reserve - cheap shit, avoid
Van Heusen - Ok, but I now avoid (can get really cheap though, from places like the mens shop)
Country Road - I like the styles and cuts, but the material is awful and can never be ironed straight once washed
Marcs - good quality but a bit more expensive
Ralph Lauren - good quality but a bit more expensive (try DFO, can get shirts for ~$70)
Brooks Brothers - often run big but are the best quality material, i have bought a few of these second hand that I love
That's just a few.
Now is a bad time to buy business shirts, I haven't seen any one sale for a while. IMO you're better off paying a bit more and looking good for longer - if you buy Reserve they'll fit badly and will look like crap in a month.