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Save this story Save Story Save this story Even if your closet is ninety percent fleece, the best men's dress shirts are non-negotiables. At some point, you’ll face an occasion that requires one—a laid-back wedding , a high-stakes job interview, a weirdly formal middle-school piano recital. But the right dress shirt won’t just save you in a pinch or help you sneak past upper management at your new corporate gig. (Especially if said corporate gig is working at GQ .)
Because the superlative versions of the style aren’t simply dress shirts—or, at least, not exclusively dress shirts. Buy one equipped with the right fit, details, and fabrics, and even the most formal of the bunch can kick it in less stuffy environments without eliciting snickers. We’re on-the-record fans of throwing one on with a groovy tie and crisp trousers, but toss a dress shirt over a graphic tee and baggy shorts , and suddenly, your otherwise schlubby fit looks exponentially more considered—and exponentially more stylish.
For starters, polos aren’t dress shirts just because they have a collar. We know, we know—finding the line between casual shirts and formal shirts is hard. Then there’s fabric, little details like cuffs, plackets, and color. And on top of all that, “the perfect fit” is so subjective. Take a deetp breath. We’ve got you. We’ve done the dirty work, buttoned more buttons than we thought was possible, aggregated a heap of our favorites, and wore ‘em every which way possible to determine, once and for all, the absolute best dress shirts for men.
The Best Dress Shirt Overall J.Crew Slim Portuguese Cotton Oxford Dress Shirt Read More $188 J.Crew
The Best Budget Dress Shirt Uniqlo Super Non-Iron Slim-Fit Shirt Read More $50 Uniqlo
The Best Upgrade Dress Shirt Todd Snyder Slim Twill Long Collar Dress Shirt Read More $218 Shop
The Best Dress Shirt on Amazon Calvin Klein Dress Shirt Slim Fit Non Iron Stretch Solid Read More $40 Amazon
The Best Splurge-Worthy Dress Shirt Charvet Double-Cuff Cotton-Poplin Shirt Read More $830 Mytheresa
More Dress Shirts We Love What to Look for in a Great Dress Shirt Dress Shirt Anatomy 101 How We Test and Review Products How We Make These Picks Best Men's Dress Shirt Overall: J.Crew Slim Portuguese Cotton Dress Shirt Chevron Chevron Save to wishlist Save to wishlist J.Crew
Pros Finally, a perfect collar Versatile Oxford cloth fabric Tastefully trim silhouette Cons Only available in one fit No front pocket We’ve wholeheartedly recommended J.Crew’s Bowery dress shirts for a long time. But it was up until just recently that the revered preppy label quietly released a new button-up that we had to do some internal reckoning. The Slim Portuguese cotton Oxford dress shirt doesn’t enjoy the distinction of being named after a New York City street (e.g. the Ludlow suit, or the 770 jeans). But don’t let the straight-forward, flavorless nomenclature fool you. Let’s start with the obvious: the fabric. It’s an all-cotton Oxford cloth woven exclusively for J.Crew by the respected Portuguese mill, Solemos. It’s smooth and luxurious with an elegant drape. Plus, the thicker yarns of an Oxford cloth makes it versatile enough for less formal occasions when you want to wear it with a pair of jeans, untucked, even.
It gets better from there. The shirt is a tastefully trimmed down to a silhouette that’s not skin-tight nor 2010s #menswear slim, but svelte enough to look clean without a blazer. But the real star of the show is that 10-out-of-10 collar. Most of J.Crew’s shirts are designed with wimpier collars that are likely, for better or worse, a product of those aforementioned #menswear times. This newcomer, however, extends it enough to a more classic size that bridges the blazer-collar gap so it sits neatly below a jacket lapel. That larger collar means it’s more proportional when paired with a tie.
We’re not a part of J.Crew’s internal meetings, but if anyone there is reading this, we think this needs to be expanded into more fabrics, colorways, and silhouettes—perhaps, it should even be dubbed with a new name.
Chevron Chevron Save to wishlist Save to wishlist Uniqlo
Pros Luxe-leaning details Refuses to wrinkle Reliably available every season Cons Slightly synthetic sheen Sleeves skew long Collar can lose its shape with wear If it comes as any surprise that Uniqlo sells one of the best bang-for-your-buck dress shirts on the market, you’re likely new to GQ Recommends—and the Japanese retailer’s assortment of eminently affordable men’s clothing staples . Unlike its Calvin Klein counterpart, Uniqlo’s riff on the genre isn’t available with the added benefit of Prime shipping, but what you get instead is a dress shirt that’s worth exponentially more than what you pay for.
You might only go to Uniqlo for the basics—tees, underwear, socks, maybe a hoodie. So I'd understand if you thought dress shirts were too refined a category for Uniqlo to be any good. But every I time I encounter a dress shirt from the Japanese retailer, I'm reminded of just how surprisingly solid its fits and construction are. Unlike most of its price-conscious competition, Uniqlo’s dress shirt is made from 100% long-staple cotton with absolutely zero stretch involved. While you might think of a little elastane as a good thing, generally speaking, it tends to mean that corners were cut. Plus, if a dress shirt fits well, you won't need any stretch.
The fabric is treated for wrinkle resistance, which is great if you're the kind of guy who has a “clothes chair”. But there's a funny sort of sheen that comes with wrinkle-resistant shirts that can be off-putting. That said, the details redeem it completely: no sloppy stitching, exposed seams, or wimpy collars here. Perhaps most crucially, the slim fit isn’t so svelte that you’ll look like you got dressed in 2010.
Chevron Chevron Save to wishlist Save to wishlist Todd Snyder
Pros Luxurious fabric Top-notch construction A collar with some personality, man Cons Limited color range No size variants for sleeve lengths Both our overall pick and budget pick are solid options no matter your budget or snobbery. But if you're ready to graduate or just feeling like skipping ahead to the finer things, Todd Snyder's line of in-house shirting is where we'd point you. A great dress shirt starts with great fabric and Mr. Snyder's collection is full of top-notch poplins, twills, and broadcloths sourced from Thomas Mason, a revered mill that's been around since 1796 and have been the go-to for grail shirtmakers like Turnbull & Asser, not to mention the Royal family.
In the hands of American menswear nobility, the fabrics are given that distinct yet trend-averse Todd Snyder flavor. It's cut with a tastefully slim silhouette that's not Slimane-skinny, but not what your dad thinks of as skinny, either. The back features comfy side pleats, which are sewn into a split yoke (a fairly uncommon, but appreciated detail for the menswear nerds). Fine stitching and single-needle construction throughout, the shirt is built with a ton of delectable details for stylishly discerning, but what we love most is the extended collar. It's a detail that feels refreshing but also recalls shirts from the 1930s, arguably a golden age for tailoring in the States.
This beauty will run you a bit over $200, which ain't nothing. But that's a resonable sum compared to the heritage shirtmakers whose reputations have been built on shirting alone. Often, their shirts can cost you as much as your car's mortgage. That said, Todd Snyder's will get you like, 90% of the way there for a third of the price.
Save to wishlist Save to wishlist Calvin Klein
Pros No-brainer price Refuses to wrinkle Added stretch = dance floor-ready Cons Slightly synthetic sheen Sleeves run a smidge long Smaller collar than we'd prefer Got a last-minute invite to a swanky event and need a dress shirt ASAP? Not to fear, Amazon is here (and there, and pretty much everywhere). Calvin Klein’s no-frills slim fit shirt is cut from high-quality cotton that’s just a tad more stretchy than our overall pick, and comes equipped with plenty of next-gen specs its counterparts eschew—including moisture-wicking properties to keep you cool and a non-iron coating to keep it looking crisp. (You’re short on time, right?) Mercifully, the added spandex offers a little give without making the shirt look too shiny.
Throw it over your finest chinos or the dress pants you impulsively splurged on or wear it with jeans on a relaxed Friday in the office. Even if you bought it at the eleventh hour, it won’t take long for it to supplant the pricier competition.
Save to wishlist Save to wishlist Charvet
Pros Bragging rights (and maybe a promotion) Classic semi-spread collar Silky-smooth handfeel Cons French cuffs require cufflinks A smidge roomier than we'd like Shirts of this caliber don't come cheap When you’re rolling with the movers and shakers of the world, you need a dress shirt that can keep up. And that’s exactly what the vaunted Parisian chemise -makers at Charvet specialize in, to the delight of royalty both literal (countless French kings) and cultural (Sofia Coppola is a well-known fan). This breezy cotton number is no exception: It’s cut on the looser side and features an extremely classy double cuff for when you're ready to break out the cufflinks you inherited from your old man. Even with the tres formale flourishes, though, we wouldn't shy away from rocking it in a more casual context. When you slip on this sucker, you don’t need to meet with the boss—you are the boss.
“Charvet does not fuck around,” Grossman says bluntly. There’s no shortage of reasons why it remains the first name in old-world dress shirts—and its centuries of pedigree barely cracks the top five. Sure, the brand has outfitted kings, presidents, and titans of industry in equal number, but its core value proposition comes down to one exceedingly simple principle: uncompromising quality. Every dress shirt is still made by hand in Charvet’s wood-paneled Parisian townhouse, which is worth the cost of a flight to visit, Grossman notes.
If you’re not quite ready to drop half a grand on a dress shirt your grandkids will fight over, he also recommends a more wallet-friendly hack: These days, Charvet’s shirts are all over the vintage market, and “you can reliably score one for a lot less than retail”.
Save to wishlist Save to wishlist Proper Cloth
Proper Cloth’s been an open secret to menswear heads for years thanks to its surprisingly granular made-to-order service which offers a wide range of custom options from fabric to design details to sizing. Beyond the near-bespoke service, Proper Cloth’s quality will turn the heads of the keen-eyed tailoring nerds. 80s two-ply pinpoint fabric made from American Supima cotton, split yoke construction, and a handsome semi spread collar all come together for one of the best dress shirts you can get for the price.
Save to wishlist Save to wishlist Husbands
One of the most compelling arguments we’ve seen in favor of dressing up right now comes straight from Paris, where Husbands outfits its worldly clientele in exquisite dress shirts exactly like this, a masterclass in retro ‘70s swagger so good it clinched a spot in GQ’s inaugural All-Stars class . It looks rad unbuttoned to the navel, and even groovier with a hefty foulard tie.
Save to wishlist Save to wishlist Polo Ralph Lauren
One of the best things about a cutaway collar? It gives you more room for a declaratively large tie knot.
The J.Crew pick up top is incredible. But it's slim. This Ludlow dress shirt has all the same reliability, but is also cut to a fuller shape.
Save to wishlist Save to wishlist Sid Mashburn
Given the brand’s stellar reputation in the tailoring place , it shouldn’t come as a shock that Sid Mashburn hawks a grip of bang-up dress shirts, too. This bengal stripe number is a tried-and-true riff on a traditional office-ready pattern, but the spread collar and Goldilocks cut imbue it with Mahsburn’s signature Southern charm —and yank it firmly into 2025.
Save to wishlist Save to wishlist Paul Fredrick
While this nicely-priced shirt does also come in white, it's also a good reminder that dress shirts can still have some edge, too.
As with any garment, “good” is subjective—but as a general rule of thumb, it comes down to three crucial factors: fabric, construction, and fit. Men’s dress shirts are no different. Michael Hill, Creative Director of Drake’s says, “Versatility is important. Customers need to understand fabric and context. For instance, Oxford cotton is going to be more versatile than poplin, which is typically a bit more formal.” The fabric will help dictate the occasion (or the other way around?). There are so many at your disposal from herringbone to end-on-end to pinpoint, not to mention stripes to plaids. So if you’re not sure, ask the sales staff.
Hill also emphasizes that fit is essential to a good dress shirt and to pay attention to the details like “The way the collar sits on your neck and against the body of the shirt. Does it stay tucked in throughout the day? How do the cuffs sit against the wrist?”
He goes on to give this absolute, “Great dress shirts are never made from synthetic or stretch fabrics.” The majority of good dress shirts eschew synthetic materials in favor of natural long-staple cotton, woven tightly for extra durability. Cotton, of course, is not a prerequisite—but almost every single great dress shirt we’ve swaddled our torsos in has been made from some riff on the fabric, from poplin to pinpoint Oxford cloth.
Other reliable indicators of quality shirts? Telltale details like French or felled seams, which are sleeker and more durable; mother of pearl buttons; and a denser or finer stitch count, usually commensurate with the amount of craftsmanship involved. Seph Skerritt, CEO of Proper Cloth also notes to look out for less common details like reinforced shirt tail gussets, a split yoke, tight and straight stitching, and emphasizes the importance of buttons. “Are the buttons shanked so they won’t come loose? Are the buttons a durable enough material that can withstand your cleaners repeatedly?” These small details reveal whether a shirtmaker is paying close attention.
One unique difference between dress shirts and other garments comes down to the collar. Skerritt says the collar “often has the largest impact on how the shirt makes you look.” That’s because it frames your face and interacts with directly with your suit jacket and its lapels—no small job for a garment. While Skerritt advises to look for fusing (the way that the collar is attached or glued to its interlining) that’s crisp, and a collar that stands up well around the neck, ultimately it “should look natural and effortless. The end result should be [that] you like how it makes you feel in the way that you like to dress.”
As any menswear wonk will tell you, dress shirts boast no shortage of nuances. So in the name of brevity (and general wonk-avoidance), we compiled a handy-dandy glossary to the terms you’ll encounter most often. As a rule of thumb, the less adornment a dress shirt has, the more formal it is.
Like all of menswear, collars are susceptible to the whims of the trend cycle, swelling and shrinking with any given era’s silhouettes du jour . Collar sizes are prone to change, too (see: the massive collars of the power-suited ‘80s; the ultra-shrunken collars of the indie-sleaze 2010s). These are the three you should know.
Cuffs are the small pieces of additional fabric at the end of the shirt sleeve; they're often constructed with stiffer linings to give them structure and thoroughly cover your wrists. These are the two you should know.
Plackets are the strip of fabric that runs down the front of the shirt, designed to be fastened with buttons, snaps, or zippers. (When it comes to dress shirts, you’ll almost always encounter the former.) These are the three you should know.
Style is subjective, we know—that’s the fun of it. But we’re serious about helping our audience get dressed. Whether it’s the best white sneakers , the flyest affordable suits, or the need-to-know menswear drops of the week , GQ Recommends’ perspective is built on years of hands-on experience, an insider awareness of what’s in and what’s next, and a mission to find the best version of everything out there, at every price point.
Our staffers aren’t able to try on every single piece of clothing you read about on GQ.com (fashion moves fast these days), but we have an intimate knowledge of each brand’s strengths and know the hallmarks of quality clothing—from materials and sourcing, to craftsmanship, to sustainability efforts that aren’t just greenwashing. GQ Recommends heavily emphasizes our own editorial experience with those brands, how they make their clothes, and how those clothes have been reviewed by customers. Bottom line: GQ wouldn’t tell you to wear it if we wouldn’t.
We make every effort to cast as wide of a net as possible, with an eye on identifying the best options across three key categories: quality , fit , and price .
To kick off the process, we enlist the GQ Recommends braintrust to vote on our contenders. Some of the folks involved have worked in retail, slinging clothes to the masses; others have toiled for small-batch menswear labels; all spend way too much time thinking about what hangs in their closets.
We lean on that collective experience to guide our search, culling a mix of household names, indie favorites, and the artisanal imprints on the bleeding-edge of the genre. Then we narrow down the assortment to the picks that scored the highest across quality, fit, and price.
Across the majority of our buying guides, our team boasts firsthand experience with the bulk of our selects, but a handful are totally new to us. So after several months of intense debate, we tally the votes, collate the anecdotal evidence, and emerge with a list of what we believe to be the absolute best of the category right now, from the tried-and-true stalwarts to the modern disruptors, the affordable beaters to the wildly expensive (but wildly worth-it) designer riffs.
Whatever your preferences, whatever your style, there's bound to be a superlative version on this list for you. ( Read more about GQ's testing process here .)
Production Credits Lead Photographs by Bowen Fernie Inline Photographs by Natalie Piserchio Styled by Tyler Austin Grooming by Amanda Wilson
Source: Celebrities
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