Q: I’ve been wearing dress shirts for a few years now. I notice that all of them fit loosely, and I was fine with that, but lately I’ve been getting into fitted clothes, and the more I search the more I discover that I cannot find any dress shirts that are fitted. Is there a brand with a more tapered fit? If not, could I take a couple of my shirts to the tailor?

A: There is a broad range of shirt fits. You may be experiencing this seemingly universal fullness because you are buying shirts made for the American market (although they are probably made by hardworking Third Worlders), and a majority of Americans are overweight. In addition, American traditionalists have long sported a baggy aesthetic. The Ivy League look was based on the sack suit, with no waist suppression, and the shirts worn with this suit are usually described as generous. Some guys think this bagginess disguises incipient corpulence, but in my opinion it makes them look heftier. Europeans like a trimmer fit, and so you might try shirts from Italian, French or British labels, but that isn’t always a guarantee. Although European clothiers generally cut their shirts slimmer, some of them alter their fit for the American market. Charvet shirts sold in America are fuller than Charvet shirts sold in Paris, although they are certainly trimmer than the average American dress shirt. Some companies offer different fits, depending upon the line or the season. I discovered this with two of my favorite French shirtmakers, Agnès B. and A.P.C., but it turned out okay because sometimes accidentally buying a slim-fit shirt is a good incentive to lay off the candy bars. Also, things are changing, and even bastions of baggy, such as Brooks Brothers, offer a slimmer-fit alternative. My advice is to always try on a shirt unless you are absolutely sure of its fit. Yes, it’s all pinned up and folded nicely, but don’t be afraid to ask the salesperson to unwrap it for you. If you love a shirt but think it’s too full in the body, a tailor can slim it for you, and it’s a simple job, so it shouldn’t cost too much.

October 2003

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