The white dress shirt: a staple, the foundation of any wardrobe. Even in this period when men are wearing suits shirtless, flaunting their chests with abandon on the red carpet, the dress shirt is still the base of any formal fit. There are occasions that require 'em, scenarios where you need to keep up appearances, ones with prescribed dress codes. Sure, you can be subversive and throw the rules out the window (don't let anyone deter you from what you feel is right at the moment), but if you're a stickler for tradition, you're going to want to reach for this tried-and-true topper.
Since the Gilded Age—and perhaps even before then—gentlemen worth their salt were required to wear a white dress shirt, a button-up with a collar and cuffs. From paintings by Seurat and Magritte to episodes of Mad Men to congressional meetings televised on C-SPAN, visuals of men of stature and notoriety are seldom without the style. It remains a standard. You need a tailored suit, tie, and white shirt to telegraph propriety and, depending on how you put your fit together, power.
Of course, not all white dress shirts are the same. The best options—or at least the ones that show others that you mean business—are sharp and streamlined. This doesn't mean it has to be super fitted, but you don't want anything baggy; you need to be able to tuck it into your pants without excess fabric spilling over. Speaking of the material, cotton is preferred, of which there is a variety: oxford cloth (which has a bit more heft) is the working man's go-to, but there are also options enhanced with wrinkle-resistant and moisture-wicking technology that are ideal for traveling or standing in the sweltering heat at a summer wedding. And you also need to pay attention to the collar, the common styles being the cutaway and spread collar, and the cuffs, the usual suspects being the barrel cuff and (less often nowadays) the French cuff.
Basically, the best white dress shirts will help you look like the boss that you are, and we have 15 of them ready and waiting for you to cop.
Slim-Fit Traveler Dress Shirt
Van Heusen—a New York-based company named after a John Manning Van Heusen,a Dutch immigrant who invented a way to fuse cloth together—is one of the bigger players in the affordable dress shirt game. And there's a good reason its wares are so popular. This slim-fit white dress shirt, for example, is made of four-way stretch fabric that allows for maximum movement. The material is also quick-drying and doesn't require an iron, which makes it ideal for traveling.
Calvin Klein, the brand that ushered in minimalism in the '90s, continues to offer styles that stay true to this ethos: styles with very little adornment that focus on sharp, flattering cuts. Over the years, the label started to engineer garments that prioritized function as much as form—including this slim-fit white dress shirt that's enhanced with moisture-wicking and wrinkle-resistant fibers.
Extra Trim-Fit Stretch Button-Up Dress Shirt
Brooklyn Brigade is relatively new label that started out the gate with bold prints on fitted shirts, suits, and jackets, all at wallet-friendly prices. It has since expanded, offering styles that, though missing a vibrant pattern, stay slim, elevated, and affordable—like this skinny, stretch-enhanced white dress shirt.
Japanese Slim-Fit Oxford Shirt
Ever stylish and ever reliable, Everlane isn't afraid to break out of the box but also knows exactly when to play the hits. So much so that the brand offers the same stalwarts, including this oxford shirt, season after season. It is so sure of this product in particular that, if it shrinks or gets a hole, Everlane will replace it free of charge. You don't need more reassurance than that, folks.
Slim-Fit Ludlow Premium Fine Cotton Dress Shirt
The mighty J.Crew: We've pretty much already said all there is to say about this giant in the world of retail. From shirts and suits to board shorts and shoes, the brand's classic pieces, regardless of the trend du jour, are all-around best-sellers. And topping the list is the Ludlow, a slim suit introduced in the early 2010s (by then-menswear designer Todd Snyder) that, more than a decade later, has expanded to a full range of products and become the stylish professional's go-to. This dress shirt from the line, in 100 percent cotton with a streamlined French placket and subtle spread collar, more than lives up to the Ludlow reputation.
Commission Long Sleeve Shirt
Like J.Crew and Everlane, Lululemon's stuff is always up to snuff. The brand started off producing athletic apparel that took the category to new heights with premium fabrics and streamlined silhouettes—workout clothes for peeps that liked to show off at the gym. Over the past few years, the brand started to branch into office-ready clothing, offering the kinds of elevated basics—like this sweat-wicking, odor-regulating, four-way stretch white dress shirt—that are for people that like to show off outside the gym.
Stretch Madison Relaxed-Fit Dress Shirt
Brooks Brothers is the name to know in the world of white dress shirts. Since the 1800s, the brand, reputedly the oldest in the apparel industry, has been offering gentlemanly styles, particularly ones made of cotton. It has refined and perfected the white dress over the centuries, providing a selection of different cuts, collars, and weaves. And one of the greatest hits is the Madison, a relaxed-fit option (it's pretty roomy) made of Supima cotton with some elastane that's treated with wrinkle-resistant technology. It features a spread collar, French front placket, and barrel cuffs—the kinds of characteristics that'll work for all formal occasions.
Jetsetter Stretch Dress Shirt
Are you constantly on the go? Do you have suitcase packed and ready at all times? Well, you're going to want to get your hands on the Jetsetter from Bonobos, a label that made its name by providing quality, comfortable chinos, but now also offers tops that fit the same bill. This white dress shirt, for example, is a slim fit with considerable stretch that allows you to move around airport terminals and jump into Ubers with ease. The pièce de résistance, however, is the wrinkle-resistant, machine-washable fabric, which will allow you to leave your iron at home.
On the subject of dressing like a boss (see intro), it doesn't get any more literal than a style from, well, Boss. The German company has been producing suits and shirts for decades, the pieces worn by folks at the C-suite level and wannabes who strive to get there. Indeed, this slim-fit option, with a spread collar and barrel cuffs, is what you need to dress the part.
Slim-Fit Cotton-Blend Shirt
If you've been working out and have a toned physique to show off (jealous!), this white dress shirt from Canali is the one for you. The style is cut super slim; the darts at the back makes it so that'll really hug your body. And though it is devoid of stretch, the crisp, lightweight cotton-blend option, produced in Italy, imparts luxury and presence. Think Marcello Mastroianni sipping on a Negroni at Pierluigi.
Emanuele Maffeis + Todd Snyder
When Todd Snyder collaborates with another brand, it is always with an expert in a given field. So, when Snyder sought to provide the best white dress shirt, the master designer enlisted Emanuele Maffeis, a storied Italian label noted for its fine tailoring. Just take a look at this wrinkle-free style, which features darts at the inside back panel for a fitted look, cutaway collar, and pronounced cuffs. It is equal parts trendy and timeless—everything we expect from Snyder.
Plain White Cotton Dress Shirt
The name may say "plain," but ain't nothing plain about Turnball and Asser's shirts. The English brand, for over century, has outfitted Winston Churchill, Prince Charles, and two men that held the mantle of 007: Sean Connery and Pierce Brosnan. It employs the finest tailors to meticulously construct shirts—usually made of Egyptian cotton or Sea Island cotton—that feature ethically sourced mother-of-pearl buttons. The collars and cuffs (there are two that are signature to the label) are always razor sharp, and the silhouette is always streamlined. If looks could kill, this shirt definitely has the license to do so.
Ralph Lauren Purple Label
The world of Ralph Lauren is steeped in the red, white, and blue, displaying collections that celebrate American style. And with its Purple Label, the brand honors the glitz and glam of the '20s, the world of Jay Gatsby and the extravagant parties he threw, where men were outfitted in tailored, swoon-worthy fits. Capturing this vibe is the Aston, a white dress shirt that features a shirttail hem, barrel cuffs, and spread collar that'll pair nicely with a black suit, tie, and all that jazz.
We've said a lot about Italian tailoring already, but when it comes to the subject, we'd be remiss not to mention Ermenegildo Zegna. Since 1910, the Milan-based label has been making the spiffiest menswear, from knits to leather goods. But it really excels when it comes to suits and the things that go with them. For generations, the brand has been producing blazers, trousers, and, of course, white dress shirts that are practically faultless. It doesn't skimp on quality or cut, making sure that its styles are made of the finest cotton and are expertly constructed to fit like a dream. This shirt, with its elegant French cuff and precise made-in-Italy construction, is no exception.
Basic Solid Point-Collar Dress Shirt
Charvet: the Mac Daddy, purveyor of the best white dress shirts out there. The brand is the oldest categorical shirt maker in the world, holding court at a six-story townhouse on the Place Vendôme in Paris for well over a century. During this time, the premier label has dressed kings, presidents, poets, and artists—the kind of names that are tacked on mood boards. It has trumped competitors throughout the generations by prioritizing quality. Yes, we've said that about many labels, and deservedly so, but Charvet, on cachet alone, is a cut above the rest.
Barry Samaha Barry Samaha is the style commerce editor at Esquire, where he covers all things fashion and grooming.
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