Dress shirt

Traditionally dress shirts were worn by men and boys, whereas women and girls often wore blouses, sometimes known as chemises.

[2] A shirt has several components: A one-piece back, which is usually pleated, gathered, or eased into a section of fabric in the upper part of the back behind the neck and over the shoulders known as the yoke (either one-piece or seamed vertically in the middle); one-piece sleeves with plackets at the wrist, or else short-sleeved (cut off above the elbow), though this is not traditional; a band of fabric around each wrist known as a cuff; the collar, a strip around the neck, which is normally a turndown collar, with the strip folded down away from the neck, leaving two points at the front, the width of which is known as the spread; and finally two front panels which overlap slightly down the middle on the placket to fasten with buttons (or rarely shirt studs).

The main distinctions between cuffs are whether they require buttons or cufflinks to fasten, and whether they are folded back (double) or single.

The vertical strip of fabric running down the front opening is called the placket, and gives a more symmetrical appearance to the joint between the left side, on top, and the right.

The buttonholes are one of the few places where the difference between hand and machine stitching can be observed while the shirt is being worn, and fashion designers sometimes use contrasting thread here or on the buttons themselves for extra impact.

On some fittings these are not needed, and handmade shirts may feature the extra fabric being worked continuously into the seam.

They are considered a casual summer or tropical option, though many people wear only the traditional long sleeves in all circumstances.

The studs are normally mother of pearl set in gold or silver, but black onyx inlay is also permissible.

The material for the panels is either layers of thick plain cotton that is heavily starched (this type is often called a boiled front shirt as the shirt needs to be put in boiling water to remove the starch before cleaning), or marcella (piqué) cotton.

The natural fibers used more commonly in the past were cotton (the most frequent), linen (the oldest), ramie, wool or silk.

Yarns from these fibers are woven into a variety of different weaves, the most notable of which include broadcloth, with double the number of warp to weft threads, giving a smooth, formal shirting; twill, where the tucks of the weft do not line up, giving a diagonal pattern, a weave used for most country checked (e.g. tattersall) shirtings; poplin, with a heavier warp than weft, giving more formal fabric;[ambiguous] and Oxford weaves.

There are many other weaves or variations on these, including end-on-end patterns, where alternate white and coloured threads are used, giving a mottled appearance, or more exotic weaves, including voile and batiste, which are extremely light fabrics only used for summer shirts or on the unseen parts of formal shirts.

A full range of colours is now commonly available, although white, light blue, cream, and to a lesser extent pale shades of pink and lavender, remain the mainstays of conventional business attire.

Bright colours and prints for very casual wear were popularised after the War by light holiday clothes such as the Hawaiian shirt.

[8] A resin used for making non-wrinkle shirts releases formaldehyde, which could cause contact dermatitis for some people - particularly those who have already developed an allergy; no disclosure requirements exist, and in 2008 the U.S. Government Accountability Office tested formaldehyde in clothing and found that generally the highest levels were in non-wrinkle shirts and pants.

In casual usage, these conventions are often not followed, with many choosing to wear shirts not tucked in, or leaving the top button undone with a tie.

In the US, ready-to-wear sizes of dress shirts traditionally consist of two numbers such as 15½ 34, meaning that the shirt has a neck 15+1⁄2 inches (390 mm) in girth (measured from centre of top button to centre of corresponding buttonhole) and a sleeve 34 inches (860 mm) long (measured from midpoint of the back and shoulders to the wrist).

For sixty years, US designers and manufacturers of neckties and dress shirts were members of the Men's Dress Furnishings Association but the trade group shut down in 2008 due to declining membership caused by the declining numbers of men wearing neckties.

by pullover tops such as sweaters, T-shirts, or hoodies as casual wear, they remain overwhelmingly dominant as formal and business (even business casual) attire, and they are almost always expected (or even required where dress codes are enforced) to be worn for such occasions.

This is in marked contrast with modern women's fashion, where tops are commonly worn in place of blouses even for dressier occasions.

Traditionally, only solid or striped shirts in white, shades of off-white (such as cream or ecru), and light blue were seen as appropriate for business attire in North America.

Darker colors such as black, navy, and red are not usually seen with business attire and are sometimes associated with mobsters in North America.