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White or light blue dress shirt

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iyerhari

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Discussion starter · #1 ·
I wanted to know if it makes a difference to wear either a white or a light blue dress shirt for any formal occassion such as an important meeting, or maybe even a professional photo shoot. I personally prefer light blue but tend to wear white as people say it never goes wrong.

Appreciate your thoughts.

Hari.
 
#5 ·
Personally, I have always had a weakness for the white shirt. But hanging around here and dressing primarily in sports coats for work, I see the value and versatility of blue shirts. I can't remember if it's Flusser, but one of the fashion gurus had made the assertion that most all men look good in a blue shirt. I can see that.
 
#8 ·
StylinLa said:
Personally, I have always had a weakness for the white shirt. But hanging around here and dressing primarily in sports coats for work, I see the value and versatility of blue shirts. I can't remember if it's Flusser, but one of the fashion gurus had made the assertion that most all men look good in a blue shirt. I can see that.
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It's true that most men look better in a blue shirt than white. White is not a flattering colour for many people, mostly caucasian people. It's okay on me, but cream is a little better for my complexion, as it is for people who don't have a winter complexion. I have a Japanese friend who looks his best in a white shirt because he has very strong coloring.
 
#9 ·
Matt S said:
It's true that most men look better in a blue shirt than white. White is not a flattering colour for many people, mostly caucasian people. It's okay on me, but cream is a little better for my complexion, as it is for people who don't have a winter complexion. I have a Japanese friend who looks his best in a white shirt because he has very strong coloring.
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I find that white only looks bad on blondes (makes them look like q-tips) and red heads (makes them look pale, sickly, tired and washed out). This excludes formal wear (where white looks good on everybody-including blondes and redheads).

Other than that, you can't go wrong with white. However, white, to a lesser extent than black, looks best on dark skinned people, particularly black people.

Are you a blonde or a red head, Matt?
 
#10 ·
Audi S5 TC said:
I find that white only looks bad on blondes (makes them look like q-tips) and red heads (makes them look pale, sickly, tired and washed out). This excludes formal wear (where white looks good on everybody-including blondes and redheads).

Other than that, you can't go wrong with white. However, white, to a lesser extent than black, looks best on dark skinned people, particularly black people.

Are you a blonde or a red head, Matt?
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I'm one of those people who had very light blonde hair as a kid and now has medium brown hair. But I get blonde highlights in the summer (from the sun, I've never dyed my hair).
 
#12 ·
Matt S said:
Which looks better on you? Light blue looks better on me than white does. White is best for formal occasions (like weddings, galas, etc.), but for meetings (which are not formal occasions) either is fine.
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I prefer light blue, in fact I plan to wear a light blue dress shirt for my own wedding next spring (or a blue and white bangle stripe). The reason is that I cannot find any, and I mean any, white dress shirts, at any price, that are 100% opaque. This is important for me as I am not a huge fan of undershirts unless it is really cold out. This will be particularly true for my wedding, when it will be spring and I'll be in a three-piece suit.

As far as formality, I think it matters what the shirt is paired with, and how sharp it looks. The one time I think white is required is with a black suit. Otherwise, I think the following combinations are formal enough for any event which isn't black/white tie:

Grey with blue and white striped shirt with white contrast collar
Navy suit with light blue shirt
Blue suit (lighter than navy) with cream
 
#13 ·
TimelesStyle said:
As far as formality, I think it matters what the shirt is paired with, and how sharp it looks. The one time I think white is required is with a black suit. Otherwise, I think the following combinations are formal enough for any event which isn't black/white tie:

Grey with blue and white striped shirt with white contrast collar
Navy suit with light blue shirt
Blue suit (lighter than navy) with cream
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The last two are fine for most occasions. A striped shirt, however, isn't good for the evening. But a blue and white bengal stripe with a white collar is great for formal daytime occasions.
 
#14 ·
Why on Earth would a striped shirt be wrong for the evening? I mean, slightly lower formality, of course, but it's not as if it would be inappropriate.

I think everyone needs a white shirt in their closet -- and most of the time, that's where it's likely to stay.
 
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#15 ·
I'm afraid I'm in a minority here.
Whilst I embrace the assortment of colours and patterns available for my more casual shirts, whenever the need arises for the wearing of a dress shirt (which apart from work is quite rare) I will always go for the white.
To me, it just looks better.
 
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#16 ·
Youthful Repp-robate said:
Why on Earth would a striped shirt be wrong for the evening? I mean, slightly lower formality, of course, but it's not as if it would be inappropriate.
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In the context of "I think the following combinations are formal enough for any event which isn't black/white tie", I don't think a striped shirt is a great choice for dressier evening occasions.
 
#18 ·
One alternative that hasn't been pointed out yet (surprisingly, even since Matt's been involved) is the ecru shirt. Basically off-white or light cream in colour. This is a good choice for blonde or ginger people who believe white isn't flattering.
 
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#19 ·
Shaver said:
Don't get me started. :mad2:

Here are just a few of my shirts. You may observe but one white shirt, and with very good reason.

Image
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Nice looking closet. Tell me, those wooden hangers take up a lot of room. I use them for Jackets,and trousers, but keep my shirts on the thin metal hangers from the cleaner. Do you find they make a difference with shirts. If there is a compelling reason to use them for shirts, I will have to commandeer another of my son's closets. That would have the beneficial bonus of keeping them for visiting for too long. I think if given their druthers they would be as happy as clams to stay as long as they can. That way Mom does the laundry and they get to eat real food instead of Ramen noodles.BTW, why are clams happy?
 
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