Un-tuckable long sleeve shirts

February 24, 2013 11:37 AM

This has some echoes of my question from about a year ago, but I'm looking for some more help. I've found that the "long sleeve shirt untucked" look works well for me on weekends, but I am having a heck of a time finding appropriate shirts.

Regular dress shirts are cut too long for wearing untucked -- it looks ridiculous, IMHO. And of course they have the curved hem which makes it obvious that they're meant to be tucked in. I spent a long time at Nordstrom yesterday, and found a bunch of shirts that seemed like they'd be good candidates, but even they were all too long IMHO. This is exacerbated by the fact that I tend to be just on the borderline of medium vs. large, with the medium often being just a bit too tight in the shoulder and chest. But really the bottom line is that it seems like most of those shirts really are cut as if they're designed to be tucked in, even if they aren't traditional "dress shirt" designs.

If you're a guy (or you know a guy) who wears these kind of shirts (and looks good doing it), what is your go-to source?

posted by primethyme to clothing, beauty, & fashion (14 answers total)

I forgot to mention: I know I can get shirts hemmed, and I am open to doing that. But I also see tons of guys wearing this look, and I know they're not all getting them hemmed every time.
posted by primethyme at 11:41 AM on February 24

I'm sure you already know that, in addition to getting shirts hemmed, you can also take a shirt to a tialor and have the hem cut square for untucking. Beyond that, I feel like the untucked shirt is a great opportunity to play with texture and color, especially with rougher forms of cotton. I haven't purchased from Frank & Oak yet, but lots of their weekend wear looks amazing. Lands End Canvas is another great choice. Pendleton is great if you're in colder climates: I love the vintage, but even contemporary Pendleton looks pretty great.

Still, if you're in between sizes and not happy with the fit, chances are you're gonna have to go big and get them tailored. Casual shirts tend not to be manufactured in as many fitted sizes as dress shirts, which menas being okay with the big fit, or spending a little dough to go a bit more #menswear on it.
posted by Apropos of Something at 11:47 AM on February 24

There are "dress shirts" meant to be worn like this. They're similar to dress shirts, but "worn in". J Crew is the first store to come to mind. Definitely work untucked. Anything with a collar but the fabric doesn't feel "crisp" would likely work. Some online men's stores along those lines would be Frank and Oak (less expensive) or Bonobos (more expensive). If you're short-torsoed it might be tougher. (I have the opposite problem of tucked shirts coming untucked.)
posted by supercres at 11:49 AM on February 24

Men's long-sleeve casual button-downs? Is this the style you're looking for?

Notice that some models are tucked-in, some aren't. Notice also that the ones that are tucked-in feature shirts that are sort of a fancy pattern. That fancy pattern is what the 'casual' designation refers to for those shirts, you can ignore them. The ones that are un-tucked are all straight-hem shirts meant to be worn that way. Those are the ones you want to shop from.

(The tucked-in shirts will have a hemline that's meant to be tucked in, longer in the front and back and rising around your hips.)

As for how they fit, the bottom of the front hem should be just above the bottom of your ballsack, or wherever you're wearing your crotch inseam. Choose shirts that are sized by collar and sleeve measurements rather than S,M,L; the shapes of the torso portions of a fitted shirt are usually more accurate because they're proportional to your neck size and arm length.
posted by carsonb at 11:52 AM on February 24 [2 favorites]

If you haven't already been, Banana Republic should be able to hook you up. They have various options but they definitely have a nice "soft wash" line along the lines of what supercres mentioned. I am actually quite a short guy and the shirts are a bit longer than they would be on a tall person but they still look good untucked.
posted by ftm at 11:53 AM on February 24

Carhartt makes very nice long-sleeved shirts, and all the photos show them as not being tucked in. I can personally vouch for Henley #1 and Henley #2 as looking good untucked.
posted by dean winchester at 1:37 PM on February 24

I believe the traditional name for this type of shirt is a "sports shirt" and even Brooks Brothers has them. J Crew and HM are also safe bets. Look for breast pockets, bold patterns and shorter hems. A more tailored fit will look fine untucked even if the hemline happens to be rounded.
posted by Orchestra at 2:18 PM on February 24

Seconding J. Crew. They are cut short enough (and non-baggy enough) the leave untucked. All cotton, though, so they'll need ironed.
posted by fixer at 4:29 PM on February 24

Nthing jcrew. Their shirts are actually frustrating when you want to tuck them because they're not quite long enough, but are perfect for wearing untucked. At least the oxfords are.
posted by charleskinbote at 5:20 PM on February 24

I think you should checkout Guayaberas. Commonly worn in Latin America and which come in both short and long sleeve. Ramon Puig could well be the shop for you, and if you pass through Miami the shop is well worth a visit.
posted by adamvasco at 5:42 PM on February 24

Some designer shirts work well for this. Of all my button-down long-sleeve shirts, I think only the ones from Surface-to-Air and Rag and Bone can be worn this way.

Oh, and one from Urban Outfitters. In fact, the UO site has quite a few shirts presented this way.
posted by univac at 6:22 PM on February 24 [1 favorite]

Also, these Ben Sherman shirts probably work well untucked.

Now, are you also rolling up your sleeves at all on these untucked shirts? That could be a whole other AskMe.
posted by univac at 6:26 PM on February 24

If you don't want shirt-tails, the term you're looking for is "box cut."
posted by rhizome at 6:58 PM on February 24

Travel Smith seems to have an interesting range of shirts meant to be untucked, especially if you want some patterns. Straight hems, interesting looks, etc. May or may not be as cutting edge as you're looking for, but wear well.
posted by acm at 7:19 AM on February 25