Best non-iron shirt in 2018
October 14, 2018 5:42 PM Subscribe
What is the best non-iron shirt in 2018? I have previously purchased Brooks Brothers shirts, based on a recommendation from Metafilter several years ago. I have been purchasing these, but noticed a drop in quality in recent years. They don't last. They rip after a year or two of use
I have seen companies like Ministry of Supply and makers that use Nanotex fabric, like Calving Klein Steel Performance shirts. The Ministry of Supply materials look good, but very expensive. I might be able to afford 3 or 4 shirts, 3 pants, and a suit jacket, but that would be all I could wear for a few years. The Macy's shirts are on sale for around $40 a shirt right now, which seems like a good deal, but when something is marked down that much, I worry about quality. It was disappointing wearing the non-iron Brooks Brothers shirts I bought on sale only to have them tear.
The true non-iron shirts Brooks Brothers makes were a game-changer for me. It was a lot less work and I am never going back to ironing. Are these new performance fabrics comparable or better? I really dislike the idea of getting exposed to formaldehyde. I put up with the (very small) risks for a few years, but now I am not sure. The performance fabrics that unwrinkle with body heat sound appealing, but is that really going to last? Are those fibers going to put up with repeated washings--say, 150 washings--over a 3-year period?
How can I look professional and unwrinkled with little to no effort?
I have seen companies like Ministry of Supply and makers that use Nanotex fabric, like Calving Klein Steel Performance shirts. The Ministry of Supply materials look good, but very expensive. I might be able to afford 3 or 4 shirts, 3 pants, and a suit jacket, but that would be all I could wear for a few years. The Macy's shirts are on sale for around $40 a shirt right now, which seems like a good deal, but when something is marked down that much, I worry about quality. It was disappointing wearing the non-iron Brooks Brothers shirts I bought on sale only to have them tear.
The true non-iron shirts Brooks Brothers makes were a game-changer for me. It was a lot less work and I am never going back to ironing. Are these new performance fabrics comparable or better? I really dislike the idea of getting exposed to formaldehyde. I put up with the (very small) risks for a few years, but now I am not sure. The performance fabrics that unwrinkle with body heat sound appealing, but is that really going to last? Are those fibers going to put up with repeated washings--say, 150 washings--over a 3-year period?
How can I look professional and unwrinkled with little to no effort?
Best answer: I like the Charles Tyrwhitt shirts. Fair warning--they're cut narrower than the Brooks Brothers shirts; the BB shirts are just ridiculously blousy. You can often get them on sale for $29-$40 each or so.
I think they last pretty well. Even with an undershirt, I wash after each wearing.
posted by Admiral Haddock at 6:43 PM on October 14, 2018 [1 favorite]
I think they last pretty well. Even with an undershirt, I wash after each wearing.
posted by Admiral Haddock at 6:43 PM on October 14, 2018 [1 favorite]
I switched from Charles Tyrwitt to Twillory shirts because I was getting worried about the formaldehyde... The Twillory shirts have so far been quite nice, fit roughly the same, and seem a bit sturdier than both the Tyrwitt shirts and the Brooks Brothers non-iron shirts I was using before that.
posted by range at 7:41 PM on October 14, 2018 [3 favorites]
posted by range at 7:41 PM on October 14, 2018 [3 favorites]
I buy LLBean no-iron shirts when there is a sale.
The outlet in New Hampshire sells returned shorts with strangers’ monograms that are cheap, and I think I will grab one or two next time I pass...and think up a fun explanation for the “incorrect” letters during the drive home.
posted by wenestvedt at 3:10 AM on October 15, 2018
The outlet in New Hampshire sells returned shorts with strangers’ monograms that are cheap, and I think I will grab one or two next time I pass...and think up a fun explanation for the “incorrect” letters during the drive home.
posted by wenestvedt at 3:10 AM on October 15, 2018
but I can't remember getting white shirts there, I've been a big fan of LL Bean for a long time.
However, I've been very disappointed in the last couple dress-shirt-style plaid/patterned shirts. They have worn through at the collar very quickly, long before the rest of the shirt shows any wear at all.
For a long time, I got my white dress shirts from Lands End, but, being retired, I have not needed to get new ones in quite a while. I thought they were very good quality for the price. However, today in an inauspicious day to suggest anything about anything connected with Sears.
posted by SemiSalt at 7:06 AM on October 15, 2018
However, I've been very disappointed in the last couple dress-shirt-style plaid/patterned shirts. They have worn through at the collar very quickly, long before the rest of the shirt shows any wear at all.
For a long time, I got my white dress shirts from Lands End, but, being retired, I have not needed to get new ones in quite a while. I thought they were very good quality for the price. However, today in an inauspicious day to suggest anything about anything connected with Sears.
posted by SemiSalt at 7:06 AM on October 15, 2018
Best answer: I went from BB to Trywhitt to (now) Proper Cloth. The PC shirts are somewhat more expensive (I think $75-$90 for the more basic models) but the quality is very good and they last a long time. I wash after every wear and I have PC shirts that are ~4 years old still in use. The fit on the PC shirts is like 100x times better than BB and somewhat better than CT for me. PC has several models in no-iron fabric. I think PC has deals where you can try 1 shirt for a reduced price - may be worth your time to try them.
posted by Mid at 7:22 AM on October 15, 2018
posted by Mid at 7:22 AM on October 15, 2018
Best answer: Big big fan of Twillory even without reaching into the no-formaldehyde discussion. Customer service was incredible when an order was mis-shipped, and I've been wearing them for a year now with no noticeable degradation, no shrinking, nothin'.
posted by komara at 11:39 AM on October 15, 2018
posted by komara at 11:39 AM on October 15, 2018
This thread is closed to new comments.
That wash count seems.. high. I wash my shirts every 2-3 times. I wear undershirts and have a rotation of about 10 shirts., so I may wash each shirt once a month. YMMV.
posted by sandmanwv at 6:40 PM on October 14, 2018