The differences between dress shirts and formal shirts

One of the biggest dilemmas for men is choosing what shirt to wear when they are going out! Should they a dressy shirt be worn or is it an occasion for a formal shirt? It is a tough decision to make but as long as you clearly know the difference between a dress shirt and a formal shirt you will be just fine.
As a rule of thumb, formal shirts are more a basic shirt. One major colour. Simple pattern and stitching and a regular fit. Whereas, dressy shirts can be a blend of a variety of colours, with decorative stitching and being either flared fit, tight fit or any other kind of ‘non basic’ fitting.
Now you know the difference, when should each shirt be used? Dress shirts are suitable for nights out in pubs and clubs for example and also for in restaurants, whereas formal shirts are more for work, conventions and sophisticated venues, such as expensive restaurants.
It is an important choice for men as you simply cannot be caught wearing the wrong type of shirt for an occasion.

Thin, thin, thin

I for one love waking up to crystal blue skies on a blazingly hot summers day then to immediately remember I will be stuck in a hot stuffy office for the whole day. The office can be extremely hot and I personally must change what I wear to keep myself cool as it can become quickly unbearable in my hot office.
My philosophy is to wear the thinnest possible clothing I can find. During the summer I like to wear thin, linen-like material shirts to work. I feel that these are much cooler than the cotton or polyester shirts and goes a long way to keeping me cool. Again with my trousers, I go out and buy the thinnest possible pair that I can find! I would like to dress down completely but I still feel it is best that I look professional for the company that currently employs me.
Short sleeve t-shirts can be OK from time to time, I personally think that it depends on the type of office it is. For some occupations it may be fine yet for others they may not be smart enough.
The key for me is not particularly what you wear, but what the clothing you wear is made of. Wearing the thinnest material you can find will go a long way to keeping you cool in the office.

What’s hot?

The question of what to wear in the office in summer when it gets really, really hot is, literally, a sticky one.

But in reality, the answer is simple.

For both men and women, the answer is in the fabric you choose. Cottons and linens in cool shades are always going to be more comfortable to wear than dark, tight fitting clothes. But be prepared to have more than one favourite office outfit in these materials as they are prone to creasing.

Women have an easier time of it because they are always going to have more choice of what to wear. All they have to remember is: no low necklines, no spaghetti straps, no bare legs. Business casual is different to smart casual and women must always remember that even today, the boardroom is still male dominated and therefore the boundaries of the office dress code should not be abandoned just because it’s hot.

There is no need to resort to a prim dress code, but a round, scooped or slashed neckline is just as cool but far more classy than a plunging affair which may show off your ample charms but will lose points in the boardroom.

Unless you are a young woman with firm, tanned arms, you will be just as cool in a capped or three-quarter length sleeve than in a sleeveless garment.

Legs never look good bare unless they are on the beach. Better instead to wear fine denier tights but if it really is too hot for tights, then a pair of wide-legged cotton or linen formal trousers (not cropped pants) will look and feel cool and classy.

As for the men, well a short-sleeved shirt is really only an option if you are not in a formal environment. Better to wear a crisp cotton shirt with long sleeves which can be rolled neatly to just below the elbow, although I have always found those red garters for holding up shirt sleeves to be rather sexy!

Leave cream suits for the real tropics – and believe that a lightweight, well-cut dark coloured suit will look and feel cool.