- You want to do more with less, be ready for any situation
and get the most value out of your purchases.
But there are so many options out there,
especially when it comes to dress shirts,
that it can be hard to narrow down
what those basic pieces are that you really have to have.
I always focus on versatility,
and in this video I'm gonna show you
the only five dress shirts you will ever need.
(upbeat music)
I'm Brian Sacawa, and you're watching He Spoke Style
where we give you the information and inspiration
you need to dress well,
have more confidence and unlock your potential.
Now, if you've been paying attention
over the last couple of years on the channel,
you've probably noticed that I wear pretty much
the same five shirts all the time.
Every once in a while, I might throw in a different one,
like this gingham shirt, for example,
but in general, I'm not really stepping outside
those core five shirts that I have in my wardrobe.
The reason is because above all else
and one of the things I believe in most
is building a wardrobe that is focused on versatility.
You want pieces that you can plug in easily
to a variety of different situations.
Now, of course, there are two big details
you need to pay attention to
when you're thinking about your dress shirts:
what type of collar are you going to have
and what type of cuff are you going to have.
A lot of this boils down to personal preference,
and my personal preference is to choose a classic collar
and a one-button rounded cuff.
These aren't the most unique styling details,
in fact, you might even say they're kind of boring,
but if we're talking about really leaning
into getting the most out of these shirts,
a classic collar and a one-button rounded cuff
is a really safe bet.
I mean, full disclosure, I like a French cuff shirt,
I like a turnback cuff as well,
but those have a very specific look and feel.
Like you're not gonna be able to style a French cuff shirt
in a more casual setting.
A one-button rounded cuff, however, slides more easily
between dressy, business casual and casual scenarios.
Same thing with a button-down collar
or a more aggressive spread collar shirt.
Those have their place,
but again, if you're looking for maximum versatility
and you only wanted to have five shirts
then the styling I suggest is a good way to go.
Now, the way we're able to get a little more
out of these shirts is by considering the fabric.
And as I go through each of these five shirts,
I'm going to talk specifically about the fabric choices.
And I think you'll really see how far that will go
to add versatility and range to the collection.
Essential shirt number one is a white shirt
in a poplin fabric by Thomas Mason.
100% cotton with a weight of 150 grams.
Poplin weaves, because of their construction,
are an ideal choice for shirts that are thin and cool.
And that will also maintain a sturdy appearance.
Poplin also has a great natural luster
which makes it perfect for more formal or suited looks,
but it can also lend a bit of elegance to an outfit
with chinos, for example, or even when paired with jeans.
For this outfit though,
I wanted to highlight the poplin shirt
in a classic dressy and suited way.
This is a dark navy suit that has
a subtle herringbone pattern in it.
Brown patterned tie to kind of take
the formality down just a little bit,
simple white pocket square and brown Oxford shoes.
I spent so much time talking about the collar style
I recommend so I want to point out
why I do really like this style.
And the main reason is that I love how the collar
interfaces with the lapel of the jacket.
Because of the length of the collar,
you don't see the point, which I think just looks very clean
and very polished.
Essential shirt number two is one of my favorites,
an ice blue Oxford cloth shirt.
This fabric is by Thomas Mason,
100% cotton in a weight of 180 grams.
You know, you always hear about the OCBD,
or Oxford cloth button-down,
certainly a staple, more casual style shirt,
but with a classic collar like this,
you get the added versatility of being able to style it
in a more dressed up way.
Which is what I'm doing here,
pairing it with a brown sharkskin suit,
which seems to have become one of the fan favorites
in the shop.
I chose a Prince of Wales check or a Glen Plaid tie here
to keep it more in that in-between, not super formal,
dressed up styling,
where I feel like an Oxford shirt like this really shines.
And then again, to keep things on the more relaxed side
of dressed up, I'm anchoring this look
with a pair of tassel loafers.
Essential shirt number three
is also an Oxford cloth shirt, but this one with a stripe.
Fabric is by Thomas Mason again.
It's 100% cotton with a weight of 150 grams.
A striped shirt is a must-have,
and I particularly like the size of the stripe.
It's not too thin, it's not too wide,
but it's different enough while still being classic
and, therefore, very easy to style.
I always think of a striped shirt like this as kind of fresh
and lending itself to a more relaxed approach,
which is why I've paired it here with a hopsack suit.
Hopsack, as you know, great choice for a suit
with a more casual feel, ditto on the patch pockets.
I chose a medallion tie with a lighter tannish color.
Again, playing into that relaxed
and not super buttoned up and formal vibe.
Sunglasses are by Oliver Peoples
and the derby shoes are by Enzo Bonafe.
Essential shirt number four
is gray with what you might call a reversed pencil stripe.
It's in a poplin fabric by Canclini.
100% cotton and lightweight at 110 grams.
This is going to be your dark horse,
kind of underdog shirt in the collection.
But one that gives you just an incredible amount of range
and really deepens your entire collection.
This shirt for me kind of feels like low-key elegance,
and I've paired it with the same dark blue suit
with a subtle herringbone pattern
that you saw in the first look.
Totally on purpose, because although the looks are similar,
what you can see here is that the richness of the gray
with the addition of the stripe,
although still more or less on a formal side,
just has a completely different feel.
And for a shirt to be able to transform a suit like that,
that's what we're looking for
when we talk about versatility.
Essential shirt number five is a denim shirt.
The fabric is by Canclini.
100% cotton, 210 grams.
This is such a great sportier shirt to have,
and one of my favorite things about it
is how easily it can dress down a suit
or more business casual looks.
And business casual is what I'm doing here.
I've paired the denim shirt
with our brown Donegal Tweed sport coat,
pair of navy cotton trousers, classic pocket square
and some derby shoes, which are again by Enzo Bonafe.
Now, I want to let you know
that all of these shirts are available in the HSS Shop.
And the best part about that is if you, you know,
want something different,
like a different color style or a different cuff style,
you can completely customize those parts of the shirt.
And add to that that you're going to be going
through our measuring process
so you can be really confident
that you're going to get a shirt that is fit
perfectly for you.
If you haven't checked out our shirts in the shop yet,
there's a link right over there.
So click there, head over to the shop
and start filling your wardrobe
with some great menswear essentials.