Collar Press for Shirts

New Product Irons Collar while Inside the Dryer
Introducing the Collar Press, a revolutionary new product that takes over ironing duties for shirts while inside the clothes dryer aims to change how we do our laundry. Founded in Ontario by entrepreneur Michael Mota, the Collar Press will change how laundry is done for any household with a washer and dryer.

Laundry Game Changer!

How to Pick the Proper Dress Shirt

Picking the proper men's dress shirt is not always an easy task.  In addition to figuring out the proper size, many other choices need to be made as well.

Image Source Bloomingdale's:  Apparel Search suggests that you shop at Bloomindale's for Classic Fit Dress Shirts and more.

1) Figure out your size.  Sleeve length and neck measurements are critical.  You also want to ask the retailer regarding their fit options such as slim fit, classic fit, regular fit, loose fit, etc.  Obviously, if you are on the larger side, check on big & tall sizes.

2) Figure out which fiber you prefer.  Do you enjoy 100% cotton, 100% polyester, a blend, or an entirely different fiber such as silk, rayon, etc.  Their is definitely a difference between natural and man-made fibers.  Each have advantages and disadvantages.  I am not telling you how to live your life, but my suggestion is typically 100% cotton.  Breathable, comfortable, and for the most part relatively durable.

Dress Shirt Fabrics

Dress shirt fabrics come in various constructions such as oxford, herringbone, twill, poplin, end-on-end, pinpoint, basket weave, ginham, etc.  Most of which are woven fabrics.  Shirt fabrics are also referenced as "shirtings".   

Cotton is by far the most common fabric for dress shirts, and most fabric names refer to a particular method of weaving the shirting fabric.  The numbers sometimes listed with fabrics denote the thickness of the yarn from which the fabric is made; higher numbers mean thinner yarn.  The finer yarn results in a finer clothing and typically higher prices.

Yarn is the generic term for a thin, long, continuous strand of textile fiber before it is woven into cloth.

A yarn number tells you the diameter of the yarn used in the fabric.  Fabric has a lower yarn number because the yarn used to make the shirt is wider. Thinner fabric has a higher number.  Typically 80-100 signifies high quality.  Thread count is often referred to with a number like 50s, 80s, 100s, 120s, 140s 160s, etc. up to 200s.

Ply is a term used to describe the number of yarns that are spun together in the shirt fabric. Two ply means that two different yarns are twisted together before the shirting fabric is woven.  Fabrics can either be two-ply or single ply.

You might see a fabric’s construction described as something like “100/2×100/2″. The way to read this is that it has 100s two-ply threads running in both the warp and weft directions.  Warp threads run vertically. Weft yarns run horizontally.

Broadcloth—very similar to poplin–is a tightly woven fabric with a very simple over-under weave and slight sheen, which makes it very dressy.  Broadcloths are great for guys looking for as little texture as possible in their fabrics.  They are generally a thinner, lighter fabric.

Oxford vs. Pinpoint - The difference between the fabrics is not in the weave, but in the thickness and weight of the yarns that are used. Pinpoint generally has a higher thread count, and a lighter, finer weave then Oxford Cloth.  Thus, pinpoint dress shirts are preferable over oxford cloth dress shirts in formal situations.

The construction of the cloth and yarn count is only part of the shirt fabric puzzle.  The fabric also must complete a proper finishing process to be prepared for being cut and sewn into dress shirts.  There are a variety of processes that must occur before the cloth is considered “finished.”  These processes are referred to as the “finishing.”  This process can include dying, sizing, pre-shrinking, and sanforization (Sanforization is a process of treatment used for cotton fabrics mainly and most textiles made from natural or chemical fibres, patented by Sanford Lockwood Cluett) to name just a few common ones.  Some finishing techniques such as bleaching and dyeing are applied to yarn before it is woven while others are applied to the grey cloth directly after it is woven or knitted.  Each of these processes has a direct effect not only on the appearance of the cloth, but also on how it later performs.

A primer on dress shirt fabrics (dappered)

Dress Shirt Weaves (Charles Tyrwhitt shirts)

If you are a fashion designer looking for factories to manufacturer your dress shirts in the shirting fabric construction of your choice, you can check the dress shirt factory section of our clothing factory area.

You may want to also learn about suit fabrics if you would like to do a bit more reading.

Learn more about fabrics from our fabric mill section.

Do you know the difference between a made-to-measure shirt and a bespoke shirt?

Read our blog post about how to pick a proper dress shirt.

Thank you for taking the time to read our fashion industry blog post. We hope that you have found this news to be informative. If you have comments or questions, please add your thoughts in the discussion area below.

Flex Collar Dress Shirts with Tekfit Stretch

Talon International, Inc. announced that PVH Corp. has launched its Van Heusen Flex Collar men's dress shirts in retail stores.  Flex Collar incorporates Talon's Tekfit® proprietary stretch technology, allowing expandable collar comfort with half inch of stretch.  As a man that wears dress shirts, and hates a tight fitting neckline, this sounds like a fantastic garment.

The Flex Collar men's dress shirt designed with Talon's Tekfit technology is said to provide men with an additional half inch of expanding collar comfort without wrinkling or compromising the collar structure. PVH also announced a comprehensive 360-degree marketing campaign that will support the launch of the Van Heusen Flex Collar shirt this fall and is anchored by a national commercial highlighting iconic tight collar moments from classic movies to popular TV shows.

Further, as a long-time sponsor of the New York Giants, Van Heusen unveiled branded in-stadium creative and various digital shorts shot at MetLife Stadium starring running back Rashad Jennings, guard Justin Pugh, center Weston Richburg, linebacker Devon Kennard, defensive tackle Jonathan Hankins and New York Giants' legend Jessie Armstead. The unique and humorous videos showcase the players in situations where extra space equals more comfort and will be shown on local New York media and across the brand's social media channels.

According to David Sirkin, President of Dress Shirts at PVH Corp. " currently at three key retailers Kohl's, J.C. Penney, and Macy's, the Flex Collar shirt has received positive reaction from customers. If the trend continues, 2016 could be an even stronger roll out of the product. We are also exploring incorporating Tekfit into our other brands as we focus on product innovation and market leadership."

The Tekfit technology transforms an otherwise non-stretchable fabric into a fabric with the ability to stretch and recover, resulting, in this instance, in an unusually comfortable, flexible shirt collar without compromising the style, look or feel of the garment; only the wearer knows the stretch is there.

Talon International, Inc. is a major supplier of custom zippers, complete trim solutions and stretch technology products to manufacturers of fashion apparel, specialty retailers, mass merchandisers, brand licensees and major retailers worldwide. Talon develops, manufactures and distributes custom zippers exclusively under its Talon® brand ("The World's Original Zipper Since 1893"); designs, develops, manufactures, and distributes complete apparel trim solutions and products; and provides stretch technology for specialty waistbands, shirt collars, and other items all under its trademark and world renowned brands, Talon®, and TekFit® to major apparel brands and retailers. Leading retailers worldwide recognize and use Talon products including Abercrombie and Fitch, Polo Ralph Lauren, Kohl's, J.C. Penney, FatFace, Victoria's Secret, Wal-Mart, Tom Tailor, Levi Strauss & Co., Juicy Couture, and many others. The company is headquartered in the greater Los Angeles area, and has offices and facilities throughout the United States, United Kingdom, Hong Kong, China, Taiwan, India, Indonesia and Bangladesh.  Learn more about Talon International, Inc.

PVH Corp., one of the world's largest apparel companies, owns and markets the iconic Calvin Klein and Tommy Hilfiger brands worldwide. It is the world's largest shirt and neckwear company and markets a variety of goods under its own brands, Van Heusen, Calvin Klein, Tommy Hilfiger, IZOD, ARROW, Warner's and Olga, and its licensed brands, including Speedo, Geoffrey Beene, Kenneth Cole New York, Kenneth Cole Reaction, MICHAEL Michael Kors, Sean John, Chaps, and Ike Behar.  Learn more about PVH Corp.

Thank you for taking the time to read our fashion blog post. We hope that you have found this news to be informative. If you have comments or questions, please add your thoughts in the discussion area below.

Stantt Dress Shirt Sizes

Stantt's mission is to end the long-standing idea of S/M/L sizing by delivering high-quality dress shirts in 75 sizes, each named for a street in New York City.

Getting an amazing fit can be simple.  Using tons of datapoints from 3D body scans of guys, this company has built a new approach to sizing from the ground up called DataFit™.  With just 3 simple inputs their website finds the proper shirt size tailored for you.

Learn more about the shirts at the Stantt website.

Let’s be honest.  The old method of sizing, is rather out dated.

If you are interested in shopping for men’s clothing, you can also visit the men’s clothing retailer section here on Apparel Search for additional options.