Dress Shirts for Masculine Presenting Style

Finding the right dress shirts for masculine presenting styles can be a challenge in and of itself!! 

The first step is to determine your body type and try to figure out what ‘type’ you feel most comfortable in. 

While most of us prefer menswear because it compliments our masculine style, we have to remember that our body shapes and sizes are usually very different from men’s. 

Now, this may not be a huge issue for many at the same it certainly could be one for others.

I’ve been wearing menswear for almost 15 years now. I’ve found some brands that work for me, but 99% of the time my ‘off-the-rack’ clothing needs to be tailored. Getting custom-made dress shirts that fit my masculine presenting style has been my saving grace, however, I understand that this might not work with everyone’s budget.

Before I share some dress shirt options let me clarify the type of shirt I’m referring to. As fashion continues to evolve, more people, like myself, are pushing the boundaries on what is considered traditional fashion. However, when it comes to dress shirts there’s a big difference between a formal dress shirt, a business dress shirt, and a casual shirt.

The shirt length is telling! Dress shirts are made longer because they’re meant to be tucked into trousers and pants whereas casual shirts have lower side seams and a shorter tail so that they can be worn untucked without looking dressy or sloppy.

Here are some dress shirt options from queer-owned designers as well as mainstream designers:

Queer-Owned Ready-to-Wear:

Haute Butch

Haute Butch offers a range of dress shirts like their Enterprise Button Down Shirt, Westpointe Windowpane Shirt, and Embassy White and Black Tux Shirts ($139-149). The brand’s sizes range from XS-6X.

Kirrin Finch

Kirrin Finch offers two styles of dress shirts. Their solid-colored Easy-Care Dress Shirt ($150) and printed dress shirts like the Arber, Hodgkins, and Hutchins ($145). The brand’s shirt sizes range from size 0-24.

Men’s Ready-to-Wear:

Express

I’ve been wearing Express dress shirts since I came out. Express’ 1MX shirt comes in an array of colors. The 1MX shirt also comes in three fits: classic, slim, and extra slim. They are priced at $60.00 which is pretty affordable for a good basic dress shirt.

Bonobos

Bonobos prides themselves on quality and fit! Their price point is a little higher than Express, ranging from $99-$169. The brand offers solid dress shirts, prints, and patterns as well as five fit options: standard, slim, athletic, tailored, and prominent.

Banana Republic

Banana Republic no-iron dress shirts are priced at $79.50. The brand offers fits from standard and slim.

Indochino

Queer-Owned Custom Clothier Companies:

 SharpeHaus

Bindle & Keep

Emily Meyer

Shane Ave

 LGBTQ+ Friendly Custom Clothier Companies:

The Tailory New York

Duchess Clothier

I’m always looking for feedback so feel free to leave me a comment below letting me know if this was in any way helpful. Also, let me know what other style, beauty, lifestyle, and travel tips you are looking for.