What is Style Source? It’s a series that analyzes a brand or retailer that might be a little bit off the beaten path for some. Just because a brand doesn’t make it into the final four of Store Wars, that doesn’t mean they don’t offer a few great options that are worth your consideration. Yet maybe there are a few items that are worth looking for elsewhere. If you have a suggestion for a store or brand to be explored for an edition of Style Source, send it in here.
Based in the U.K., Charles Tyrwhitt is best known for their mail & internet-order shirts. In the past few years, Charles Tyrwhitt has expanded into the United States with retail locations in New York, D.C., and Chicago, now offer a US-based website and catalog, and regularly offer US-specific seasonal sales and promotions.
The reputation for their shirts is positive, but along with expansion in terms of geographical reach, Charles Tyrwhitt has come a long way in terms of the variety of clothing they offer. They’re not just a shirt company anymore, and haven’t been for awhile. Here’s what’s worth it, and perhaps what’s not quite up to snuff, in terms of a Dappered-focused budget.
Shirts: Worth it? YES
CT was built upon the backs (and collars, and sleeves, and cuffs… ) of their shirts. The sheer variety of colors, patterns, collar & cuff styles, etc… is mind numbing. Plus, they’re available in wide range of neck widths (14.5″ – 17.5″) and sleeve lengths (up to 37). During sales and promotions (like the one running now), you might be able to get one of their shirts for as cheap as the low to mid $30s. But even at their 4 for $199 price, they’re an excellent value (yes, they are well worth it at fifty bucks a pop).
About their three shirt fits: Classic, Slim, Extra Slim
- Classic: voluminous, billowing mess.
- Slim: classic, generous cut.
- Extra Slim: tailored with higher, slimmer armholes
The Suggestion: First time buyers will probably be best served by the 100% non-iron cotton poplin or twill. Shirts made with these fabrics are consistently high quality, and the non-iron treatment insures that the shirts remain crisp over the course of multiple years of regular wear (while not being super-scratchy like some cheap non-iron shirts). The non-iron cotton twill is thicker and warmer than the poplin.
Pants: Worth it? Ehhhhhhhhhhhhhh….
They’re really expensive, especially when compared to competitors including Banana Republic and J.Crew. The quality just doesn’t seem to be that big of a step up either. Many are going to find that their sizing is inconsistent. That said…
About their three pant fits: Classic, Slim, Extra Slim
- Classic: roomy through the bottom, thighs, and calves
- Slim: Inconsistent. Varies from well-tailored to skinny-jean-ball-popping territory
- Extra Slim: loose in the waist with a low rise, unfortunately small crotch, and skin-tight legs
The Suggestion: Tread carefully here. Only consider if they’re on some super sale or mega clearance. And steer clear of their non-iron cotton weekend chinos. The fabric wrinkles easily (indeed…), produces static, and is a lint magnet.
Blazers & Sport Coats: Worth it? YES
CT’s sportcoats and blazers can be a bargain for the savvy shopper, and come in two varieties: unstructured or half-canvassed. The quality of the half-canvassed jackets is exceptional. I would compare the jackets favorably to J.Crew, and the quality is visibly higher than Banana Republic. They represent a fantastic value, especially during a seasonal sale or with the use of a promotional code. Charles Tyrwhitt offers a classic navy blazer every season, and last season’s navy blazer is regularly offered in the clearance section for $170-$180.
Unstructured jackets can be inconsistent in sizing. If in doubt, order two sizes and take advantage of Charles Tyrwhitt’s excellent return policy to return the incorrect size. In general, they run very large. The quality of the unstructured blazers is just as inconsistent as the fit. The jacket pictured is a beautiful unlined, unstructured corduroy sport coat in a dark navy. I purchased this jacket during one of the end of season sales.
About their two jacket fits: Classic and Slim
- Classic: It’s actually a tailored, slim fit with 3″ lapels and a silhouette resembling SuitSupply’s Napoli fit.
- Slim: A European skinny fit with overly-slim, unflattering lapels.
The Suggestion: The Navy Classic Fit Blazer, or their Unstructured Classic Fit Cord Blazer.
Shoes: Worth it? YES
Charles Tyrwhitt outsources the manufacturing of its shoes to Loake, and there are a few different price points to what CT Offers:
- The shoes at the low end: Equivalent to Loake’s L1 or Lifestyle ranges, and are often made in Asia.
- The shoes around the $200 mark are equivalent to Loake’s Shoemakers range. The quality is lower than Allen Edmonds, but these can be a decent value when on sale.
- The highest quality/most expensive shoes are variations of shoes in Loake’s 1880 range. These shoes are roughly equivalent in quality to Allen Edmonds, but tend to be made of softer, thinner leather.
It can be difficult to determine where a specific pair of shoes falls on the quality spectrum. Additionally, the last of the shoe is not listed on the website. That being said, Charles Tyrwhitt is one of the best sources for inexpensive, rebranded Loake 1880s. It’s well worth keeping an eye on a pair of shoes until the end of the season when promotional codes can be stacked with seasonal discounts to bring the shoes into the $160-$180 range. The Loake Kemptons that were previously reviewed on Dappered are sold by Charles Tyrwhitt every fall and winter.
The Suggestion: Charles Tyrwhitt currently offers a shoe similar to the Loake 1880 line wingtip pictured above. The brogue pattern differs slightly on Charles Tyrwhitt’s version, and who knows if the last is the same. (Note: I’ve darkened my shoes from the original tan color using dark brown shoe cream.)
FINAL NOTES
Sales & Discounts
- Charles Tyrwhitt is perpetually on sale. Ignore the claimed savings, and the listed “original price”.
- There are always promotional codes for at least 10% off that do stack with multiple purchase discounts. In other words, if you buy four shirts for $199 you can apply a 10% promotional code to that order to bring it down to $179.10.
- Charles Tyrwhitt runs hidden page discounts. For example, if you visit www.ctshirts.com/jeff a hidden promotion will appear that offers a shirt for $40 with a “free” tie. The catch? The customer pays shipping. (You may need to clear your browser’s cookies before the promotional link works.)
- Pay attention to their hidden customer loyalty program. After you’ve made your first purchase, CT will occasionally mail you a unique one-time use coupon code that can be used online or in store. They also slip personalized coupons in between the second page of the catalog or the last page. It’s an incentive to subscribe to their catalog, and to shake it to see if any Willy Wonka style coupons come floating out. These can be quite valuable.
An example of a CT hidden page promo.
“Normally” $140? Nope. Worth it at $39.95 w/ a free tie? Sure.
Customer Service
- Charles Tyrwhitt offers one of the best customer service experiences of any menswear retailer.
- Their clothing is usually covered by a six month no-questions-asked guarantee. If a product develops a tear, a loose seam, a broken zipper, or displays any other flaw, Charles Tyrwhitt will exchange or refund the buyer. No questions asked. The only exception seems to be during their Summer and Winter sales, where that guarantee is reduced, greatly, to 14 days (but hey, they want to clear the decks).
- In the rare circumstance that a situation needs to be escalated, their executive office will personally respond to any email sent to ForNickWheelerOnly@ctshirts.co.uk.
Your turn guys. What’s your experience been like with Charles Tyrwhitt? Do you stick to just shirts? When have you found the best deals? Leave your CT experience & tips in the comments…
About the author: Chris (aka Bruschetta) is an America-born university researcher and teacher based in Glasgow, Scotland, as well as a moderator on Threads. His sense of style is inspired by a childhood dressed in Ivy league trad, and the fact that he is enormously well bred.
Only purchased shirts from them, but they are my go to. Extra slim fit needs no tailoring for me. Customer service has been fantastic the two times I have contacted them.
Going to keep my eyes open on blazers and shoes in the future.
This is a really great feature. CT has always been tempting but off putting given the complexity of the sales and offerings. This is a very helpful guide.
Very timely post as I was just considering buying this brand. I got a catalogue with a hidden page discount identical to the /jeff one you listed. I think I’ll pull the trigger on this brand.
All of my dress shirts are Charles Tyrwhitt. Love the brand, love the service, and only wish they shipped from a warehouse in the US rather than the UK so that I could get my hands on them sooner! The NYC store isn’t bad, either, if you’re looking to get a feel for jacket fits.
I love their shirts and purchased their navy corduroy jacket last year when I was on holiday in London and it is a winter staple. I will warn that they are pretty slim fitting. I am normally a 44L but I wear the 46R in their sportcoats. Sizing on sportcoats is similar to Frank and Oak size wise (but not so cropped). I would either try them on in store or make sure you are getting them somewhere returns are free.
I love that their shirts have a nice long tail and stay tucked in, even the sport shirts.
Their service is fast but they use DHL outside of the US and the UK so keep your orders small or you can get really nailed by the shipping. If they would give a royal mail/USPS option I would likely use them more.
Most of my dress shirts are now from CT. Usually stock up during their sales. My only “complaints” (and I use that word VERY loosely) are 1) they don’t offer my particular size in the Extra Slim Fit as the Slim Fit isn’t all that slim on me and 2) the second button seems higher than most for someone who goes tieless most days. That being said, the fact that they offer my seemingly rare size at all (15.5/37) in anything resembling an affordable slim fit is GREATLY appreciated!
Great primer. Been a big fan of Tyrwhitt, the definitely form a big chunk of my wardrobe. Haven’t expanded into their suits yet, but was impressed with what I saw.
Also want to add that their in-store experience is really great too. I’ve been to their stores in both NYC and DC, customer service is fantastic and it’s great for seeing how their sizing matches up (mostly true-to-size in my experience). Plus, the first time you go, you get a $20 voucher for signing up for their e-mail list. Nab yourself a nice pocket square!
I have purchased a lot of stuff from them. Their shirts are high quality and i would say just a small step below most of my Brooks brothers shirts. Their extra slim fit is still a little billowy, especially under the arms, which has been addressed on Dappered and the Threads a few times. Their french cuff shirts seem to be a higher quality than the barrel cuffs, though there may be a bias on which ones i actually bought. I have 2 slim fit linen/cotton blazers which I love, they fit like a glove off the rack (40R, 175lbs 5’9″). I bought 3 of their suits and their tux as well. The slim suit coats are perfect (as for the blazers above) but their slim fit pants are CRAZY tight. The tux I bought was the classic fit and WOW it is much bigger, needed some adjustments and still not right. I ended up buying the regular fit pants for all the suits and tux (i confirmed that they are all cut from the same material and interchangable when I called them) and I had to have the seat and waist brought in, they fit perfect now. Just wore one of the suits the other day, NOT as good as my BB fitzgerald, but a nice suit for $300 on sale with free shipping and whatever promo coupons (plus tailoring fees).
A couple more comments… The suits are FULLY lined (at least what I bought, not sure about other lighter/summer lines), the blazers/sport coats don’t seem to be. Also, the suits have functioning button holes on the sleeves
As I read with my CT Lambswool cardigan. Solid brand; can be pricy, but it hasn’t treated me wrong yet.
I don’t have a store location close by, so could someone let me know what the fit of the Extra Slim shirt is like compared to either BB extra slim, or BR tailored slim? I seem to be in between slim and extra slim on some sizes now as the arms are getting smaller (or mine are getting swoll of course), but the waist still fit much better on all extra slims.
Unless it’s changed in the past 6 months this is your rule of thumb for CT shirts:
30$ per + NO free shipping is the best deal if you’re buying several shirts. Shipping is something like $15 so you’re going to want to buy a few at a time this way.
40$ with free tie + free shipping is the best deal if you’re in the market for one shirt and one tie.
Beyond this it’s sort of buyer beware. CT shirts are absolutely fantastic for the money. I have to get them tailored up a bit after receiving them but a CT extra slim fit is a way better (and more affordable) blueprint to do so vs. a brooks brothers ESF.
Thought I replied to this, but appears disqus ate the comment.
The CT is definitely slimmer in the sides/waist when compared to the BB extra slim. Arms and chest seem about the same to me. I like the CT cut better.
That said, I’ve had some weird shrinking problems on the sleeves of one or two of my CT non-iron shirts. Bad enough that I may stop buying them, though I like their cut the best out of any non-iron dress shirt.
Anyone else have shrinking issues with CT shirts? I have 3 shirts, and on one the sleeves shrank to a degree that I can’t wear it with a suit anymore. I’m going to try and take the one back and see what they say.
Is this common (I have a friend it also happened to)? I really like the CT cut, but I’m not going to switch over if this keeps happening to 1 out of every 3 shirts I buy.
Thanks for the sizing help. And the 3 CT shirts I’ve had before in Classic and Slim (before I started reading dappered and sized down) had sleeve shrinking issues after washing as well. The barrel cuff one was so bad that the only way I can wear it now is with the sleeves rolled up.
Anyone know if their blazers come with functioning buttonholes?
Excellent introduction to Tyrwhitt- I agree and echo that their goods are always somewhat on sale. Quality and look of everything I have gotten from them is excellent. Pants are good (but not great, as mentioned) I recommend only getting them as part of a matching a suit.
CT also has great ties in my experience. My big gripe worth mentioning is that they no longer seem to sell “Extra Long Ties” for tall guys, which is a huge loss for me since I love their ties.
Have a few shirts and ties from CT. Love them.
How do their shirts compare to TM lewin?
I LOVE Charles Tyrwhitt. I have a suit from them that is by far my favorite and best fitting. It fits and feels better than my Indochino suit. I’ve had several of their shirts. I’ve gotten rid of more due to losing weight and needing another size (4) than from wear and tear (2) and most have lasted me over 6 years.
I just realized I’m wearing one right now that was part of the original batch I bought! I was my first slim fit shirt. FYI it’s 10 years old and looks like I’ve had it for 10 months.
I’m going to try the extra slim next.
P.S. their ties are really nice too. Substantial in material though a little pricey unless on a good sale.
Love CT, but the one thing that has moved me over to Bonobos as a go-to shirt is the lack of buttons on the arm vents – I end up with really loose sleeve rolls that I have to make really high just to get them to have any form. The metal collar stays, however, are a nice bonus.
No 15.5″/36″ extra-slim — so no business from this tall skinny guy. It’s a shame; they otherwise seem like a fantastic source for daily-wear shirts.
I’ve noticed it ever-so-slightly one a couple of my shirts. I wouldn’t call it unwearable, but it’s definitely noticeable.
I feel your pain sir. I tried on an extra slim fit shirt in store and realized I need a 15″ rather than 15.5″…..and they dont make those in 34 or 35″ sleeve 🙁
A couple of points:
1. I searched far and wide for affordable shirts that fit me just right. CT shirts fit that bill. Perfect in fit, and GREAT collars.
2. Wish I had known about the 6-month returns. I developed a rip in the sleeve of a couple shirts thanks to the way I sit at my desk, and I just chucked the shirts. Will definitely keep this in mind.
3. Another commenter noted that there has been some sleeve shrinkage. I have noticed this as well. I need to check the weave of the shirts it happened to, because it is not universal.
4. There are a couple shirts that have scratchy material that wrinkles really easily. It’s one of the thicker weaves.
5. Their tuxedo shirt, while expensive, is the best tux shirt I’ve ever worn. Great collar; BEEFY and substantial french cuffs.
All told, for 30-40 bucks a shirt, I highly recommend this brand.
I pre-soak all my dress shirts, throw them in the wash, but then rather than putting them in dryer I immediately remove them from the washer to hot iron. Afterwards I hang dry them. This is the only way I can avoid “shrinkage” (George Costanza).
Nice shirts for the money, but in my experience the shirt sleeves wear short. The heavy twill wear especially nice and seem to suffer less from this problem.
How is the button stance, and how much of the seat does the sportcoat covered? The pictures online suggest the button stance is sternum height
I’m also a 15.5/36, where do you get your shirts? I haven’t had much luck finding a brand that sells that size and has a slim enough fit. I manage to get by with the CT ESF 15.5/35 for the time being.
I have a few of their shirts now. I like that I can get my exact size at a reasonable price that can’t really be found in any stores (15.5 neck/36 sleeve). Their extra slim fits best of any shirt I have. The only problem I had was the first time I ordered the Egyptian cotton it was labeled my size but was very large in the neck and measured closer to 16.5 with a tape measure. Exchange was super easy though and they sent the replacement before I even had time to return the mislabeled one.
I was referred to CT by a friend who swears by them and … other than the price, I really didn’t like them. The slim fit non-iron fit like a Brooks Brothers extra slim fit (great except in the chest), but the material felt much, much worse. I’m in the tough spot of being between a BB slim fit (not very slim but decent) and a BB extra slim (great except for the chest (I think I could fix this if I just lost 10lbs, but I digress)). Since I always have suit jacket on, I’m better off with the BB slim fits, but Ratio seems to be the answer for the best all purpose shirt.
First, this is a wonderful feature, and I look forward to more installments
Second, can you comment on the button stance and the length of the blazers? The online pictures seem to suggest a slight crop with an extremely high button stance…
Yeah, this is a slight annoyance for me as well. If the sleeves were a bit slimmer this wouldn’t be an issue, but the sleeves on my slim fit shirts are pretty wide IMO. Then again, I don’t sell a lot of tickets to the “gun show”
I am very brand loyal to CT, but they have earned it. Has anyone found a deal better than the $39.95 + tie deal? Great quality. I am looking to add pants and suits from CT to my wardrobe once I go to their brick and mortar store.
Thanks for the tip, and I’m sure your method avoids the shrinkage problem, but it seems to me to lose the one advantage of buying non-iron shirts in the first place, which is to not have to extensively hot iron them (though maybe you’re not buying non-iron CT like I am).
I never have issues with my BB non-iron shirts, and it seems like shrinkage is a quality control issue that CT should address. Until they do, I think I’m done with them.
Yeah, I wouldn’t say its unwearable, but the shirt shrunk to the degree where no cuff is showing when I wear a suit, which is a deal breaker for me.
I’ve had nothing but exceptional experiences with Charels Tyrwhitt. They make great shirts for the price and are definitely worth the $50. The cotton twill is my favorite.
The customer service is also top-notch. I didn’t receieve an order so I called them and told them, they sent a new order with the fastest shipping available for no extra cost, no questions asked. All they asked was that if I received the original order to please ship it back to them, which I did with the free return label. I would highly recommend them.
I’ve never bought anything from them beside shirts, but I will defintiely keep an eye on the blazers and shoes now. I’d really like to go into one of their retail stores if I ever make it to one of those cities. I’d really like to see them sold in other retail stores, Nordstrom for example.
Couldn’t have better timing. I just received a catalog in the mail, and have been pondering if their shirts are a smart purchase. Looks like they are!
Their sport shirts are worth a look too, I’ve finally found a good fit in their large tailored (everybody else’s large is too long, likely billowy). No pocket though.
I’ve only purchased one CT shirt, but the fit and quality of it feel very nice for the ~$40 I paid (think I used the shirt + tie deal). With that being said, I was always very nervous about purchasing a shirt with fairly steep shipping without ever being able to try them on and determine which fit/size fit me the best. I was able to stop into the NYC store last fall and try a bunch on until I figured out exactly which size worked best for me. Now, I wouldn’t hesitate to buy more.
ah, now that you mention it….this is the one annoyance for me as well.
Chris (and other UK-based chaps), any recommendations for good trousers (flannel and chinos) around the price of CT? I’ve recently bought two pairs of their slim-fitting chinos, and following the usual alterations, they’re by far the best I’ve ever owned. I’m planning to get some of their odd trousers next month too – 2 all-wool pairs for £110 looks like a steal compared to pretty much every other brand which I’ve found (which would be Land’s End with a pair for £80; otherwise it’s either ridiculously pricey, mostly synthetic, or looks like orphaned suit trousers). Ta for recommendations!
Any comments on their ties?
Brooks Brother’s Extra slim is perfect for me but CT extra slim was too slim. I’m 6’1″ 200. Great shirts though, I was sad to return them.
I love their shirts – Extra Slim if I’m wearing it under a jacket, plain ol’ Slim for under a blazer or not. Get the semi-spread collar, it looks great without a tie. Also found that putting them in a fine-washables mesh bag helps them last longer
These shirts are fantastic…If i do have a critique though it would be these few minor. points. 1) The collars are rather high. I suppose I have a short neck and these guys hit me higher in the adam’s apple than i would prefer, which requires me to get a bigger neck size. In everything else i am a 14.5 but its like a choker with these. 2) As such, my second order was for the same shirts with just a 15 inch collar and i was a little disappointed that the whole shirt was a bit larger. By that I mean longer and not as slim as the others I also had in slim fit. 3) I don’t like how they do not have a button at the mid-forearm position to button together the sleeve vent. While most of the time it stays closed with any real arm movement you could nearly put your elbow out through it.
Again, mostly minor complaints. These guys wash great in a delicate/cold water cycle and hang dry completely wrinkle free.
FWIW, all my dress shirts are CT non-irons, and none of them have shrunk on me. Cold water wash cycle, hang dry.
More of these Style Source articles Joe/Dappered team… they’re thorough and help ornery people like me make decisions.
I’ve complained a bit on here today about the dress shirts, but I am really impressed with CT’s ties, assuming you can wait and grab them during one of their frequent sales. They tie a great half-windosr knot, and have held up much better than similar priced ties I’ve owned in the past.
No experience with CT Shirts, but have been wanting to try them out. Does anyone know if the collar sizes run true to size, small, big, etc?
How do they compare to Lands End shirts? The Lands End tailored fit seem to fit me quite well and with sales and coupons are quote a bargain. Are the CT shirts worth an extra $10-15?
I wash mine on a warm setting that stays under 104 degrees, which CT says is fine.
After years of owning BB non-iron, though, I do tumble dry all of my dress shirts on low (which is what BB recommends), which apparently is a no-no with CT shirts according to the website. I’m going to take the one back that shrank, and see what happens if I cut out drying completely.
True.
CT smallest shirt is too big all around on me (5’6″, 130 lbs). If they’re on sale for $30 I guess it’s worth it to pay extra for tailoring… but might as well go MTM at that point.
Dominic, I like their ties when I can buy them in the $15-20 range. They also have frequent free tie promotions. I have three of their ties and they’ve held up very well. The oldest CT tie that I own is about three years old and it still looks great. That being said, they’re not premium ties.
Dom, I’ve struggled to find decent trousers in the UK. Retailers here seem to have embraced synthetics. I’ve settled on Uniqlo’s vintage chinos, but I haven’t found a good source for affordable flannel trousers.
I did try Charles Tyrwhitt’s flannel in the classic and slim fits. The flannel is on the thinner side, and I didn’t find either fit to be flattering.
Fair enough. Thanks guys!
I don’t wear a suit to work. It’s mainly for weddings and other formal functions or whenever I feel to dress up for a nice outing. I think these ties will suffice.
Appreciate the review, been considering doing a purchase from here in the last month. Would love to see a feature on TM Lewin as well- have been buying their shirts for over a year now and absolutely love the fit and construction. Would be curious to see how the two companies compare in terms of the fit and product mix?
the two cotton/linen ones that I bought have funtioning buttons, so i assume that their more “dressy” ones do as well. infact, ALL of my CT blazers, suit coats and tux coat have functioning buttons. which is a bit awkward since my left arm is a bit shorter than my right…
I have 3 suits and a Tux. I wrote about them in an earlier comment. all in all, i like them and they work well, though a BB Fitzgerald is much better. for the $300-400 price i would highly recommend them, even though they are fully lined (unless otherwise stated on the CT site).
Thanks.
Connor, the button stance is fairly traditional on my two blazers in the classic fit. It’s on the higher side. The length is also traditional at ~30.5″ for a 38R.
They have 15.5/36? Do you pay the additional fee to alter the 37′ shirts?
No not at all (I tried it on last night). The top button is slightly north of the mid point between my sternum and navel. The jacket is a little on the short side for me (as it is a 46R) but that’s OK as it is a sportcoat. If thier suits were sized the same way that would be a reject for me.
For reference I am normally a 44L, 6’3″, 220lbs with a 36 arm and the fit of a 46R was as good as you could expect off the rack.
HUGE fan of CT shirts. I’ve experienced they’re customer service and its stellar. I haven’t ventured out beyond shirts and socks. I may start buying shoes from them, too.
Does anyone else have experience with the jackets? Do you find they run big, as the article says? I can take a 36 or 38, depending on the brand and it sounds like a 36 slim might be best for me.
Their shirts are of excellent quality, I’ve had a few of them in my rotation for 3-4 years and they have held up quite well. They also go all the way up to at least a 21″ neck if you buy online and as I’m a bigger guy, this is a plus.
One critique, if you put CT up against Brooks Brothers shirts, the BB shirts have an extra button at the bottom, so if you are a little heavier around the middle, that extra button is absolutely ideal and both shirts can be had for about the same price if you are willing to shop. BB shirts are also all over ebay if you aren’t afraid to wear someone else’s clothing.
Their ties look really sharp too
I have a few of their shirts and think they’re great. If you catch the sales, they are a very good deal.
Be aware that you can be hit by duty/taxes when shopping from the UK site. If shopping from the US site, they will refund any duty you have to pay.
I’m curious: what differences in fit have you identified between CT ESF and BB ESF shirts?
It isn’t a huge difference to be honest, but the 30$ price point makes the ‘tailoring tax’ much easier to deal with. Sorry I can’t be more descriptive – I haven’t tried on a BB ESF for years since I discovered CT stuff.
Makes sense. I just grabbed a couple BB ESF shirts, but I’ve been thinking about grabbing something from Charles Tyrwhitt or T.M.Lewin to compare once and for all.
I buy the CT slim fit. Does the Bonobos dress shirts in slim fit the same? Want to try one out.
Great post and great idea for a regular column. Other ideas for companies to review: Wizard of Aahs brands, TM Lewin, Suit Supply, designers that typically go sale through online or retail outlets (Gilt, EastDane, Nord Rack).
The best part of the column is the value aspect. For some of us $60 is a lot for a shirt, but if its worth it, I’ll pony up the cash. Same with shoes. I’m a Florsheim/Bostonian type guy, but I’m going to check out CT shoes singularly based on your review. It’s not that I don’t see the quality of Allen Edmonds, but I don’t take care of my shoes like a $300 pair requires. So reviews on nicer alternatives to the big value brands or is a great idea for a column.
I recently got into dressing nicer in general and the price range for CT had me pick up 3 of their dress shirts.
Slim fit is more like normal fit for me. not slim at all and arm holes are not high up, just normal.
I ended up getting mine altered and love them now!
I went with French Cuffs to be a little more formal.
I placed a call to their customer service and was greeting by a very helpful gentleman.
Also, love the cotton tie I received!
I am very happy with the quality and look for all three dress shirts.
Uh oh – how bad – like it is now too short and the cuffs retreated under my jacket sleeve bad or just it’s slightly shorter bad or something else altogether?
I just purchased a couple of non-iron, ESF double cuff shirts (one twill, one poplin, if that makes a difference). I got the 17.5/36 as I’m about a 17.5 36/37, but I’ve found some 36/37 sleeves to be just a bit too long. Looking forward to their arrival, but I keep reading various accounts that ESF can be a bit too tight or actually has plenty of room or shrinks a bit in the wash, and not everyone includes his measurements, so it’s hard to gauge. I’m about 6’3″ or 4″ and around 200lbs with broad-ish shoulders, perhaps a bit more about the waist than I’d like, but no real gut to speak of, if that helps.
Were you washing on cold? As a tall guy (42L and 17.5, 36ish), I am so tired of shirts shrinking and only wearing them with the sleeves rolled up. I’m in the process of tossing half of my shirts and replacing them with sized shirts – I don’t think I can bear to get simple letter sizes again (though Gap and Lands End Canvas appear to make shirts that actually have properly long sleeves).