• Pay for Quality – A more expensive shirt will in the long run cost you less. If you properly maintain it, it will last longer than cheap shirts.
• Get your Measurements Done – When you look at shirts, you will typically see numbers like 16 1/2 32-33.
• The first number is your neck size. If you go too tight and need to button that top button – say if you’re wearing a tie – you’ll have a hard time breathing.
• The second number is your arm length. It’s taken from the apex of your shoulder down to your wrist.
• Dry Cleaning – Pay the $2 to have shirts dry cleaned. They will last longer and you’ll have the added benefit of having them pressed – no ironing!
• Choose your Location – Shirts at Macys cost $40 – $50 and are frequently on sale. Shirts at Banana Republic are $60 – $90. Macys caters to a larger audience of consumer. Their shirts are more plain and less radical. Banana Republic caters to a younger hip crowd. Their shirts are more lively. If you are uncomfortable deciding what is fashionable, start at Macys. Be a little conservative at first. The important thing is that you wear the shirts you buy. Once you feel like exploring, upgrade to a hipper store.
• Try the On – I know for me, having little experience in this area, I was very intimidated to take the shirt apart to try it on. Usually they are pinned together with 6 – 8 pins and you know there is no way you’ll ever be able to get it back together. Don’t worry about that! It’s fully expected that these shirts will be tried on. You won’t get any funny looks or scolded for taking the time to make sure it fits.

Technorati Tags: Dress, Shirts, Business, Atire, Macys, Banana Republic

Why this year? As my need and responsibility of being a public figure for the company has grown, I’ve run into a confidence problem. This problem is directly related to my clothes. Easy enough to fix though, right? Simply go out and buy better clothes.

Here in lies the rub. Since I never put a value on fashion, I never took the time to learn what is fashionable. I could go out and spend thousands of dollars and still look like a total dork. And up until very recently, I was too embarrassed to ask anyone for advice.

So, assuming as I am, that others out there face the same challenge, I plan to open this dialogue up a little. I want to share what I learn as my fashion sense progresses, and hope to pull some of you in along the way. Hopefully, you will either give me and other fashion misfits tips and advice along the way, or if you fall into the uniformed category, you will learn along with me.