When you look in the mirror, you think to yourself, “Can I wear this shirt untucked?”
It appears to be a straightforward choice. You want to be at ease, and you want to be cool. But you’re second-guessing yourself, concerned that the look will make you look sloppy.
I’ll set down the easy principles for when you should tuck your shirt in, when you can wear it untucked, and how to wear it in a way that makes you look great.
Occasion
First and foremost, let’s discuss about that special occasion.
If you’re wearing a suit, a sports jacket, or a blazer, or if you’re dressing up in general, you’ll want to tuck your shirt in.
Does this imply that you can always wear your shirt untucked with a casual or ultra-casual look?
Not exactly; there are a number of other elements to consider. However, these are the dress rules where you’ll see folks wearing their shirts untucked.
Shoes and Trousers
Not to mention the trousers and shoes, because no shirt is worn alone. You’re going to wear it with other things, and you want to make sure they complement each other.
There are several exceptions to this norm, but dress pants and dress shoes are the most common. You’re going to wear a tucked-in shirt.
However, if you wear something more casual like chinos, jeans, or shorts with sneakers or even loafers, you’ll be able to wear the shirt untucked.
Parts of The Shirt
So, we’ve figured out the dress code and what to wear with the shirt. Let’s speak about the various types of shirts and whether we see them tucked or untucked in general, or if you can mix it up and go with either choice.
I’m going to pay attention to four parts of the shirt as I go through these various styles of shirts.
The collar, the buttons (or lack thereof), the fabric of the shirt, and the type of hem are all examples of this.
When looking at a shirt, if you know these four things, you’ll be able to swiftly evaluate whether it can be worn tucked or untucked. Is it going to look decent on me if I wear it untucked?
Classic T-shirt
The basic t-shirt is first on the list.
Since the 1950s, this has been a staple in men’s wardrobes. In fact, we recognized it as the undershirt when we went back farther. The undershirt wasn’t tucked in. But I’m talking about wearing a t-shirt as outerwear.
It quickly gained a lot of traction, and it was widely acknowledged that this was untucked outerwear.
Take note of the four parts.
On a t-shirt, there is no collar. T-shirts are made from a knitted fabric. This is a stretchable fabric. It won’t be made of the same woven fabric as a formal shirt.
There are no buttons on the front, and the t-bottom shirt’s hem is straight.
T-shirts aren’t for everyone. If you’re a big guy, overweight, have a pear shape, or have sloped shoulders, you’ll find that a t-shirt doesn’t do anything for you.
You can wear a t-shirt if you’re in decent form, if you’re small, if you’re relatively trimmed, if you’ve only got a little bit of a dad body, as long as it’s not too long.
And that’s one of the most important things to remember when wearing an untucked shirt: make sure it’s not too long.
You should be able to lift your arms above your head and have them cover your midsection. That’s not something you want to flaunt. The t-shirt, however, should not be long enough to conceal your buttocks.
It all depends on the man’s stature and proportions.
You could definitely wear a t-shirt with around 4 inches of leeway past the waistline if you’re 6’4″.
If you’re 5’2″, however, you’ll most likely want to get closer to 2 inches.
To summarize, don’t be scared to have the bottom half of your t-shirt modified to better fit you. You don’t want it to be too long, nor too short.
For most males, I think that a length of 2 to 4 inches is ideal.
Henley Shirt
The Henley is the next shirt type we have.
This is a historically significant and interesting clothing, and I believe it is a step up from the t-shirt.
Do you wear it tucked or untucked?
You may wear it tucked or untucked, but I think it looks better untucked.
Let’s have a look at the various components of this once more.
Henley is made of knit fabric, so it will have a little flexibility to it, and that alone will make it more casual.
We take a look at the collar; there isn’t one, but there are buttons on the front.
The bottom hem will be straight, similar to the t-shirt, and will be around 2 to 4 inches long, a little longer if you’re a bigger guy, a little shorter if you’re a smaller guy.
Band Collar Shirts
The band collar is the next item on the list. This collar, which originated in military circles, has been around for quite some time.
When it comes to jackets, you’ll hear terms like Mandarin collar and narrow collar bandied about.
It’ll be all over the globe, and it’ll be more popular outside of Western circles.
It’s a fantastic look, in my opinion.
Take note of the material.
We’ll be using a woven fabric rather than the knit that we saw on the Henley and the t-shirt. In general, we won’t be able to stretch as much.
It will also have a more formal appearance. This is something we’ll see more frequently in formal shirts because of the knit material.
The collar isn’t a traditional turned-down collar, but it’s still a nice elegant collar.
And, because of the buttons along the front, I prefer to see this style of shirt tucked in.
It can be worn untucked, but let’s get down to the bottom and discuss the hem style.
We can find tails on the bottom hems of most band collar shirts if we look closely. Tails are when the front and back of the shirt extend further down, followed by the sides.
There will be extreme tails and modest tails. If it’s slight tails, the manufacturers have said, “They may go either way.” You may wear it tucked in or untucked.”
However, I prefer a straight hem in general. There are certain shirts with the front of the shirt being somewhat higher than the rear.
This, in my opinion, looks best when worn untucked. However, if you use tails sparingly, I believe you can pull this off untucked.
Classic Polo
The classic polo is next on the list.
Polo shirts are a unique cross between t-shirts and dress shirts. So, let’s start with the collar, which is pretty similar to what we’ll find on formal shirts. However, take note of the softness of the collar. And that’s one of the points I’d want to make.
When you notice a soft collar that just barely folds over, rather than a hard collar, it usually means the shirt can go either way. It may be worn both tucked in and untucked.
Also, when we look at this collar from the front, we’ll notice that there are sometimes no buttons and sometimes up to four.
Let’s discuss about the fabric of polo shirts. They’re working with a knitted fabric.
Knit fabrics have the ability to stretch in different directions. Overall, that’s why t-shirts and polo shirts are so comfortable when worn with a sweater.
They’ll be able to fit close to the body, which is understandable. When you think about it, this was once a sports shirt that guys wore on polo grounds.
It started with tennis and then moved to other sports.
The concept was that you could be a gentleman while wearing a collar while also wearing clothing that allowed you to sweat, move, swing that tennis racket, and get the job done without interfering.
Let’s discuss about the hem of a polo shirt. Polo shirt hems are my favorite. Because you can wear them tucked in or untucked, I believe they’re really adaptable.
This isn’t going to be a straight hem like a t-shirt; instead, it’ll be a graduated hem, with the front a few millimeters higher than the back.
This is one of those items that looks fine when worn untucked because it has a slight bend to it, but not enough to be noticeable. Again, length is crucial.
It’s ideal if the shirt falls about 2 inches below the waistline, especially if you’re 5’6″ or 5’7″.
If you’re 6’4″ or 6’5″, though, you’ll want to go for more with 3 or 4 inches. If it exceeds 4 to 5 inches, the garment is most likely too big.
If it’s one of your favorites, you may take it to get it altered.
However, if it’s too short, it’s not a brand you’ll want to choose.
Button-down Shirt
Button downs are a descendant of dress shirts, although they are not the same thing.
They come with the option of being worn tucked in or out.
The collar inspired the name. Originally, it was a button-down collar, which was referred to as a button-down.
Nowadays, it’s any turned-down collar with a full front opening made of woven material and a hem with tails, although not always extreme tails, at the bottom.
This style of shirt can be worn tucked or untucked. It is highly dependent on the situation, the material, and everything we observe in the patterns.
Pay attention to the bottom, because if it’s too long, it’s probably not something you’ll want to wear untucked, but you can always have it modified to your satisfaction.
However, I adore this style of shirt, especially if you’re looking for something more casual, like something to wear around the farm or out in the woods.
The point is that this shirt will be more functional in general.
Is this something you can accessorize with? Yes, you certainly can. You can go with a light blue oxford and tuck it in with a nice pair of trousers, a nice belt, and some dress boots. That’s an excellent combo.
You have the option to go either way. It all depends on the bottom of the shirt, how long it will be, and how full and lengthy the tails will be.
Dress Shirts
Let’s not forget dress shirts.
Dress shirts are a breeze to put on. You’re always going to wear a tucked-in dress shirt.
This is just how the shirt is designed to be worn.
When we glance down at the tails, we’ll notice that the hem of the shirt has excessive tails.
When we look at the material, we can see that it will be woven. When we look at the front, we’ll see a complete button, and when we look at the collar, we’ll see a stiffer, more stiffer collar. Collar stays are frequently found.
This shirt was meant to be worn with a jacket, a sports jacket, or a suit, as evidenced by the bones that go right in there to hold it straight. You’ll want to keep this tucked in all the time.
What Else Is There?
So, you know the dress code, the clothing you’ll be wearing with it, and even the type of shirt to wear and whether it should be tucked or untucked.
What comes next?
Make sure the shirt is a good fit for you.
I’m referring to the sleeve length, it should be just right at the neck and not too big in the shoulders. Make sure you don’t have any surplus material in the torso.
You can nail everything else, but if the shirt doesn’t fit your body or work with your body type, there’s nothing I can do about it; it won’t look nice.
So, pay attention to the fit and learn your tailor’s name.
Now you know whether to wear the shirt tucked or untucked, and how to look great if you’re going to wear it untucked.
