It’s really quite simple. No other fabric looks like cotton,no other fabric feels like cotton, and no other fabric wears like cotton. Cotton Incorporated, who coined the trademark phrase “The Fabric of Our Lives,” explains cotton’s superiority in terms of four characteristics: softness, breath ability, absorbency and durability. Sometimes we do wear other fabrics, but for day in, day out good looks and comfort, nothing comes close to King Cotton. It provides all the characteristics we want. Cotton has a naturally textured surface that seems to get softer with each use. Cotton breathes — it’s cooler in the summer and warmer in the...

Cuffs began to appear outside the jacket sleeve back in the 1500’s, when little ruffles first began to peek out from the edge of the coat. From that time on it has always been fashionable to show about 1/2" of cuff outside your jacket sleeve. Showing less than 1/2" suggests a lack of fashion consciousness, or that the shirt was a hand-me-down. Cuffs should fit closely around the wrist so that they do not ride up when the jacket is put on. Barrel (button) or French cuffs are personal style decisions, except in formal wear where the French cuff is...

It’s interesting to note that although collars have run the gamut from longer to shorter, more spread or less, we have always come back to the basics. It seems that collar fashions have become a small microcosm of our lives... we always return to the tried and true, the comfortable, the familiar.The Button-Down CollarIn this most comfortable of all the collar styles, the two collar points are held in place by small buttons. It is made with a soft lining and no collar stays. Usually it is styled with a soft roll and a 1/2" tie space to accommodate a...

We have no idea which of our prehistoric ancestors first cut a hole in a skin, thrust his head through it and shouted “Eureka, I have a shirt!” But we do know that this is how shirts were worn until the late 1800’s, when shirts that opened down the front were introduced.  At that time, shirts, with their high, starched white collars and cuffs were more than an item of apparel. They were also a mark of class distinction. Only those who did not do manual labor—“white-collar workers”—or the landed gentry, business owners, and royalty, were in a position to...

During his business career, the average man will buy at least 500 shirts, spending more than $20,000. And if you have your shirts laundered, you can add another $15,000 or so. That’s a sizable investment; and one which, if used wisely, can pay big dividends.In our society, and particularly in business,business, appearances do count. The better-dressed man makes a better first impression. And a better first impression can go a long way.“Elegance is concentrated in the shirt.”The well-dressed man is the man in control. Being poorly dressed can take you out of the competition before you begin and leave the...

When that important meeting is on the schedule, you find yourself spending a fair amount of time — and what seems to be an unfair amount of money — on the essentials of your business wardrobe. You’ve found just the right suit, shoes and accessories — even the right briefcase. Now, you’re at that meeting. You’re all seated around the table. Take a look around. What do you see? Suits? Shoes?No. You see faces and shirts.It’s interesting that the piece of clothing that most people buy as an afterthought is the piece of clothing that other people actually see the...

I opened The Shirt Store’s doors for business for the first time on May 15, 1987, with a firm idea of what I wanted it to be — a U. S. designer, manufacturer and retailer of men’s 100% cotton shirts, dedicated to quality in both product and customer service. I would offer my customers variety in fabrics, collar styles, and sizes at reasonable prices. If we could live up to our motto of “Affordable Excellence,” then customer satisfaction would surely follow. As we celebrate our Eighth Anniversary, it is safe to say that we have achieved our original goals. Today,...

  In less than ten years, The Shirt Store has attracted an intensely loyal group of customers. Here is how one customer describes the attraction: BIG CITY STYLES – SMALL TOWN AMBIANCE by Bill Wagner Nestled among towering office buildings and the majestic Grand Central Station is a remnant of small town America. The Shirt Store is a place where you are known by your name, where there is a jar of pretzels on the counter for you to help yourself, where there is the charm and wit of Carol Konop — its proprietor.The store is staffed with knowledgeable and...