Which Shirts Should be Tucked in?

“Tuck your shirt in!” is a phrase you’ll most likely remember from your school days. A tucked in shirt is seen as ‘smart’ and certainly for a schoolboy with trousers and a blazer, this is correct. 

 

But fashion doesn’t always follow this trend and an untucked shirt isn’t always a bad thing. Not when you’re an adult, anyway! There are some shirts which are designed to be worn untucked. 

 

So, aside from the youths on the way home from school, who else can wear a shirt untucked and get away with it? 

 

Let’s take a look at the different scenarios: 

 

Should you tuck your shirt into your jeans? 

 

Jeans and shirt are the fashion style chosen by the never trendy Jeremy Clarkson on the BBC show, Top Gear. Clarkson even goes as far as to wear a sports jacket with the look, too. 

 

He tucks his shirt in. Is he correct? 

 

The rules here are actually specific to the type of shirt you want to wear with your jeans. 

 

A casual shirt (soft collar or button down, relaxed in appearance) can often be worn untucked if not too long, and/or worn with a T-Shirt underneath. 

 

Note: If the shirt is longer than the end of your thumb with your arms down at the side, it’s too long! 

 

If you want to wear a shirt under a jumper, then tucked in is best here. 

 

A smart/casual shirt with a stiffer collar but not the style of shirt you would wear with a tie always looks best tucked in with a nice belt and smart, well-fitting jeans. 

 

Jeans and a shirt can be the perfect bridge between office and party. Tuck in your shirt if you’re wearing something a little smarter with a collar that’s begging for a tie. 

 

And to add to the above, we’re often asked this question, so we thought we’re best add it in here to give you the final answer. 

 

A smart shirt should always be worn tucked in. This is how this kind of shirt is designed to be worn; it was created to be tucked in. The cut and style suits being tucked in without the hem on show. 

 

If you’re going to wear a shirt with jeans, then you’ll need a smart/casual shirt with a straight hem that is designed for this purpose, otherwise it just looks like you forgot to tuck it in or are slightly dishevelled! 

 

Is there a rule we can all stick to? Can we all avoid the fashion faux pas of an untucked shirt that should be tucked in? 

 

Well the good news is that there’s a very simple rule you can remember to get this right most of the time. 

 

 

Shirts that are longer and have a shaped hem are designed to be tucked into the trousers. This might seem really obvious, but we’ve seen men with a dress shirt worn out and it looks a little ‘wrong’. You might see men at a wedding after a few too many shandies like this! The hem gives it away from the off and the collar doesn’t quite look right aesthetically when the bottom (the hem) of the shirt is on show. 

 

If you have a shirt that can or should be worn out (not tucked in) then how long can it be? Back in the 90s the fashion for teenagers was very long indeed, but that’s not for the discerning gent these days! There’s a simple rule to remember here, too. 

 

 

Any longer than this and you run the risk of looking like you borrowed the shirt from your dad’s wardrobe. A tailored (bespoke fit) shirt may well be a better option for you if your body isn’t always suitable for off-the-peg shirts. And that’s quite common, so don’t fret. 

 

The key to all shirt wearing is to buy a shirt for the occasion. Shirts have many different styles and are designed and sold for different styles and events. If you’d like some more help on this or need to build your wardrobe with a selection of ideal shirts for the right occasions and to match the rest of your outfits with them, then come and see us. 

 

We’re based in Warwick and you’ll find we always wear our shirts tucked in while we’re in the store. Come and find out why.