Where do your menfolk buy their shirts for work?

[snail1973]

My husband starts a new job soon after years of self employment. The dress code is 'business casual'. We are just trying to fathom out what that means, but have come to the conclusion that he needs some new shirts and trousers. Any ideas which shops we should head for/google??

My DP is now self emplyed but had this code when he worked in banking. He bought from Pink (if he was feeling flush) or TM Lewin, sometimes Peter Christian and also Autograph at marks and Spencer - for him the "casual" bit in teh code seemed to mean that you weren't expected to wear a tie or double cuff shirts with cufflinks anymore

My work and my hudband's have the business casual dress code and it covers a pretty wide range of options I think. Some wear trousers and shirt, some with a tie, some not and then some go for a full suit. My boss tends to dress depending on what he's got on that day i.e. Important meeting = suit and tie, day doing admin = trousers and shirt without tie.

DH gets a lot of his work stuff from TM Lewin, they always have some deal or another on shirts and a good range. It's like a cheaper version of Thomas Pink.

Next and M&S do the job okay too I think.

Dh gets his from Racing Green when they are on special offer/sale.

DH always buys from TM Lewin - quality is excellent for the price (obv you never buy if there isn't an offer on), and the tall fit is great for him.

DH buys his shirts from Charles Tyrwhitt or Austin Reed. If he worked in London and wasn't so mean that he will only buy about one shirt per year, he'd get them from Thomas Pink/TM Lewin and the other 4 for the price of 3 places you find all over central London.

Banana Republic do great men's shirts - good quality, really easy to iron & stay looking crisp & new. They do a couple of different fits though so check before you buy. My DH likes the slim fit & wears them with a suit or dress trousers for "business casual" with or without a tie.

Thomas Pink Traveller shirts are amazing; DH travels to China frequently and arrives looking fresh and uncreased- well, his shirt does anyway! Well worth the cost.

Next. I don't think he knows any other shops exist.

Same as Lilymaid! Cotton Club is another one that he uses but given that he buys his own stuff when he works in London I've no clue how or where he gets it from!

If it's just boring suity type shirts, m&s will do. Leave out the tie.

TM Lewin but my firm always received 'corporate discounts' vouchers so we would use them, and there was aways an offer on anyway. M&S too.

Thanks everyone. Looks like a trip to TM Lewin is required. Going to need trousers too. I was hoping he could get away with some chinos but it sounds like business casual = suit trousers and shirt but no tie. Not very casual!!

Charles Tyrwhitt Pink Austin Reed and sometimes Boden ginghams

Lol, I was going to say 90% of DH's shirts are Next. But he used to work for them and got a discount!

(Now he's in an office job rather than in a shop, he actually doesn't have to be half as smart as he used to?)

M and S will make shirts tailored to your measurements, great for dh with a massive neck but no belly. They're not that expensive, either.

Costco mostly.

Yes he is quite slim, so I will add H&M and Zara to our hit list!

As a lazy cow who has conducted extensive research into the low iron/no iron shirts to minimise all housewifey effort involved in my relationship can I recommend Van Heusen non iron shirts, really crisp and definitely no ironing?

Another vote for the TM Lewin perma-sale.

TM Lewin, usually, although some of the best 100% cotton, double cuff shirts he's ever had came from Matalan of all places!

www.hawesandcurtis.com/

Thomas Pink, Autograph, Ted Baker but check out TK Maxx. They have lovely shirts Calvin Klein, YSL for a fraction of the price!

I buy Next non- iron ones for my husband - they are pretty smart and have the big selling point of not need ironing (hurray!)