The truth about men wearing button down shirts

I'm often asked about my statement. "A tie should not be worn with a button down shirt."
Button down shirt collars were fashioned by Brooks Bros to stop the collars flapping around when men were playing polo. Ralph Lauren, who was worked at Brooks Bros also adopted the idea when he later started his own shirt company. Herein lies the evidence that a button down collar is a casual not formal shirt.

If you should want to wear a tie with a button down collar shirt then it should still be on the casual side, by perhaps substituting the tie for a slim knitted tie? Wearing a fine knit jumper rather than a jacket? Or if a jacket is still required make it a sports jacket rather than a suit.

Questioning my comment about short sleeved shirts with a tie? Don't even think about it! A very stylish Italian associate of mine summed it it when he told me that in Milan only the bus drivers wear short sleeved shirts.

Be Fabulous
Sharon Connolly