Q. I am beginning to dress a little more modern and there is a type of shirt that confuses me. I have a few dress shirts with a second pattern inside the cuffs and inside the collar. I do not know how far to roll the sleeves up to show the fabric.

A. That is an interesting question. Traditional dressing does not necessarily have such issues and that’s one reason I do not always recommend varying from the tried and true. Additionally, as you suggest, this is a slightly newer style, so there are not absolute standards in place as to how to wear it. 

The shirts you describe, which I would not particularly call dress shirts, are a smart-looking innovation that does not seem to have a name–it is often described as “contrast fabric inside neckband and cuffs.” For those who are not familiar with this design, this shirt is a combination of a few styles. First, it is cut like a traditional dress shirt with buttons up the front and often with a button-down collar. Next, it is made of two different patterned fabrics, one for most of the shirt and the other for trimming inside the shirt just at the collar and the sleeves’ cuffs. The first of the two fabrics is usually a subtle-colored stripe, and the second fabric is often a small flowered pattern that color coordinates with the stripe. 

An important element of this design is that, even though the shirt is cut like a dress shirt, it really is not designed to be worn as one. That is, it is not worn with a tie, because then the second pattern would not show at the collar, and it seems illogical and inconsistent to roll up the sleeves on a shirt that is being worn with a tie. So, basically, it is a style that combines a dressy cut and silhouette with the casual flourishes of a preppy look and a special bit of added design that is smartly eye-catching. 

In the past (and present), a man might roll a long sleeve shirt above his elbows to cool off, protect it from messy tasks, or to create the politician “rolling up my sleeves to get work done” look. But rolling the sleeves up that far with these shirts will hide that colored fabric or require very complicated efforts. Because the obvious intent is to expose the “special” lining, the answer to your question and the preferred style is to simply flip the cuff once or twice. Most well-dressed men prefer the one fold back to show the fabric and a watch. (As an aside, if you do so and your watch is visible, I strongly feel the watch should not be too showy.)

There are other modern or “what is today’s style” clothes choices that leave traditional men somewhat uncertain on what is the appropriate style. These include untucked dress shirts, open buttons at the neck without a tie, and rolled blazer sleeves. My thoughts on these in order are: better not to, be subtle, and not at all. To be more specific, I have often discussed my dislike for untucked dress shirts; but if you must, they should be so designed and be short enough to not have tails (that is, not to extend longer than where a blazer would) and not be short enough to show skin when bending. For the button front shirt, it is no longer the disco era, and they should only have one button open, or at most two. We should not see chest hair, let alone male cleavage! And, as for rolling up jacket sleeves . . . don’t.

Returning to these contrast-fabric shirts, despite my dislike for some other “innovations” and the cutting back of traditional business dressing, I really like the look of these. They seem to elevate a man’s casual wardrobe without appearing to be trying too hard. They are just enough different to be both attractive and interesting. And even though they do not go with a tie, they are versatile enough to take on a variety of different personalities. They can be dressed “up” by layering them under a nice navy blazer; they can take on an almost-dressy look by layering them under a solid-color sweater; they can be casually dressed “down” with no jacket and any sort of trousers ranging from fine dark dress slacks to khakis; and they can be totally casual when worn with jeans or shorts. Every type of man can find a way to fit one or two of them into his dressing style.  

Please send your men’s dress and grooming questions and comments to MALE CALL: Lois.Fenton@prodigy.net