To Tuck, or not to Tuck.

That is the question.

By Janine Giorgenti

Should you tuck-in your shirt, or, leave it un-tucked? Maybe not quite the Shakespearean quandary, but nonetheless, it is a question many professional men ask about – as far as it concerns professional and casual settings.

Tucking in one’s shirt generally entails a gesture of professionalism. This applies from tucking a men’s dress shirt into a suit ensemble, to a toned down business casual outfit featuring a dress shirt and slacks (or khakis), all the way down to uniform requirements – in basketball and soccer – enforcing that players tuck their uniforms into their shorts.

The un-tucked look entails a more casual appearance. Some find the un-tucked look to be more comfortable, free, and allowing for easier range of movement. Some, on the other hand, find that the un-tucked look is a “younger, less stuffier” look, as some of my clients have indicated to me.

Which one is right for you?

A standard dress shirt has a longer tail length and is meant to be tucked into pant. It has a longer shirt tail length and deep curved tails, so that when you raise your arms the shirt tails do not come out of the pant. When a standard dress shirt is worn un-tucked it looks awkward, sloppy and proportionately too long.

Shirts that are meant to be worn as un-tucked shirts, have a much shorter shirt tail length and the bottom is cut more shallow. This gives a younger, sportier, more proportional casual look.

Leaving them un-tucked would create an unsightly (and unkempt) appearance that looks downright silly.

(Courtesy of PrimerMagazine.com)

Men’s button down shirts that extend to “crotch level” are acceptable to be left un-tucked. I have seen plenty of examples of good Oxford button down shirts that fit this bill for professionals looking for a younger, yet refined, appearance.

(Courtesy of VeritasImage.com)

Important to note: if you’re wearing an un-tucked shirt, you must make sure that the shirt is properly pressed from top to bottom, especially the bottom.

Buy your next un-tucked shirt from Giorgenti! We will custom make a shirt to fit – un-tucked – perfectly on your body. Buy 3, get the 4th shirt FREE.

Schedule a private fitting appointment with Janine Giorgenti. Call (646) 957-6916 – or click below.

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Have any questions? Call us at (646) 957-6916 or leave us a note below.

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About the Author

Janine Giorgenti For over 25 years, Janine Giorgenti, renowned fashion designer and image consultant – has provided a long line of satisfied clients with unparalleled service and first class made-to-measure custom suits. Featured in the Wall Street Journal, Vogue Magazine, The New York Times, CNN, Fox News, CBS, and other top media outlets – Janine has established a clientele of some of New York’s most successful and discerning professionals – including such New York dignitaries as former New York Islanders legend Bobby Nystrom and chief economist Dr. Irwin Kellner.