# Do you avoid unbuttoning a shirt? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [October 14, 2009, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-avoid-unbuttoning-a-shirt/513837 "2009-10-14T21:19:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![The\_Controvert](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/dec6dc/32.png) [@The\_Controvert](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Controvert)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2009, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-avoid-unbuttoning-a-shirt/513837/1 "2009-10-14T21:19:10Z")
For dress shirts or shirts with a line of buttons along the front, do you undo all the buttons to take off the shirt? To launder the garment? Or do you never unbutton them, except for the top two buttons? I never unbutton, because I can just slip off the entire shirt like a sweater and it washes just fine with the buttons closed. Seems like a waste of time to ever unbutton it all the way. ---
**Author:** ![cmyk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmyk/32/3353_2.png) [@cmyk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmyk)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2009, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-avoid-unbuttoning-a-shirt/513837/2 "2009-10-14T21:31:38Z")
Never even occurred to me to not unbutton it all the way. Hunh. ---
**Author:** ![capybara](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/capybara/32/202_2.png) [@capybara](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/capybara)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2009, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-avoid-unbuttoning-a-shirt/513837/3 "2009-10-14T21:33:15Z")
How do you iron/press the thing? ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2009, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-avoid-unbuttoning-a-shirt/513837/4 "2009-10-14T21:44:03Z")
As \*\*cmyk \*\*said, it never even occurred to me not to. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Controvert](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/dec6dc/32.png) [@The\_Controvert](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Controvert)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2009, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-avoid-unbuttoning-a-shirt/513837/5 "2009-10-14T21:44:11Z")
If you don’t unbutton the shirt, you can iron the front and back layers simultaneously, saving youself even more time. ---
**Author:** ![zweisamkeit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zweisamkeit/32/4360_2.png) [@zweisamkeit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zweisamkeit)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2009, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-avoid-unbuttoning-a-shirt/513837/6 "2009-10-14T22:11:27Z")
It sounds like your shirt is too big for you if you can pull it over like a sweater. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Controvert](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/dec6dc/32.png) [@The\_Controvert](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Controvert)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2009, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-avoid-unbuttoning-a-shirt/513837/7 "2009-10-14T23:25:18Z")
My torso is cylindrical, so it’s easy to pull the shirt up. Do you have an especially small waist and specially tailored shirts? I wonder how many people’s behavior I’ve altered with this thread. ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2009, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-avoid-unbuttoning-a-shirt/513837/8 "2009-10-14T23:29:07Z")
My torso is cylindrical too, but button-up shirts, unlike sweaters, lack much give in the fabric. I think I’d tear the shirt if I tried to get both my arms inside of it to take it off. ---
**Author:** ![Cunctator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/43a26b/32.png) [@Cunctator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cunctator)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2009, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-avoid-unbuttoning-a-shirt/513837/9 "2009-10-15T00:49:28Z")
> [@cmyk](#): > > Never even occurred to me to not unbutton it all the way. I agree. These polls can be quite eye-opening. ---
**Author:** ![Stealth\_Potato](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Stealth\_Potato](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stealth_Potato)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2009, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-avoid-unbuttoning-a-shirt/513837/10 "2009-10-15T00:55:32Z")
> [@zweisamkeit](#): > > It sounds like your shirt is too big for you if you can pull it over like a sweater. Yeah, I don’t think it would really be possible with a shirt that fits well. All my button-up shirts are fitted (which, as far as I can tell, is shirtmaker lingo for “not shaped like a balloon”), and taking them off without undoing all of the buttons is definitely not an option. I’m fairly slender at the waist, but broader under the shoulders, and while the fit is by no means _tight_, there’s no stretch room. I just tried it, and even getting _one_ arm and shoulder into the trunk of the shirt is a challenge. Doing both would be very difficult without tearing the shirt or bursting a few buttons. Much quicker and easier to just undo them. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![robardin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/43a26b/32.png) [@robardin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robardin)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2009, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-avoid-unbuttoning-a-shirt/513837/11 "2009-10-15T01:02:36Z")
> [@Stealth\_Potato](#): > > Yeah, I don’t think it would really be possible with a shirt that fits well. All my button-up shirts are fitted (which, as far as I can tell, is shirtmaker lingo for “not shaped like a balloon”), and taking them off without undoing all of the buttons is definitely not an option. +1 on this reply for me… If you can put on and take off a dress shirt like a sweater, something’s very wrong. ---
**Author:** ![CookingWithGas](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cookingwithgas/32/485_2.png) [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2009, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-avoid-unbuttoning-a-shirt/513837/12 "2009-10-15T02:10:20Z")
Do you mean _my_ shirt? 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Ichini\_Sanshigo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/d9b06d/32.png) [@Ichini\_Sanshigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ichini_Sanshigo)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2009, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-avoid-unbuttoning-a-shirt/513837/13 "2009-10-15T02:13:05Z")
I used to only unbutton the shirt partway and launder it like that. But now I just unbutton all the way. ---
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2009, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-avoid-unbuttoning-a-shirt/513837/14 "2009-10-15T02:17:10Z")
Speaking of ironing, I usually just hang my button shirts up after they come out of the wash and they’re fine. ---
**Author:** ![Hyperelastic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Hyperelastic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hyperelastic)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2009, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-avoid-unbuttoning-a-shirt/513837/15 "2009-10-15T02:21:34Z")
Not only do I unbutton it, I also unbutton the little buttons that hold the collar down. It helps keep the washing machine from beating the crap out of the top of the collar by letting the collar fold out flat. ---
**Author:** ![Hockey\_Monkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a183cd/32.png) [@Hockey\_Monkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hockey_Monkey)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2009, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-avoid-unbuttoning-a-shirt/513837/16 "2009-10-15T03:29:54Z")
I’m female and I tend to not unbutton if I can help it. I also don’t iron. All of my clothing is pretty much wrinkle free. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Controvert](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/dec6dc/32.png) [@The\_Controvert](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Controvert)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2009, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-avoid-unbuttoning-a-shirt/513837/17 "2009-10-15T14:44:41Z")
> [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](#): > > My torso is cylindrical too, but button-up shirts, unlike sweaters, lack much give in the fabric. I think I’d tear the shirt if I tried to get both my arms inside of it to take it off. This is only a problem if you are pulling your arm into the sleeve and squeezing your arm down the inside of your shirt. I have never removed a garment (even sweaters) that way. Instead, I move the front of the collar to my forehead, reach for the back of the collar and pull straight up. I can usually perform this technique with only the top button undone. The fabric passes the arms after the torso, not simultaneous to the torso, so it doesn’t matter how stretchy your fabric is. Even if your torso is unnaturally V shaped, I’ve never seen a shirt with a non-cylindrical torso section. I cannot fathom how this wouldn’t work for anyone. ---
**Author:** ![bordelond](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bordelond/32/150_2.png) [@bordelond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bordelond)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2009, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-avoid-unbuttoning-a-shirt/513837/18 "2009-10-15T14:56:20Z")
> [@The\_Controvert](#): > > This is only a problem if you are pulling your arm into the sleeve and squeezing your arm down the inside of your shirt. I have never removed a garment (even sweaters) that way. Instead, I move the front of the collar to my forehead, reach for the back of the collar and pull straight up. I can usually perform this technique with only the top button undone. The fabric passes the arms after the torso, not simultaneous to the torso, so it doesn’t matter how stretchy your fabric is. > > Even if your torso is unnaturally V shaped, I’ve never seen a shirt with a non-cylindrical torso section. I cannot fathom how this wouldn’t work for anyone. Pretty sure I could do this as described … but I’d hate pulling on the fabric like that. For me, speaking for myself, unbuttoning the whole thing is worlds more comfortable and _easy_. Yes, easy. Different strokes and all. ---
**Author:** ![zweisamkeit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zweisamkeit/32/4360_2.png) [@zweisamkeit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zweisamkeit)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2009, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-avoid-unbuttoning-a-shirt/513837/19 "2009-10-15T14:56:45Z")
> [@The\_Controvert](#): > > My torso is cylindrical, so it’s easy to pull the shirt up. Do you have an especially small waist and specially tailored shirts? > > I wonder how many people’s behavior I’ve altered with this thread. Well, I have these things called “boobs”, along with a smaller waist. 😉 But trust me, I’m willing to bet your shirts aren’t fitting you properly if you can pull off a _non stretchy knit shirt_ without unbuttoning it. Here’s a quick question for you; it’ll take just a second to find the answer out and then let me know: Where do your shoulder seams (where the shoulders meet the sleeves) fall on you? Are they on your shoulders themselves or are they further down, onto the arm a bit? ---
**Author:** ![The\_Controvert](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/dec6dc/32.png) [@The\_Controvert](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Controvert)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2009, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-avoid-unbuttoning-a-shirt/513837/20 "2009-10-15T15:14:28Z")
I did a test with a non-stretchy dress shirt. The shoulder seam was less than an inch down the arm, but maybe that’s too “loose”. To compensate, I gathered up all excess fabric in the torso into a ball, making the shirt skin-tight. I am still able to easily slip the shirt on and off. Now for some quid pro quo. When you lay your shirt flat, are the torso sides straight lines or bulgy? i.e. are they: ```auto | | | | | | or | | ( ) | | ``` I’ve never seen any shirt like the second. Also, has the “put the collar on forehead and pull straight up” technique actually failed for you, or are you just afraid to try new things? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-avoid-unbuttoning-a-shirt/513837.md?page=2)