# Fuck the fucking packaging of men's fucking dress shirts **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [January 14, 2009, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuck-the-fucking-packaging-of-mens-fucking-dress-shirts/481174 "2009-01-14T00:36:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2009, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuck-the-fucking-packaging-of-mens-fucking-dress-shirts/481174/41 "2009-01-14T20:35:35Z")
> [@Uncle\_Brother\_Walker](#): > > But then again, I have found a style / manufacturer that I LOVE, and this is the only style I wear now. Geoffrey Bean Sateen style. **Yes.** I have five of these, in different colors. Love 'em. Only after going through the usual unfolding rigamarole with the last one I bought, in black, I discovered it had French cuffs. Why the hell would this one have French cuffs when all the others, that appear to be the identical design, had button cuffs? How was I supposed to know this? I’ve never owned a French-cuffed shirt in my life. I had to ask for a pair of cuff links for Christmas. And I’m wearing it today. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Time\_Stranger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/5fc32e/32.png) [@Time\_Stranger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Time_Stranger)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2009, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuck-the-fucking-packaging-of-mens-fucking-dress-shirts/481174/42 "2009-01-14T21:21:35Z")
> [@ZipperJJ](#): > > Anyone ever work at a retailer where they sell shirts like this? > > I am curious as to what they do when a shirt is returned or tried on/abandoned. Do the shirts have to get shipped back to the manufacturer? I used to work in low-level men’s retail in college, and dress shirts were my nemesis. When they were returned or tried on, we were expected to put them back the way they were - exactly. Of course this is mostly impossible, but it didn’t stop the closing manager from yelling about them. Most of the time I would fold things up to look as close as possible minus the pins/latches/torture-instruments and put them on the bottom of the stack so it was harder to tell. Eventually they got smart and we just started hanging up the unfolded shirts on the really nice hangers on a near-by rack. I’m pretty sure we had a mini-steamer in the back. It saved so much time even if it didn’t look great (but I’m guessing a high-end store wouldn’t allow that). ---
**Author:** ![Lightray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lightray/32/391_2.png) [@Lightray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lightray)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2009, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuck-the-fucking-packaging-of-mens-fucking-dress-shirts/481174/43 "2009-01-14T22:05:28Z")
> [@Icarus](#): > > Tut tut…a gentleman always purchases his shirts from only the finest bespoke haberdashery. Quality is measured in direct proportion to the extent of packaging. On one occassion in my callow youth I mistakenly accepted a gift of an inferior shirt from an admirer (the less said about them the better!) My manservant Widman was nonplussed while unpacking said item, and made his displeasure known with the most withering glances. Finally he could take it no more! With a level of venom I (thankfully) never witnessed again he risked exceeding my forebearance by declaring, “FOUR PINS! No civilized shirt will ever again dare enter this house with less than the required EIGHT!” I feared that I would have to lay a cold compress on his brow. Jolly good! That reminds me of the time that my uncle the Baron survived the attack of a pack of rabid Congalese landsharks with nothing to defend himself but one stray pin his manservant, Cholmondeley, had missed finding in his new, starched white dress shirt. Although perhaps I overstated – it was one stray pin _and_ an “Inspected by Number 17” sticker, as I recall… ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2009, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuck-the-fucking-packaging-of-mens-fucking-dress-shirts/481174/44 "2009-01-14T22:11:47Z")
> [@Lightray](#): > > Although perhaps I overstated – it was one stray pin _and_ an “Inspected by Number 17” sticker, as I recall… Pip pip! Good show! I’m quite certain that I would have required no less than two stray pins and a collar stay to perform the same feat. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Devil\_s\_Grandmother](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/74df32/32.png) [@The\_Devil\_s\_Grandmother](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Devil_s_Grandmother)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2009, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuck-the-fucking-packaging-of-mens-fucking-dress-shirts/481174/45 "2009-01-15T00:12:11Z")
> [@A\_Priori\_Tea](#): > > Suck the blood out of the shirt. No, really. If the blood is still reasonably wet, and it’s your own blood, your saliva will take it out with no stain, better than cold water. If A Priori Tea’s excellent advice fails, try soaking the blood stain in hydrogen peroxide (the dilute stuff sold over the counter, not the stuff in the lab) and then laundering as normal. If the blood stain is dry, soak in cold water to rehydrate and then soak in hydrogen peroxide. Works pretty well on cotton, polyester, and wool. Should work on silk, but I haven’t bloodied a silk shirt yet. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2009, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuck-the-fucking-packaging-of-mens-fucking-dress-shirts/481174/46 "2009-01-15T02:31:54Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > Because I like you: > > [Paradise On A Hanger](http://www.hotshirts.com/) > > [Shirts of Hawaii](http://www.shirtsofhawaii.com/) > > All guaranteed pinless and of high quality materials and workmanship. Why, thank you. I should note that I don’t actually wear Hawaiian shirts very often. I needed one for a skit or something, and the other one just looked really cool. I tend to stick with bush shirts in loud colors for my short-sleeve button-down needs. ---
**Author:** ![Moirai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/96bed5/32.png) [@Moirai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moirai)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2009, 3:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuck-the-fucking-packaging-of-mens-fucking-dress-shirts/481174/47 "2009-01-15T03:03:45Z")
> [@kaylasdad99](#): > > Dude, you have your laundry done at the cleaners? > > And your shirts need to be pressed before you’ll wear them? > > Your choices, I guess, but you knew that when you bought them. Next time, drop the unopened packages off at the cleaners on your way home. > > Wal\*Mart sells shirts on hangers, btw. And they don’t cost fifty dollars. Or even thirty dollars. I always took my husband’s dress shirts to be laundered and pressed. He always looked sharp, and the guys who attempted to launder and iron their own shirts (or whose wives weren’t very skilled with an iron- doing a dress shirt is a real skill) looked like hell. Nordstrom has great men’s dress shirts, and they were $37.50 every day, in every color. Great quality, good lasting power, and look great. I wouldn’t buy a dress shirt at Wal\*Mart unless I was going to be painting the house in it. ---
**Author:** ![Queen\_Bruin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/e274bd/32.png) [@Queen\_Bruin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Queen_Bruin)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2009, 5:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuck-the-fucking-packaging-of-mens-fucking-dress-shirts/481174/48 "2009-01-15T05:14:27Z")
My husband’s one shirt from Wally World is shoved into the furthest reaches of the closet. It did its duty when we were living hand to mouth as undergrads, but now that he’s in his last semester of law school you better believe I make him wear the good stuff. The WW shirt is tissue thin and won’t hold a press for shit, even if I starch the shit out of it. ---
**Author:** ![MilTan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/71e660/32.png) [@MilTan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MilTan)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2009, 5:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuck-the-fucking-packaging-of-mens-fucking-dress-shirts/481174/49 "2009-01-15T05:56:46Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > I totally don’t understand why you’d buy anything for regular wear (other than, say, a suit) that needs to be professionally cleaned and pressed. > > Van Heusen makes phenomenal wrinkle-free dress shirts _which are actually wrinkle-free_ - I stick them in the washing machine on the regular cycle, stick them in the dryer, and stick them on a hanger, and they look perfect. They don’t even need ironing. > > The best part is if you go to the mall department stores they’re usually on sale at at least one for $25ish, or even less if you don’t mind getting them in the weird colors (plum, avocado, salmon, whatever). > > I’ve had one of those things for nearly 10 years and it looks just about new; no fraying, no loose threads, no wobbly collar. The main reason I don’t buy department store shirts is that department store shirts don’t fit me. I’m fairly trim (all right, skinny), and the average department store shirt (including, IME, Van Heusen) is cut for the average man, who is not quite so skinny as I. Such shirts tend to look rather like tents on me. On the other hand, Express shirts, 1MX and otherwise, are cut slimmer; the extra care I have to take with them is a small price to pay for shirts that actually fit. Edit: Also, Express shirts are actually better than most when it comes to packaging. The three clips to remove are far better than the 7-8 straight pins. Plus, the shirts usually come with metal collar stays now, which is a nice touch. ---
**Author:** ![Necros](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/necros/32/11086_2.png) [@Necros](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Necros)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2009, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuck-the-fucking-packaging-of-mens-fucking-dress-shirts/481174/50 "2009-01-15T18:34:35Z")
> [@The\_Devil\_s\_Grandmother](#): > > Should work on silk, but I haven’t bloodied a silk shirt yet. 😕 Then whatever do you wear for dueling? ---
**Author:** ![The\_Devil\_s\_Grandmother](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/74df32/32.png) [@The\_Devil\_s\_Grandmother](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Devil_s_Grandmother)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2009, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuck-the-fucking-packaging-of-mens-fucking-dress-shirts/481174/51 "2009-01-15T18:42:21Z")
I wear silk for dueling, Necros, I just haven’t lost yet. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2009, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuck-the-fucking-packaging-of-mens-fucking-dress-shirts/481174/52 "2009-01-15T18:46:17Z")
> [@MilTan](#): > > The main reason I don’t buy department store shirts is that department store shirts don’t fit me. I’m fairly trim (all right, skinny), and the average department store shirt (including, IME, Van Heusen) is cut for the average man, who is not quite so skinny as I. Such shirts tend to look rather like tents on me. On the other hand, Express shirts, 1MX and otherwise, are cut slimmer; the extra care I have to take with them is a small price to pay for shirts that actually fit. I’m 6’ and 150 lbs. I hope my shirts don’t look like tents. ---
**Author:** ![Harmonious\_Discord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/74df32/32.png) [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2009, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuck-the-fucking-packaging-of-mens-fucking-dress-shirts/481174/53 "2009-01-15T18:46:51Z")
You forgot the best part. Half the buttons fall off during the wash cycle.🙂 1. Sew on buttons or take back the shirts and demand money back.:mad: ---
**Author:** ![Lightray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lightray/32/391_2.png) [@Lightray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lightray)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2009, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuck-the-fucking-packaging-of-mens-fucking-dress-shirts/481174/54 "2009-01-15T19:18:02Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > I hope my shirts don’t look like tents. The usual problem is too much fabric at the waist – you end up with an excess of shirt bunched up or billowing out just above your beltline, as though your shirt is trying to un-tuck itself. _Not_ a good look. Hence, “fitted” shirts were made. But now they’re in vanity sizing, so they don’t fit anyone, either. And, of course, the standard shirts were re-sized to accomodate the ever-expanding “average” American waist size. And _that_ style looks pretty awful on men who actually fall into that category. Begging the question: What kind of freaky body do you need to wear an off-the-rack shirt, anyway? ---
**Author:** ![Rand\_Rover](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/db5fbb/32.png) [@Rand\_Rover](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rand_Rover)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2009, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuck-the-fucking-packaging-of-mens-fucking-dress-shirts/481174/55 "2009-01-15T20:57:18Z")
Custom shirts are the answer here–they fit perfectly every time. Make sure to get high arm holes. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2009, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuck-the-fucking-packaging-of-mens-fucking-dress-shirts/481174/56 "2009-01-16T00:55:44Z")
> [@Rand\_Rover](#): > > Custom shirts are the answer here–they fit perfectly every time. Make sure to get high arm holes. At a hundred bucks a pop, I think I’ll just wear off-the-rack shirts and use the leftover $70 to buy enough Big Macs to make sure they fit. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuck-the-fucking-packaging-of-mens-fucking-dress-shirts/481174.md?page=2)