Gentlemen – this is men's style 101. In this article, we teach you ‘how to tuck in a shirt?' and we explain when you should keep your shirt tucked and when you should untuck it.
The following is what you will learn:
Tucked Or Untucked?
How To Wear Your Shirt Untucked
How Do You Properly Tuck In A Shirt
Tucked Or Untucked?
In about four out of five dressing situations, I recommend that a man tucks in his shirt.
That sounds like a lot. But it's based on the assumption that well-dressed men have many collared dress shirts in their wardrobe, which look better when tucked. Most good looks for guys involve at least one tucked layer.
What about that other one time in five, though?
It's not “bad style” to wear an untucked shirt – so long as you do it correctly.
Shirts traditionally worn untucked
T-shirts
Polo shirts
Rugby shirts
Henley shirts
Short-sleeved, button-fronted sport shirts (but check the hem)
Tank tops and other sleeveless shirts
Breton tops
Guayaberas
Hawaiian and other vacation shirts
Undershirts
Shirts traditionally worn tucked
Dress shirts
Long-sleeved, button-fronted sport shirts
Flannel and chambray work shirts
Wool “lumberjack” shirts
How To Wear Your Shirt Untucked
Getting the right fit is essential for an untucked shirt.
They have a looser look than a tucked-in shirt, for obvious reasons, but that doesn't mean you want a looser fit.
If anything, it makes a baggy fit harder to correct since you don't have the option of stuffing extra cloth into the back of your pants and belting it tight (not an ideal solution, but at least a short-term fix for a badly-fitted dress shirt).
Length is the determining factor in whether you can wear a shirt untucked at all.
As a basic rule of thumb, if it doesn't fall to at least your belt, the shirt is too short. Move the wrong way, and it's going to flash your belly at everyone.
At the other extreme, something that covers your body down to your crotch is too long and can shorten your look.
For most looks, shorter is ideal — down far enough to cover the belt and not much beyond that. Some shirts, like the guayabera, are meant to be a little longer and can come down a few inches below the belt.
Shirt Waist and Chest
Significantly fewer casual shirts taper at the waist (and all shirts meant to be worn untucked are casual, apart from the guayabera's traditional role in South and Central American political and business dress).
This means you want a close fit throughout the torso so that the shape of your body won't drown in fabric.
Finding the size that fits you closely will take some trial and error. Most brands have some difference in their sizes, meaning the small in one brand may be closer to a medium in another.
Because the hem is untucked, you'll get some billowing and breeziness even with a close fit, so err on the side of smaller when possible.
Shirt Shoulders and Sleeve
The seams of the sleeves should rest just below the curve of your shoulder. If they lay halfway down your bicep, then the sleeves are too long. If they are above the shoulders, the sleeves are too short.
Wearing Tailed Shirts Untucked
One last consideration: you will see men (particularly younger men) wearing dress shirts with tails in the front and back untucked from time to time.
There is a deliberately sloppy edge to this look that some find appealing. The trick to pulling this off is to make sure the fit of your shirt is spot on, and you wear it with confidence.
Never wear an untucked shirt to a formal event UNLESS it is a style designed to be versatile (the guayabera being an example). Formal equals tucked in, plain and simple.
How Do You Properly Tuck In A Shirt?
#1 The Basic Tuck
The basic is the first technique we all come to learn when we're younger. You open your pants, put on your shirt, and tuck it in under your pants and then pull your pants up; zippers and button closed, tighten your belt for the final finish, and hope that your shirt won't balloon out soon.
#2 The Underwear Tuck
For guys who wear an undershirt with their dress shirt, this method is handy. It is so simple and works all the time.
Here's How To Do It:
All you need to do is to first tuck in your undershirt under your underwear
Then tuck in your dress shirt between your trousers and underwear
Put your belt on and adjust accordingly
This technique uses friction to hold your shirt in place
#3 The Military Tuck
Tuck in your shirt under your pants, zippers closed but leave the button open. You need space to perform this maneuver.
Spread your legs evenly enough to prevent the trouser from slipping down.
Pinch any excess fabric from the side seams towards the back by using your thumb and index finger to form a neatly folded pleat at the side of the hips and in line with the armpits. Do this maneuver simultaneously on each side in one continuous motion.
Close the button and even out any folds or creases.
Buckle your belt for additional grip.
#4. Use Shirt Stays
Also known as shirttail garters, men's shirt stays are an innovative tool and what you will need when all things fail. Invented during the 19th century, shirt stays use constant downward pressure to prevent the shirttail from billowing out.
It's an indispensable accessory to have because it holds your shirt in place no matter what you do. So if you're running, reaching up, bending down, or dancing – it's guaranteed to keep your shirt in place.
Unlike other products that don't hold out for long or fall out of place (magnet pins) or constrict breathing and circulation (tension belts), the shirt stays are comfortable to wear because the pressure applies only to the shirt sock.
Shirt stays are so versatile that they are implemented by:
The military for their formal dress uniform.
Law enforcement officers for their field and dress uniforms.
Business leaders for their suit jackets.
Sports officials, especially basketball and American football, with all the running and abrupt stops by professional ballroom dancers, especially when wearing their tuxedos.
I'm sure you wonder how these guys keep their shirts tidy and tucked after all the day's work. Now you know.
As you can see, the applications are endless. If it involves tucking in your shirt and keeping it that way forever, having a shirt stay garter should be at the top of your bucket list.
Now let's say that you have bought one for yourself, how do you use it then? Just remember the following steps:
Attach one clip to the front and rear shirttail.
Anchor the clips to the fabric by pulling them down.
Clamp the lower clip to the sock.
Fasten the clip to the material by pulling it up.
For best fit, adjust the slide bar.
If attached correctly, it should look like a letter “Y.”
For the other leg, repeat the steps.
Put on your trousers and adjust the belt accordingly.
For as long as the clips cling securely into your shirt and sock, it won't come off. That's what the pulling up and pulling down is for, to keep the shirt garter stay in place all day long.
Click here to learn more about how to wear a shirt with jeans.
Also read:
Dressing Sharp and Casual for the Men in Their 30s
As a general rule, if a shirt has a straight hem, for example a polo shirt, it is designed to be left untucked. However, if a shirt has a curved hem, for example a business shirt, it is designed to be tucked in.
To leave the shirt out, it shouldn't completely cover your bottom, or be longer than the end of the fly of your trousers/jeans at the front. If it's longer than this, then tuck it in. The Oxford shirt below is just the right length to wear untucked.
Since most people only owned one or two sets of clothing, tucking kept them clean longer, resulting in better hygiene and a more polished presentation. The symbolism stuck, and the tuckers continue to hold down a reputation as those who Have Their Stuff Together.
Despite the fact length has a personal element to it, there's a rule of thumb to keep in mind for shirts meant to be worn tucked: the back of the dress shirt should cover your bottom almost entirely, allowing for at least 1.5'' of tucked fabric all around the waist.
The optimal length for an untucked shirt would be 1 inch higher than the “butthigh” The front length should fall no longer than the front crotch point and no shorter than 2 inches above the front crotch point. A good guideline would be to have your shirt's front length fall right at the bottom of your zipper.
Dress shirts made in more relaxed and soft fabrics such as oxford dress shirts, flannel shirts and chambray shirts are great for the untucked look. These often have a more straight hem that make them great to leave untucked. Dress shirts in linen are also perfect if you prefer the untucked style.
The half-tuck is definitely a more dramatic tuck. This is when you undo the last button or so on a button-up shirt, tuck in one side and leave the other out. It's a very intentional look, and some might say weird.
The tucked-in T-shirt trend—a nod to the '50s by way of the '90s—was a fringe style move one day, and a full-blown fashion movement the next, much like recent stylish guys' infatuations with souvenir jackets and vacation shirts.
Don't forget to tuck your dress shirt neatly into your pair of dress pants: an untucked dress shirt appears incredibly sloppy and unprofessional. Your shirt may untuck throughout the day, so make sure it's tucked in nicely at all times.
The front tuck is best reserved for those times, or those women, who feel good about their tummy. Maybe you're tummy is flattish that day, or your jeans are holding everything in nicely, or you're just blessed with a flatter tummy area. The front tuck is your friend.
Here are a few guidelines: Shirts that are made with a flat bottom hem are meant to be worn untucked. But if the shirt has visible “tails” — that is to say, the hem varies in length, rather than being even all the way around — it should always be tucked in. Wearing a shirt with tails untucked is not a forbidden look.
Whether your shirt is fully tucked in or just partially tucked in (aka the French Tuck), you always want to wear a belt, regardless of whether you're wearing jeans, chinos, or dress trousers.
Oversized shirts are so popular, and wearing something oversized often makes you look bigger. But a little front tuck of your shirt keeps the shirt from overwhelming your body, AND it helps give your silhouette a waist. And show your waist is always more flattering and makes you look slimmer.
The shoulder seams are a good way to tell how well a shirt fits you. Ideally, these seams should reach to the end of your shoulder at the very top of your arm. If they extend down your upper arm, the shirt is too big.
Relax your abdominal muscles to ease your testicl*s into your scrotum. If you're new to untucking, try laying on your back or performing a deep breathing exercise to loosen up the muscles around your inguinal canals. Your testicl*s might lower on their own once the tension is gone.
Tuck in the back of your shirt, then grab the bottom left front side of the shirt and tuck it into your pants right side. Next, grab the right side of the shirt and cross it over the tucked-in part of your shirt to tuck it into the left side of your pants, creating a loose but stylish V-shape.
What is out of style for 2022? High waisted jeans, high waisted pants, high waist tennis skirts, skater skirts, knit pants, skinny jeans, hoodie sets, short blazers, leggings, fur coats, cropped leather jacket, A-style mini dresses, and cold shoulders tops are some of the clothes that are not in anymore.
You can do the front tuck with both mid-rise or high-rise jeans, pants, or skirts. Take the middle part of your shirt's hem, and tightly tuck it into the front of your pants. From here, you'll want to loosen the tuck a little, while the sides and back of your top stay untucked.
Be careful when leaving a shirt with an uneven hem untucked. If the shirt fits you really well, it can work, but it's a risky move, particularly if the shirt is not the right length. The ideal length for an untucked shirt is something that hits the middle of your back pocket or the zipper of your pants.
Untucked dress shirts look best when they're shorter in length overall. Lift up your arms to see how long or short your garment is. If your shirt lifts up to the point where you can see your midsection, then you shouldn't wear it untucked.
The front tuck is best reserved for those times, or those women, who feel good about their tummy. Maybe you're tummy is flattish that day, or your jeans are holding everything in nicely, or you're just blessed with a flatter tummy area. The front tuck is your friend.
In about four out of five dressing situations, I recommend that a man tucks in his shirt. That sounds like a lot. But it's based on the assumption that well-dressed men have many collared dress shirts in their wardrobe, which look better when tucked. Most good looks for guys involve at least one tucked layer.
While funerals can be viewed as a celebration of life, they are still occasions that require formal attire as a sign of respect. For this occasion, you should always tuck in your shirt. Wakes can be seen in a more casual manner and allow for a more relaxed wardrobe.
The half-tuck is definitely a more dramatic tuck. This is when you undo the last button or so on a button-up shirt, tuck in one side and leave the other out. It's a very intentional look, and some might say weird.
Wear leggings or skinnies with longer, draped or asymmetrical tops. Leggings or stretchy pants that tuck in the tummy will be your best friend. They will fit comfortably around your belly and tuck it in a bit. Also, with so many wonderful tunics and long tops to choose from, you will look fabulous.
For most guys, he recommends slimmer, more structured clothing that flatters, often including printed shirts, which I like. His signature, though, has become the “French tuck.” No matter a guy's build or style, France seems to recommend they tuck in the front of their shirt and leave the back loose.
You have to be careful about when to tuck and when not to tuck when it comes to wearing jeans and dress shirts. In general, a very good rule of thumb is to leave your dress shirt untucked.
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