The Perfect White Dress Shirt

I get asked on a pretty regular basis where I get my white dress shirts for church? Honestly I am all about a fitted, white button up that makes you look fit, when really you’re just wearing Spanks for Men and a great white dress shirt. You don’t want to have excess fabric hanging over your pants making you look fatter than you really are. And these white dress shirts will help you with that.

I figured I would share my favorite white dress shirts and where to get them. Now, may I also say that when I purchase certain articles of clothing I am willing to spend a good amount if I know that it will last me a long time. Most of these shirts, I buy two or three of them and they last me anywhere from five to seven years. It’s all about taking good care of your clothing and making sure you rotate them out. Also, if you are just wearing the shirt to church for the three hour block (Latter Day Saint members) you don’t have to wash the shirt, unless you get something on it or you tend to sweat a lot.

I will also share my tips for keeping those nasty neck stains, armpit stains and just keeping those whites WHITE.

1. Banana Republic – Classic Fit Non-Iron Shirt – This is my number one, go to for a great white button up. Fits perfect, not too thick of material and the non-iron is perfect for every busy dad. I can’t tell you how many times I was getting ready for church, grabbed my shirt out of the closet to find wrinkles. So I through it in my dryer and fluffed it right up.

Banana Republic - Classic Fit Non-Iron Shirt | Perfect White Shirt | The Modern Dad

Get it here.

2. J. Crew – Ludlow Spread-Collar Shirt – I love me some J. Crew. I have loved it for years and when they made the Luldlow white dress shirts I had to jump on board. For me the neck fit on these is a little larger than other dress shirt brands which I love because sometimes dress shirts can feel like they are choking you and no one wants to feel all choked up at church, or anywhere else you’re wearing this.

J Crew - Ludlow white shirt | The Modern Dad

Get it here.

3. Nordstrom – Smartcare™ Wrinkle Free Trim Fit Solid Pinpoint Dress Shirt – Honestly I just love any dress shirt that is wrinkle free! But this dress shirt from Nordstrom has a great fit, the color is perfect for regular and bow ties (which is a huge plus to me) and the quality lasts forever. I purchased one of these my senior year of high school (2000) and I still have it. You would have thought I just bought it last week.

Nordstrom | White Button Up | The Modern Dad

Get it here.

Short-Sleeve Option – J. Crew – Ludlow Short-Sleeve Shirt – Summer is quickly coming upon us and there is nothing worse than being a sweaty mess at church or really anything you’re attending and trying to look good. The Ludlow Short-Sleeve shirt is my go to for its quality, light weight material and collar width making your bow ties absolutely pop perfectly.

Ludlow Short Sleeve |White Button Up Shirt | The Modern Dad

Get it here.

Cleaning Tips:

  • I like to use Tide with all my laundry, but when doing whites I also add a scoop of Oxi Clean. This is great for really getting those whites to stay white.
  • Collar grim happening? Make a paste of detergent and hydrogen peroxide and brush it onto the collar to really get rid of the dirt and grim on there.
  • Shout out those pit stains. No one wants to see you raise your arm for anything at church to be seeing a yellow stain saying hello. Spray them with Shout every other wash. Beat the yellowing out of the shirt before it even gets there.
  • Read the tag. If the shirt says, “Dry Clean Only” it’s for a reason. Dry clean it, but don’t do it too often because it can start to break down the materials after a while.

If you are wanting more ideas for dress shirts and want to spend a little more, check out the favorites by GQ Magazine here.