I've started to buy tailored shirts online, and I highly recommend it. You can get a shirt that fits you perfectly and is a bit more comfortable than off the rack. Not sure about you guys, but typically if the sleeves and neck fit, the rest of the shirt doesn't. Some brands are better than others, but nothing compares to the online ones. I've only done it twice so far, but plan on doing it from here on forward. That said, it does take some tweaking to get the fit correct. My first shirt was pretty far off (mainly my fault, will explain later) and my 2nd shirt is great, but will tweak my measurements slightly when I order again.
Advantages:
- Easy. You don't have to go to a store and shop. You find a pattern you like and pretty much click order.
- Fairly large selection of fabrics.
- The custom fit is much more comfortable and you always get exactly what you want.
- Consistency. You're not going to have a bunch of shirts that all fit differently -- they'll all be the same which I think is nice.
- Customizable. You can change everything on these shirts to your liking. Type of collar (about 12 options), button placement, cuff cut, length, types of buttons, etc. Really, tons of options. Even plackard/collar linings, etc.
Cons:
- Instant gratification... or there lackeof. It takes about 2-3 weeks from the time you order until you get the shirt. So that can be frustrating.
- Picking shirts. You can't feel or see the fabrics, the site I recommend also doesn't do all the justice to each fabrics. This can be offset by buying fabric swatches.
Neutral:
- Price. These shirts range from cheap (30ish) to very expensive (200ish). I've read the sweetspot for most of these is the 60-90 range. Which is pretty competitive to what you'll see for the same quality of off the rack shirts.
- Expect to not wear the first shirt. The site I suggest has white/blue/black shirt available for $20 for first time customers. You may not want to wear that, but the 2nd one should be fine. You'll have an up-front investment, but it should payoff in the long run.
Advice:
- Measure an actual SHIRT not your body. Take your favorite shirt, and measure it 3-5 times. Have a friend measure it. Be very accurate. Also, be careful with your decimals... I made that issue on my first shirt's measurements. Order it just like your shirt measures, then tweak from there. I made some guesses the first time, and would have had a better shirt with original measurements.
- The measurement around the cuff goes button to closure, not the entire length of the cuff.... also learned that the hard way.
Overall, I highly recommend the tailored shirt. The same service at your local tailor will cost about $200 a shirt. There are groupons/traveling tailors that charge less, but the online is pretty darn solid.
The site I use is
Custom Shirts, Tailored Shirts, Dress Shirts | Modern Tailor Custom Tailored Suits and Shirts