The Perfect Gift For the Stylish Father

Milano Navy blue by Franck Michel

If you’ve got a father with a lot of style (or maybe one that needs a little more style), consider moving on from the typical necktie gift for Father’s Day. The necktie, while an essential piece in any working man’s wardrobe, can be hard to pick out for a man who is up there in his years, and may have many neckties already. However, what your father probably doesn’t have, and would love, is a beautiful European dress shirt. European dress shirts are unlike the American dress shirts that he probably currently wears.

First of all, European dress shirts fit much slimmer. This can make picking them out a bit tricky, but if you consult the size chart you’ll be fine, and your father will love the way that it makes him look after years of wearing shirts that aren’t meant for his body. They will sit differently, enhancing his shape and most importantly enhancing his confidence.

Secondly, European dress shirts like those from Franck Michel are made with the highest quality Italian cotton. Your father will appreciate the way the cotton feels, as well as its durability; it will look great through years of wear. Franck Michel shirts are also constructed in Europe, further speaking to their high quality and long-lasting qualities. Designed in France, materials from Italy and constructed in Europe, they’ll match perfect with his fancy European luxury car.

Lastly, for a father with style these fashion dress shirts will allow him an opportunity to stand out from his friends. Though he may seem stuck in his ways, or without interest in fashion, it’s likely he’s doing his best to look good he just needs your help. For a man who may have an interest in fashion but might not be following the latest fashion trends as well as you are, it can be the perfect chance to show your dad what the coolest fashion shirts look like these days. Be careful though, once you get him started it’s unlikely that he will stop after just one designer French shirt. Between the luxury details and the enhanced quality compared to what he is used to, he’ll definitely be asking for more gifts in the future!

How to Wear it: Men’s Plaid Fashion Dress Shirts

One recent trend I’ve noticed in men’s fashion shirts is that some of the more adventurous designers are rolling out collections that include a lot of plaid patterns.  Plaid is a pattern that we are all familiar with of course, but we might not expect to see it on a high end fashion shirt, but rather a flannel work shirt or something similarly casual.  However, men’s luxury designers are increasingly working plaid into their collections and we should consider how to best work it into our wardrobes.

Plaid fashion dress shirt for men

First of all, let’s delineate how the plaid shirts on offer from men’s fashion designers differ from those that your dad wore to go camping.  The chief way they are different is the material on offer.  Casual plaid shirts are often done on heavyweight flannel or other thicker fabrics.  Thicker fabrics are never going to look as sharp as the crisp look of a thin elegant cotton dress shirt.  Additionally, these casual plaid shirts are designed to fit a range of body types, and thus have a lot of room in the lower torso.  The offerings from today’s men’s designers are usually slim fit, and personally I think the slimmer the fit the better.  These shirts will fit and wear completely different than dear old Dad’s camping shirts.

So how and where should we wear these new patterns?  For me, one great thing about these patterns is their versatility.  I personally like to wear them with dark jeans on a night out.  The plaid gives off a more casual vibe than a solid color satin fashion shirt, but at the same time with the slim fit and crisp collar you know that you will be look like you’ve put time and thought into your sartorial choice, which of course you have.  These shirts look great with the sleeves rolled up when you’ve been putting in a hard-working shift on the dance floor.  Be sure to keep your sleeves, and your look in general, looking sharp though, by actually folding the sleeves back in folds that match the width of the cuff.  This will keep them from unrolling, and at the same time will keep the upper arm of the shirt from becoming a bunched up mess.  You are going to want to keep that upper-arm portion smooth to show off those hours you’ve put in at the gym.

For a little more conservative or dressed up look, I like to layer a blazer or a solid color sweater over the top of my plaid dress shirt.  This is one of those cases where showing less of the pattern actually makes it pop even more and really will have people asking you wear you got your shirt.

I really like this new trend in men’s fashion shirts.  Plaid is a versatile pattern that can be conservative or eye-catching depending on how you choose to use it.  For me, anything like this where I can buy one shirt, but express my fashion many different ways is definitely a good thing.