Un-Tucked Shirts - Sources?

[RoyGBiv]

If being properly dressed for work means something nicer than an untucked t-shirt and getting caught with a tucked shirt over a tuckable holster is bad ju-ju, where do you go for business-casual shirts that look good un-tucked?

I find things occasionally in the usual mall stores.

**Here's a line of shirts designed specifically for this situation, but $65 to $100/shirt isn't in my budget.

Whatcha got?




** I have no affiliation with this company. WifeGBiv texted me the URL from the ad she found while riding on AA the other day.

[Drang]

Might depend on how casual "business casual" is. I have a couple of rugby shirts I got at Old Navy for $NotVeryMMuch. Wouldn't play rugby in them...
Chambray work shirts work, too, as do flannel ones "in season". (Which is about 9-10 months out of the year in Seattle.)

[LSP972]

5.11 has some expressly designed for "covert carry". These have snaps instead of buttons (faux buttons are there for appearance) so the shirt opens up quickly during a presentation, as you're "ripping" the shirt tail up to clear your piece. They seem to change the design every few years, but all have in common the desired style; loose fit, squared-off tail.

$50 or so per copy, but very much worth it. I have several styles, and all are excellent.

My other main source of "carry shirts", especially for the miserable summer months here (and Texas), are the various iterations of "fishing shirts" from Columbia, Magellan, et. al.; available at reasonable prices from Academy Sports. I usually need my seamstress to cut the tails a bit for proper length. The tail should reach no further than your wrist/hand junction, when your arms are held straight down at your side. These, however, are probably stretching things for "business casual".

You're only limited by your imagination and dress code here. I found some Wrangler shirts at Wal-Mart that are simply fabulous for the muggy heat of south Louisiana. Super-thin material, yet they drape like a Columbia or Magellan and look quite presentable when lightly ironed.

My other favorite for oppressive summers here are the Caribbean brand silk Hawaiian shirts. You can find these in subdued colors (as opposed to traditional, garish colors). Some of these are quite elegant in appearance; I've worn them to court and no eyebrows were raised (that I know of; wouldn't have cared regardless. That's yet another wonderful thing about being retired; you give no… well, you know).

Genuine silk shirts are expensive; and again, worth every dime as far as I'm concerned… for the comfort, if nothing else.

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[Dagga Boy]

Most know I am a huge fan of Duluth Trading Company due to my Shreklike build. I have a very long body and Duluth makes long/tall stuff that is hard to find elsewhere. That extra length helps to prevent accidental exposure. I wore their stuff extensively while working protective details and still do for everyday stuff.

[Sheep Have Wool]

While I don't use them anymore, MyTailor.com has a selection of cotton/poly blend shirts that can be customized however you want that are under (if only slightly) your budget. I've found them to be of reasonable quality: basically what you'd get from a department store, but much better fitted. You can customize the shirts however you want, and I have several that are "no tuck" length. They have a guy come to the DFW area pretty frequently if you need to get measured, and once your measurements are in the system, you can place orders online without having to deal with a sales rep. I've since switched to Lombardo in DFW for custom shirts, but they're significantly more expensive.

[RoyGBiv]

5.11 has some expressly designed for "covert carry". These have snaps instead of buttons (faux buttons are there for appearance) so the shirt opens up quickly during a presentation, as you're "ripping" the shirt tail up to clear your piece. They seem to change the design every few years, but all have in common the desired style; loose fit, squared-off tail.

$50 or so per copy, but very much worth it. I have several styles, and all are excellent.

My other main source of "carry shirts", especially for the miserable summer months here (and Texas), are the various iterations of "fishing shirts" from Columbia, Magellan, et. al.; available at reasonable prices from Academy Sports. I usually need my seamstress to cut the tails a bit for proper length. The tail should reach no further than your wrist/hand junction, when your arms are held straight down at your side. These, however, are probably stretching things for "business casual".

You're only limited by your imagination and dress code here. I found some Wrangler shirts at Wal-Mart that are simply fabulous for the muggy heat of south Louisiana. Super-thin material, yet they drape like a Columbia or Magellan and look quite presentable when lightly ironed.

My other favorite for oppressive summers here are the Caribbean brand silk Hawaiian shirts. You can find these in subdued colors (as opposed to traditional, garish colors). Some of these are quite elegant in appearance; I've worn them to court and no eyebrows were raised (that I know of; wouldn't have cared regardless. That's yet another wonderful thing about being retired; you give no… well, you know).

Genuine silk shirts are expensive; and again, worth every dime as far as I'm concerned… for the comfort, if nothing else.

.

Your experience mirrors mine as far as things you've tried...
I tried the 5.11 shirts, which are spot-on appearance-wise, but the sizing is very odd. I'm not as fit as I was 20 years ago, but I'm not a blob.... The 5.11 stuff seems tailored for hulk-like dudes. When it fits in the shoulders, the body fits like a mumu. Too long (I'm 5'8") and too wide. Adding $25-30 worth of tailoring takes them out of my desired budget.

WifeGBiv has indicated her desire to see me in something other than Hawaiian shirts. I have several and they do work. Although, I always feel like I should be heading out to a party or for a lakeside meal when I'm wearing one.

I've looked through the fishing stuff at Academy and didn't find anything I liked, but I'll give them another try.

The problem with most department store shirts is the bottom hem. Shirts that are designed to be tucked in have a shaped hem that looks unkempt/unprofessional if left untucked. Tailoring those is likely a good option, although it pains me to spend $25 to tailor a $15 WalMart shirt.. (LOL).

Thanks all.

[Wayne Dobbs]

I've found that Kohl's is a decent spot to look for square cut Tommy Bahama and other camp shirt styles that are nice enough for office wear with slacks, chinos or jeans. For cooler weather, the 1/4 zip style pullovers and the like work well. I also have the 5.11 style shirts that work very well.

[NerdAlert]

You can also find square bottom shirts (polos and short sleeved button downs) that are meant to be worn untucked in the golf section of sporting goods stores, or dedicated golf stores. They are usually more athletic fitting, so size accordingly.


Sent from my iPhone, I apologize in advance for typos.

[JAD]

In most environments untucked isn't business casual.

I feel like I can get away with a Panama shirt once in a while, and I could double down on that if I lived in tejas and wasn't seeing customers.

I really, really like cotton blazers.

I have never been able to get sweater vests to work like they should, but light cotton ones would be wearable in a mostly air conditioned environment.

[TAZ]

I have a few of the 511 shirts and for the most part they are OK. Still too expensive for my tastes so I tend to wait till someone like LA Police gear is closing out last years styles. Walmart around here has a brand called George or something. Square cut sueded shirts that are loose fitting. Mine have held up a couple of years through EDW. Can't beat that for less than $20.