One of the biggest complaints that men have about their clothes is the way that their shirts fit. It does not matter if the shirt is a great label such as Luciano Barbera or a lesser brand. Many men find it very hard to get the exact right fit to their dress shirts. To help make certain that the next time you buy a shirt it is going to fit follow these simple tips.

The most important thing is the collar. You have to get your neck measured before you purchase a new shirt. It is vital that you do this regularly. Your weight does change and you may find that half an inch is going to make a big difference.

Most fashion houses produce their shirts in half-inch increments. If your neck measures 17 inches you should probably get a shirt that has a 17 and a half-inch collar. Shirt material will shrink. Although, most brands claim that their shirts are preshrunk and will not shrink, it can, and does happen. You should keep this in mind. When the top button of your shirt is done up you should be able to slip at least one finger under the collar. Some people advocate two.

If you are at the store, do not just read the numbers and think that the shirt will fit. Take a moment and try the shirt on. The neck should be snug, but you should be able to turn your head comfortably. Bend your chin to your chest, and see if the shirt feels like it is choking you. If so, get a half size larger.

The next thing to consider is the length of the sleeve. The correct way to get a sleeve measurement is to start at the back of the collar and go to the shoulder and then down the arm. You should stop measuring at the wrist bone. An extra inch is preferable to a sleeve that is too short. If you are intending to wear a jacket, you want the cuff of the sleeve to be seen.

When you put the shirt on the sleeve, it should reach to at least the wrist bone and perhaps to the top of the thumb if you like a slightly longer look.

The width of the sleeve and the cuff is also very important if you want the shirt to feel comfortable especially if you are going to wear it under a jacket. If there is too much material in the sleeve, it will bunch and gather in the jacket.

The last thing to consider is the torso of the shirt. Many French and Italian shirts are tapered to give a leaner and trimmer appearance. This is fine so long as the buttons at the front do not appear to be pulled sideways. You never want the shirt to look as though the buttons will pop off at any moment. Additionally, you do not want the shirt to gape open when you move around.

Finally, make sure you take the jacket you are intending to wear with you when buying a shirt. This will give you a very good idea of not only how the shirt will look with the jacket but also how the shirt is going to feel with the jacket on.