The Best White Dress Shirts for the Boardroom & Beyond

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There are a handful of wardrobe pieces everyone should own. A white dress shirt is one of them. Just like great T-shirts, the best white dress shirts can worked into any personal style — whether you’re actually getting fancy or not.

At a Glance: The Best White Dress Shirts

However, since tees ascended into the limelight and dress codes have eased up, finding the best white dress shirts has become more difficult. Plus — and this is sometimes for the better — brands have gotten more experimental with materials, shapes, and features on their dress shirts. In other words, there are a lot of duds out there — and some great ones too.

The Best White Dress Shirts for Men, Tested

Finding the best white dress shirt for your style is no easy task. To make things easier, I spent months testing dozens of options to find the best white dress shirts on the market. I rounded up a variety, from crisp classic dress shirts to stretchy, sweat-wicking picks for commuting, so there should be something for everyone.

Note: I’m interpreting the term “dress shirt” somewhat loosely here. Strictly speaking, a dress shirt is stiff (often dry clean-only), long for tucking in, and fitted around the neck for wearing a tie. However, like most guys, when I “dress up” for the office or an event I’m really just looking for a pulled-together button-up (maybe a true dress shirt, maybe an Oxford) so that’s what I’ve rounded up below.

How We Chose the Best White Dress Shirts

I’ve tested dozens of dress shirts in my years of being a fashion editor (and dozens before that). To research this article, I collected 18 candidates — dress shirts from top brands, plus the ones I already owned — to compare side-by-side, in person. I washed them (if machine washable) and wore them with different outfits to see how they handled wear.

While testing shirts, I was reminded just how drastically different dress shirts can be — even when comparing options from big-name brands. Here are some of the main points I look at when comparing dress shirts:

Fit: All dress shirts fit slightly differently. I suggest following your style here. If you prefer roomier clothing, go with a straight (or “classic) fit shirt. If you prefer slim, go with that.

Dress shirts also vary in length. If (like many of us) you often wear button-ups untucked, go with something a little shorter. Longer options, however, will stay put in your pants, even while sitting or reaching for things.

Feel: The dress shirts I tested run the gamut from thick and substantial to lightweight and breezy. Again, this is a personal choice, although I like having options for different weather. Some modern dress shirts are also slightly stretchy. I personally prefer the look of crisp dress shirts, but stretchy options can be much more comfortable — especially if you’re commuting in the shirt.

Color: “White” is far from ubiquitous when it comes to dress shirts. Most dress shirts have a slightly different hue. Buck Mason, for example, often uses more natural looking fabrics, while Todd Snyder typically makes bright white shirts for that classic, sharp look.

Details: I also look at all the details of a dress shirt, from the cuffs to stitching to the — and this is the big one for me — button placement. All button-up shirts seem to space their buttons differently, which can drastically change the look of a shirt if you’re not wearing a tie.

After finding my favorite dress shirts, I made sure they were available online and had good reviews from other customers.