Think you know how to wash a dress shirt?

Well, if you’re the type that dumps all your clothes in the washing machine, throws in some detergent, drinks a beer (or two or three), and comes back hours later hoping everything turned out alright, it may be time to study up!

Being a grown up means knowing how to wash a dress shirt…properly.

And once you’ve invested in something as awesome as your own indiTailored dress shirt, you’ll surely want to keep it looking sharp.

So here are the indiTailored idiot-proof (not that you’re an idiot—surely YOU are a charming, intelligent, and thoughtful man) tips for washing your shirt, correctly. Believe us, it will save you many a headache.

Idiot-proof tip #1: Check your labels. If a shirt says dry-clean only—that means dry clean only. If they give you specific directions, your best bet is to actually follow them. You don’t want your swank look turned stanky with ruined fabric all over the place. 

Idiot-proof tip #2: If you can wash it at home, do a quick scan for stains—curry, pen ink, blood (we won’t ask), other things you see on ads for stain removers on TV. If you spot any marks, you can pre-treat using the detergent (or stain removers) you’ve got at home. For heavier fabrics, pre-treat with detergent directly; for more delicate fabrics, use a washcloth. If you are concerned about the detergent damaging the fabric, try applying a little bit of the detergent to a part of the fabric that won’t be visible, if damaged (think inside yolk of the shirt). 

Idiot-proof tip #3: When putting your glorious garb in the washer, be sure to put it on the most delicate setting there is. Once it’s done, put it in the dryer—and this part is important—on tumble WITH NO HEAT. Heat is a glorious thing. It keeps us warm in winter, it makes cookies, but it wreaks havoc on our clothes. After drying, flat iron on the lowest setting, and if you prefer a little more structure, a little spray starch could be just the ticket.

Idiot-proof tip #4: Don’t beat your dress shirt. Although this treatment is embraced by the Chinese at the banks of Yangtze River, it turns out this is not the best solution for clothing longevity.

image from cnsphoto

Does your mouth go dry at the idea of ironing a IndiTailored shirt? Never fear noble sirs, we’ve already tackled How to Iron a Shirt in a prior blog entry. 

With monograms, as in other arenas, size absolutely matters—get those three letters stamped a little bit too large and you run the risk of being recruited by someone named Jocky to play on his Polo Team. However, go too far in the other direction and you’ll be treating an awesome tradition with the same sense of shame and chagrin applied to those lunch-box notes mom used to tuck in with your hot-pockets.

Our philosophy is bigger isn’t always better, (that’s what she said). A quarter inch is really all you need. But where is the proper place for a monogram, you ask?

Correct answer: Pocket or cuff.

Which means, monograms are the perfect contribution to your brand spanking new indiTailored custom dress shirt. It’s all about the details. Your initials and a flash of color will give your shirt a subtle pop, which will label you “Man of Mystery” faster than we can begin to hum the Bond theme (and that is pretty damn fast).

So, it’s time to take back the monogram! No longer the currency of the wealthy, the monogram is now the emblem of the proud, the confident, and the achingly well-dressed man. Your monogram literally speaks to who you are, and son, if that ain’t unique, we don’t know what is.

The wide spread collar has been officially endorsed by indiTailored.

Why? Well, contrary to certain belief systems, not all collars were created equal. Some collars just stand out above the rest—even without trying.

Okay, so the wide spread does try a little. But who can blame it? With an opulent existence that goes back centuries and a structure that pairs ever so perfectly with the Full Windsor, how could the wide spread ever amount to anything less? No sir, it isn’t easy being the wide spread collar.

Yet the wide spread collar has been quite resilient through the years. Thanks to the Duke of Windsor, the spread collar has had some major street cred. And now that the Duke is gone, we’ve been pushing that spread wider and wider. Today, you’ll find that every well dressed man has got a wide spread collar in his arsenal.

So once you have your wide spread collar, the trick is knowing how to deploy it. The wide spread being, well, wide, requires a specific kind of pairing. And for your ref, this is how we roll:

1. Tie that baby up! Make your Full Windsor extra full and flaunt it. The wide spread was made for it.

image from style.out.com

2. Surprisingly, you can also rock a skinny tie with the wide spread, but it must look intentional. The outfit should say, “I’m wearing a skinny tie with a wide spread collar—isn’t that funny; I’m sooooo original.” (author’s sidenote: you are not actually original)

image from men.style.com

3. Skip the tie, and pretend you are European.

image from soccerpitch.co.za

... because, who doesn’t like a well dressed, attactive European man?

The pocket square.

Now that is a fashion statement we can get behind!

What is so compelling about the p-square? Didn’t anyone ever tell you that the details make the outfit? Flare is critical to good style (no, not the TGI Friday’s flare; that_is_gross). What we are talking about are those little highlights that make an outfit impeccable. Those details that, in the moment, you don’t notice—but that any careful eye can discern.

Since you are (clearly) sold on the wonders of the pocket square, now you get to decide how to rock it. The pocket square is your opportunity to assert your personality. Since it ties an outfit together, it really has the final word. So whether your square is worn in a classic or ironic way, it will speak its mind.

And our $ .02? Traditional style isn’t just safe. It’s sexy. Pair a solid color pocket square with a white shirt and black suit, and you’ll look good. This is a perfect science. Just take a look at Kanye. Now, that’s a guy that who knows what’s up.

That being said, we always appreciate a guy who is willing to push fashion to the max. Case and point, Tom Ford. He uses the pocket square to remind us, “Oh, no, I’m not done, yet. I’ve got more to say to you…” And we listen. Why? Well, because when you dress like a champ, the world listens.

We at indiTailored were convinced that somewhere between puberty and prom men learned how to tie a tie. Until…yesterday.

On the afternoon of July 7, 2009, at approximately 3:23 pm, we got the news. The keyword phrases “tie a tie” and “how to tie a tie” were Googled 550,000 and 450,000 times per month, respectively.

Astonished, troubled, and confused, we came up with an action plan. No one who comes to our website shall have this question unanswered. Accordingly, we searched long and hard for good “how to tie a tie” step-by-step videos to instruct the tie-less masses. But, much to our dismay, the findings were uninspiring.

We did, however, find two videos worth sharing. The first of which explains how to tie the half-windsor knot. While some say the Half Windsor is standard, we see it as pedestrian. That is not to say there isn’t a time and a place for the Half Windsor, but just make sure you know when and where that is (clueless? You’ll just have to wait for my forthcoming blog entry). The second video will show you how to tie the indiTailored knot of choice, the Full Windsor. If you want to look sharp whatever the occasion, just stick to the FW 4life. My motto: big (tie) knots mean big business.

Go ahead an interpret that one as you please.

And now to the videos. Here is what we suggest:

1. Watch the first video to laugh at two random kids from Youtube.
2. Watch the second video, and make sure this is how you are tying your tie. If not, make the necessary adjustments. Also, be sure to appreciate the English accent, which, of course, somehow makes this video more legit.
3. Start buying ties, tying ties, wearing ties… And since subtlety isn’t our thing, we’re just going to come out and say it. We like ties.