Properly Tucked Shirts Add an Effortless Sexy to Your Style Game
As a child, you likely recall your mother telling you to tuck in your shirt. The proper shirt tuck is something rarely thought about yet is an important detail that can make or break your outfit. There are several different shirt tucks each depending on the level of formality you wish to present.
Full Tuck
The full tuck is the standard shirt tuck you learned as a kid and is the most common shirt tuck method used in business professional and formal attire situations. You should fully tuck in your shirt when wearing a dress shirt and dress pants or formalwear. Although there are no hard and set rules about full shirt tucks in casual situations, it is acceptable to tuck in a more casual oxford button-down shirt. In short, reserve the full tuck for occasions when you are aiming for a presentable, well-put-together appearance.
Half-Tuck
The half-tuck, also known as the French tuck, is becoming increasingly popular and demonstrates that your style game is on-point. It is reserved for more casual outfits when the aim is to give off a carefree, relaxed vibe. Visually, the front of the shirt is tucked into your trousers while the back of the shirt hangs loose. There is a bit of sexy esthetic carelessness involved with the half-tuck. With a little bit of confidence, anyone can pull off this tuck. Try using this tuck when pairing your shirt with Dark Denim.
Quarter-Tuck
Similar to the half-tuck, the front quarter of the shirt is tucked into your trousers while the rest of the shirt hangs free.
The Military Tuck
The military tuck is a technique that hides excess material around the waist. It gives a fully tucked shirt a more tapered and close-fitting appearance. All too often, men wear dress shirts that are a size too big to accommodate sleeve length or neck size. The military tuck comes in handy to tidy up the shirt giving you a more polished appearance.
Creating this tuck is simple – take the extra fabric at the side of the shirt, fold it toward your back, and wrap it around your back, and tuck in the shirt.
Unfortunately, Military Shirt Tucks are not bulletproof; however, they are a great temporary solution when wearing a jacket or blazer. No one will notice the excess fabric around the back, and the front of your shirt will appear clean and dapper. If you like this look, consider having your shirts tailored to your body shape.
The Underwear Tuck
A simple concept – tuck your undershirt (not a t-shirt) into your underwear and your dress shirt into your trousers. The additional layer created by the undershirt yields a clean separation between your dress shirt and body, allowing for a cleaner shirt tuck. The underwear tuck helps hide the dreaded muffin top appearance, and the friction between the two shirt layers keeps the dress shirt tucked in all day.
When to Tuck in Your Shirt
- Always tuck in a dress shirt when attending a formal event. No exceptions. Use the military or underwear tuck to create a more tapered, streamlined appearance.
- One of the most common fashion sins is wearing an untucked dress shirt. If you are attending a formal event when a shirt and tie are required, tuck in your shirt. An untucked dress shirt under a suit or with trousers is not fashion-forward – it is sloppy.
- Tuck in your shirt when you are going for a smart-casual vibe. Tuck in a well-fitting polo or Henley shirt into a pair of chinos for a sharp hi/low aesthetic. (Hi/low is the art of mixing higher-end designer garments with more affordable fashion-forward pieces).
- Tuck in your shirt if the shirttails are curved; leave your shirt untucked if the shirt has a straight bottom hem.
- An untucked shirt with a blazer and casual jeans or chinos is perfectly acceptable given the social setting.
- When it doubt, make your mom happy and tuck in your shirt. You rarely have a second chance to make a first impression. Always ere on the side of refined style.
