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Performance Shirting 101: A Definitive Guide
“Performance” is the hottest word in shirting since “Non Iron”, and for good reason. A shirt that capitalizes on the many recent breakthroughs in fabric technology without looking like it was actually made in a lab (no offense, lab guys) is a noteworthy development indeed. Because if your hustle is already killing it 2020-style but your shirt game’s stuck in 1992, you’ve got problems, friend. Itchy, swampy, wrinkly problems. Actual pic of your hustle already killing it 2020-style. Get it here. Performance shirting aspires to solve those problems in a single garment: a shirt that looks like business attire, but feels like gym-wear. And when you consider the incredible marriage of form and function that already exists in so many other products, is it really too much to ask that our dress shirts get the same upgrade? Not according to the shirting business. Within the last five years, performance dress shirting has exploded. Everyone and their mother makes a performance shirt now, and it can be easy to get lost in the buzzwords. Terms like “moisture-wicking,” “poly blend,” and “wrinkle resistant” are thrown around so much that you might think all performance dress shirts are the same. But nothing could be further from the truth. So to sort the true performers from the under-performers, let’s dive into what some of these terms actually mean. MOISTURE-WICKING “Do you even Wick, bro?” By definition a moisture-wicking fabric is one that “wicks moisture,” i.e. absorbs moisture and moves it away from the skin and out through the fabric. Why is that a good thing? Simple: the faster moisture evaporates through a fabric, the easier it is to keep your body cool and the fabric dry. No more back-swamp after a mid-afternoon Uber to your meeting across town. Great, right? One problem: simply wicking moisture away from your skin is totally useless unless the fabric also helps evaporate that moisture. No evaporation means you’re just wearing one big sweat absorber. Ever work out in a 100% cotton T-shirt? That’s what absorption without evaporation feels like: like wearing a giant dishrag. Buy Performance Shirts Now! Unfortunately, this is a problem for a LOT of moisture-wicking fabrics. They can absorb moisture just fine, but can’t get rid of it. Yeah, you read that right: not all moisture-wicking fabrics actually get rid of the moisture they wick off your skin. And a lot of those fabrics are sold as “performance” fabrics in things like, you guessed it, men’s shirting. Sure, we could name the names of those *cough* other shirting companies whose shirts don’t actually function as advertised *cough,* but we once read in a 7-11 bathroom off the Jersey Turnpike that ‘snitches get stitches,’ so we’ll hold our tongues. Instead, let’s talk about the one moisture-wicking fabric that actually does exactly what it’s supposed to do (which is why we created our Performance Shirts with it). COOLMAX Coolmax is the OG of moisture-wicking fabrics, developed back in 1986 to improve the breathability of athletic wear. To say it accomplished that goal is an understatement: fabric has never been the same. So, how does Coolmax do it? The magic is in the design of the fibers themselves.
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How To Fold and Pack Dress Shirts: The Twillory Way
Have you ever wondered how James Bond looks so clean? That guy jet-sets around the world chasing supervillains, getting in gunfights with scantily-clad ladies, and parachuting into flying planes, then he rolls into a black-tie event without a wrinkle in sight. But after a two-hour flight to Denver, your own dress shirts come out of the suitcase with more wrinkles than a page of crumpled-up homework. What gives? The most obvious answer, of course, is that Agent Q is a secret fan of SafeCotton (who isn’t?!). Wrinkle-resistant. Also, supervillain-resistant. Shop SafeCotton. The second-most obvious answer? That Bond owes his eternally-crisp shirting to impeccable folding and packing practices. Now, are we saying that knowing how to fold and pack your dress shirts correctly will get you any closer to sharing a shower stall with Emma Stone? Not necessarily, but it'll definitely keep you looking crisp no matter where in the world you land. And that’s at least like, half as good, right? Before we jump in, two caveats. One: Unfortunately, there’s no single way to fold and pack a dress shirt that can absolutely guarantee the shirt will arrive completely wrinkle-free. Shirts are made from fabric, and fabric wrinkles. Like taxes, traffic, and arguments about politics at Thanksgiving, it’s just a fact of life. Two: Your best option against wrinkles is to pack Non Iron shirts when you’re on the road. While it doesn’t guarantee you won’t still see a wrinkle or two, you’ll definitely see a lot less! Now, on to the folding! To get that Bond-worthy smoothness, here are two different ways to fold a dress shirt for travel. METHOD ONE: THE PACKAGED LOOK This is a more classic, formal method, suitable for business trips where you need to pack 3-5 dress shirts in a way that keeps them all fresh. 1) Start with the shirt buttoned, lying face down on a flat, hard surface with both arms extended to the sides. Make sure you’ve smoothed out all wrinkles before beginning. 2) Fold the right sleeve over the body of the shirt, aligning it behind the left sleeve and creating a straight line along the right side of the shirt where it is folded inward. 3) Fold the right sleeve down toward the bottom of the shirt, keeping the sleeve’s edge parallel to the folded right edge of the shirt. 4) Repeat this process with the left sleeve. When you’ve folded both sleeves down, the sides of the shirt will be even and straight, with the sleeves folded neatly inside. 5) Fold the bottom of the shirt up to the top. Depending on space or preference, you may want to fold it three or four times, instead of two. 6) Flip the shirt over and smooth to adjust. The shirt should look like it does when arriving newly packaged: in a clean rectangular shape, with the collar lying smooth and the buttons perfectly centered. METHOD TWO: THE ROLL This is a much more casual method, better suited to more forgiving fabrics and shirts with softer collars. That said, it can be especially useful for those trips where you’ll need to pack both dress and casual shirts. 1) Start with the shirt buttoned, lying face down on a flat, hard surface with both arms extended to the sides. Make sure you’ve smoothed out all wrinkles before beginning. 2) Fold the right sleeve and body of the shirt over to align with the left, matching it in a perfect mirror image. The placket will form a straight line along one edge. 3) Fold both sleeves down toward the bottom of the shirt, aligning them with the placket. 4) Starting from the bottom, roll the shirt up into itself, creating a tight cylinder. PACKING TO WIN: PROTIPS FROM THE ROAD Whether you’re leaving for a week-long business trip or a weekend getaway, packing should be the least-stressful part of the process. Keep the packing easy and your looks clean with a few extra tips! Pack Loose. The pressure created by packing a lot of stuff into a small space is what turns creases into wrinkles. To diminish the chances of this happening, pack loose! And always pack your shirts on the top layer of your suitcase in order to avoid crushing them beneath your other clothing. Use the T-shirt Trick. To diminish the severity of any creases forming along the major folds of your dress shirt, place a folded T-shirt inside it, at the point where you want to fold it up, and fold the dress shirt up over it. This additional layer of soft fabric will help prevent sharp creases from forming. Garment Bags for Life! This is usually only an option if you’re bringing a suit, but having a garment bag will often help since it gives you a lot more space to use.
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How to Wash Dress Shirts
How To Wash Dress Shirts Dress shirts are THE staple of the professional wardrobe. Tucked in, tucked out, under a jacket—the modern professional style is all about the shirt. However, there is a debate raging about how to properly care for dress shirts. New dress shirts continue to appear on the market, combining innovative fabrics and cool designs. And while the evolution of style and the emergence of the non-iron shirt is really exciting, dress shirts continue to wear out prematurely. So what’s the best method to properly wash dress shirts? Cleaning Confusion: There are many ways to wash dress shirts. Old school folks get it done by hand, while most folks simply put them in the washing machine.. Each method has pros and cons. Different types of dress shirts require different care techniques. Some must be pre-treated, others have collar stays or require delicate processing. Stains can be a nightmare. What to do? When is the best time to use cold water or warm water? Is the spin cycle essential? What about bleach? It’s confusing! So I’m going to check out the best ways to wash dress shirts - but first a little entertainment with a brief history of how the modern dress shirt came to be. Most Comfortable Dress Shirts You Never Need To Iron After Washing: === split content ===BALLER // Performance Black=== split content ====== split content ===Non-Iron Black Skull Contrast=== split content ====== split content ===CLOSER // Performance Blue=== split content ====== split content ===Non-Iron Navy Rooftop Dobby=== split content === White Collar/Blue Collar: The birth of the dress shirt began in Europe in the 17th century. Originally, shirts were a type of undergarment, designed to protect expensive coats and jackets from perspiration and dirt. They quickly began to take on a life of their own, and become a status symbol for the wealthy. White cotton dress shirts would easily become dirty. Wearing a clean dress shirt indicated you had enough money to have them washed on a regular basis. This is part of the "white collar" vs "blue collar"story. Makes sense, right? Today, dress shirts come in a variety of colors, shapes and sizes. They are still difficult to clean. Life might not get in the way, but life will definitely get on your shirt. Sweat, dirt, stains, and smoke all affect the shelf life of a dress shirt, as does wearing a decent undershirt. Follow these rules when washing dress shirts and they will feel like new. Hands On. How To Hand Wash Dress Shirts: Washing by hand can be time-consuming. It is, nevertheless, one of the most effective ways to clean dress shirts. Good washing also helps increase dress shirt longevity. Before starting the process, make sure to unfasten all of the buttons. Also, remove the collar stays. Pre-treat any stains that have appeared, using a stain remover or spot cleaning stuff. To remove sweat stains, soak a dress shirt in a mixture of cold water and white vinegar for 30 minutes. This helps to break down the stain. Afterwards, loosen the stain by rubbing it back and forth with your fingers. It works! To ensure the dress shirt really gets clean, soak it in water with a quality detergent. Once the shirt is cleaned, rinse it under cold water to remove additional soap. Lay the shirt flat and roll it in a towel to extract additional moisture. Once the water has been absorbed, hang the dress shirt on a hanger, and let it air dry. Washing by hand takes a lot more time, but it's a great way to take care of dress shirts. This is especially true if they are 100% cotton or any kind of wool blend. How To Machine Wash Your Dress Shirts: Washing dress shirts in a machine is a great way to save time and money. Be sure and read the care instructions on your shirt label, know the type of material the shirt is made from, and be careful with drying temperatures. Drying is the principal place where shrinkage happens. Shrinkage is a common thing. Most dress shirts will shrink up to 3% after a few washes. But anything more than this, and it’s probably a good time to buy new dress shirts before they have reached the end of their life cycle. Before washing dress shirts, follow the same steps for hand washing. Make sure to undo buttons, remove collar stays, and pre-treat stains. This is a good habit to develop regardless of the washing style. If a dress shirt is made of a finer fabric, check carefully to set the washing machine on a delicate cycle. Darker fabrics should be washed in cold water. White dress shirts need to be cleaned in warm or hot water with light colors. Don't mix the two! You will save time, but you will increase the risk of your colors bleeding onto your whites, causing discoloration. Another shirt bites the dust. White shirts should be washed as quickly as possible after they are worn. The longer they sit out, the more time body oils and sweat have to absorb into the shirt fabric, turning it yellow. Make sure to select a spin cycle that removes most of the water from the shirt before the load is done. Remove it quickly after the cycle is finished to avoid wrinkles setting into the shirt. Now That They’re Clean...How to Dry Your Dress Shirts: The best way is to hang the shirts is on sturdy plastic hangers. Do not put them in the dryer. Some people even dry shirts outside on clotheslines when weather permits. If you choose to put your dress shirts in the dryer, make sure to check the heat setting. Avoid high heat! High temperatures cause shrinking. Set the dryer to a low heat, tumble dry setting. A pro tip is to remove the dress shirts while they are still damp, instead of letting them become completely dry. Use plastic or wood hangers and let them air dry to allow gravity to eliminate wrinkles. Generally, you won't need to iron, and they'll be ready to wear - especially if they are made of a performance fabric. To Clean or Not to Clean: Sometimes it's not possible to wash shirts well at home. Most dry cleaners will do a "wash and clean," washing your shirts and then sending them through an industrial shirt press. This is a cost-effective and time-saving way to keep dress shirts clean. But do not rely on a dry cleaner to remove stains. Addressing Dress Shirts: There are several options to choose from when it comes to washing dress shirts. Whichever method you decide on is not the most important thing. What matters most is choosing to care for your dress shirts, so you can look and feel your best every time you put one on. Of course, the best way to look great is to wearTwillory.
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How to Pack Dress Shirts
How To Pack Your Dress Shirts For Travel, In a Suitcase & More After years of travelling for business, I can say definitively that the bane of my existence is a wrinkly dress shirt. Even the smallest crease can ruin my look. It took me a lot of time, but I have perfected the art of packing for a wrinkle-free look. Follow my advice and avoid wrinkles at all costs by learning how to pack your dress shirts properly. It seems like there's nothing to be done to help transport dress shirts without wrinkles. It felt hopeless when I was younger. I felt like I’d always be doomed to face chronic creases upon arrival. Is there anything to be done about this annoying problem that plagues the weary traveler? (I mean, nowadays I just suggest Twillory quality made non-iron and performance shirts, of course, but I still am stuck with some legacy dress shirts, so the following travel tips are still helpful even with my wardrobe augmented by wrinkle-free garments) There are a few things that can help the fight against wrinkles while packing dress shirts. Obviously, choosing the right shirt (hint: Twillory, duh!) can help alleviate these concerns. Best Non-Iron Dress Shirts For Travel: === split content === BALLER // Performance Black === split content === === split content === Non-Iron Black Skull Contrast === split content === === split content === Non-Iron Current Stripe === split content === === split content === HOLDER // Performance Herringbone Contrast === split content === Does the Universe Have a Way to Prevent Wrinkled Shirts? Unfortunately, no. If this is something that’s a huge problem, my best advice would be to bring only non-iron shirts. These are usually made with innovative fabrics like SafeCotton that eliminate wrinkles as well as toxic chemicals such as formaldehyde. Non-iron shirts come in a variety of colors, and styles, and are a great investment if you want to live life wrinkle-free. Death to Wrinkles: Packing 101 There are a few things that will affect how wrinkled a shirt will be after travel. First up is the fabric type of the dress shirt. Next, how tightly the clothing is packed. The most important factor is how long the shirt stays in your suitcase. My number one suggestion for travelers is to invest in a portable travel steamer. Even when I pack my clothes perfectly, there will always be little creases that are unavoidable. A travel steamer helps me blast the wrinkles off my shirts on arrival. But in the meantime its still really important to answer the following question: How To Fold a Dress Shirt Folding on a flat surface is an easy way to pack dress shirts and cut down on wrinkling. It is incredibly time efficient and takes about one minute per shirt. It also helps to save space in a suitcase, carry-on, or duffle bag. To achieve the ultimate fold, make sure the entire shirt is buttoned to avoid wrinkles. Lay the shirt flat, completely face down, with the sleeves extended. Fold the right hand arm and right hand side of the shirt inward, creating a straight line from the right shoulder to the bottom edge of the shirt. Next, fold the right arm of the shirt at a diagonal, so that the cuff of the shirt is against the bottom edge of the dress shirt. Repeat this step again on the left side. Both sides should be completely even. Next fold the shirt upwards in half. Start at the bottom, then fold the shirt again in the middle. Your dress shirt should now be compact and wrinkle-free. To take it to the next level, wrap the folded shirt in tissue paper, which helps to prevent crushing. This is my favorite way to place the dress shirt in my suitcase, on the very top of the clothes I’m packing. That little tip alone has saved me so many headaches and creases. If there’s going to be a time-crunch upon arrival, consider placing your dress shirt on a hanger in a suit and/or garment bag. By packing this way, there won't be the need to fold the dress shirt, which can help to avoid any initial creasing. However, most suit bags have to be foldable in order to be allowed on an airplane. However, one fold is totally survivable. Have You Heard Of Rolling? This might seem controversial. Wouldn't rolling dress shirts actually increase wrinkles? I know it seems like a recipe for disaster. Since there's no way to prevent wrinkles entirely, a huge benefit of rolling dress shirts is that it provides a lot of extra space. Rolling takes up less room in a suitcase, which is why it was my go-to method for longer trips where I still wanted to stick to one bag. When shirts are rolled properly, they arrive with wrinkles that aren't as intense, so clothes appear less noticeable when worn. Many of these wrinkles will also fall out overnight if dress shirts are hung. When I stayed at a hotel, I would often get lazy and just turn the shower hot enough to fill the room with steam. Then all I did was hang my shirts inside. The natural steam will have a similar effect to a steam machine, alleviating wrinkles. When shirts are folded, it is almost guaranteed that they will need to be ironed before being worn. How to Roll: Simply lay the dress shirt face down, and fold the long sleeves inward. Then fold the shirt vertically in half. Finally, roll the dress shirt upwards from the bottom, smoothing out any wrinkles. Done! The Suitcase Matters Another thing to consider is choosing a high quality suitcase in order to assist with wrinkle prevention. A bag that is more durable and made of stronger materials, will protect clothing, especially when dealing with checked bags. Final Thoughts… Hopefully, my advice here will give you some new ways to help with the challenge of wrinkle prevention for use the next time you pack. The main hack I’m rolling with right now is choosing shirts that are made of wrinkle-resistant fabrics. Otherwise, I suggest you try to pick shirts made from a blend of fibers. Shirts that include polyester, acrylic, and nylon will all wrinkle less than oxford shirts made entirely out of cotton or natural fibers. Dress shirts from SafeCotton will also wrinkle much less when being transported. Lastly, make sure to take care of those shirts before packing. They should be thoroughly cleaned, either professionally or at home, and entirely without wrinkles. A shirt that is already fresh and free of wrinkles before packing is a happy shirt to wear, and has a better chance of surviving life on the road. 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How to Fold Dress Shirts
Folding Dress Shirts: The Fight Against Wrinkles If you’re like me, you probably hang up your dress shirts — or any collared button downs. Just throw them on a hanger and done. Now I get it, folding them can seem a bit daunting. However, no one has to learn origami to get them folded right and ready for packing. There are a few different ways to fold ‘good’ shirts so let’s walk through these easy methods. Method #1: Folding Dress Shirts 101 This is my favorite method because it’s basically impossible to mess up. This is the foundation I built my professional style off of. Simply lay the shirt button-side down on a flat surface, AKA a bed or counter or whatever.. Next, fold the right sleeve and side about ¾ of the way across the back, allowing the cuff to touch where the elbow would be. Then, fold the sleeve down so that the cuff touches the hem. Now do the same thing on the other side. I like to try folding the sleeve and part of the side to the right, then folding the sleeve to touch the hem. Once those sleeves are folded, pull the bottom edge of the hem so it touches the top of the shirt, right under the collar. Pro Tip: Run a hand over each fold to keep it smooth. Now flip the shirt over and behold! The shirt looks brand-spanking-new like it just came off the rack! Sure, this method needs a little practice to get perfect, but since it’s so simple, it can be practiced to perfection. The more precise the technique, the smoother the shirt. There’s something really meditative about practicing this. I know it seems weird to literally practice a shirt-folding technique, but getting really good at this method is one of those small ways that I make sure I’m telegraphing that I’ve got my life together. Method #2: Folding Dress Shirts Accordion Style The finished folded shirt in this method will look a lot like the first one. The major difference here will be except for the way the sleeves get folded.. Here is how this method works: Put the dress shirt button side down, as in the first method. Then fold the right-side sleeve and a small part of the side of the shirt across until the cuff touches where the elbow would be. Deep breath here—this part is where it gets a bit tricky. Fold the sleeve back until it’s in line with the collar of the shirt, folding back towards the left side until the cuff touches the last fold. It should look like an accordion fold as the sleeve is folded in 3 parts. After folding the sleeves, the shirt should look like a long rectangle, with the sides lining up with the collar. Then simply fold the hem of the shirt so that it touches the collar and flip the shirt over. Sure, the first method is easier because getting the accordion fold can be frustrating. But, a lot of guys I know really prefer this method because mastering this technique can lead to faster folding. Try both of these a few times, and whichever one feels the most comfortable the quickest is definitely the right one. Now, If you’re packing your shirts instead of putting them in a drawer, you may prefer to simply roll the shirt. It reduces wrinkles and keeps things fresh, especially when done right. A lot of folks also swear that this saves room in their limited carryon as well. So, what’s the best way to roll? Method #3: Get Rolling! Place the shirt button side down on a flat surface then fold the whole shirt in half so that the hem of one sleeve meets the other. It’s key to carefully crease the collar so it lies flat as can be. Put both hands into it to fold and smooth the collar, ensuring it won’t buckle in transit.. Next, fold those sleeves backward across the body of the shirt so that the cuff touches the hem. The shoulders of the sleeves should just touch the collar of the shirt. Smooth the shirt down -and make sure to keep smoothing as the roll gets tighter. This is the biggest key to avoiding wrinkles. Of course, wrinkles happen and no one can totally eliminate them, but the proper folding method helps, big time. So what determines how much wrinkling a shirt will have? There are a lot of factors at play here: The fabric type and weave of the shirt. Cotton and linen are notorious wrinklers. Shirts with some polyester in them definitely reduce wrinkles. Rule of thumb: if it doesn’t come from nature, it wrinkles way less. How long the clothing has been folded. The shirts at the back of your dresser or closet, may be more wrinkle-y. The longer a shirt is folded, the greater the wrinkles. It’s that simple. That’s why road-warriors and travel hounds swear by rule 3. They never are in one place long enough for their rolled clothes to even have the chance to wrinkle. How much other stuff is in your suitcase or drawer. Packing clothes super tightly into a drawer means they will wrinkle much quicker. The easiest way to prevent wrinkles is to simply leave the clothes a little breathing room. Final Words on Wrinkles: When packing and folding dress shirts, a quick life saver is a small travel steamer. They work great and sort out the small mistakes that come with travel and commuting to work. After you unpack, you can steam the wrinkles out of the clothing before hanging them up. And of course there’s also the hot shower method: get a hot shower going and hang the shirt in the bathroom and the steam will remove the wrinkles.
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