The best blue dress shirts for men are the kind of thing you’d assume were dreamed up by a magazine solely devoted to corporate fashion (if you’re thinking of GQ from just a few years back, you’re right). It was the office shirt to wear with your charcoal gray suit, like no-show socks were to your loafers. We’ve evolved since then—men’s fashion now is a free-for-all of expression and we’re just as delighted to wear a slouchy hoodie and jeans to the office as we are a buttoned-up tailored ensemble. But just because it’s 2023 doesn’t mean suits are fully out; in fact, they’re very much in. Their silhouettes slouch a little more these days, but they still look great with a blue dress shirt.
That’s largely because the blue dress shirt is a certified closet classic. It’s hard to look bad in one, which also means that you can easily wear one with much more than your blazers. The key is finding the right fit for your style. Maybe that means springing for an all-American vibe like one from Ralph Lauren or a flashy ’70s-inspired joint like one from Husbands. You’ve got options, but no matter which you choose, you can rest assured that you’ll look smart and sophisticated and totally put together—because that’s just what the best blue dress shirts for men do. Some things in fashion really don’t ever change, and for that, we’re grateful.
The Best Blue Dress shirts Shopping Guide
The Best All-Around Blue Dress Shirt
If you’re anything like us, when you’re in need of something as straightforward as a blue dress shirt, your first instinct is probably to head to Ralph Lauren. Trust that instinct. The king of American menswear built his empire largely on the strength of perfectly executed basics like this: the cut is flatteringly trim; the cotton is specially woven for a beautiful hand and just a hint of stretch; the collar is a medium spread that’ll stand tall with or without a tie. Add to that a totally reasonable, sub-$100 pricetag, and there’s really zero reason to waste any more time overthinking this.
The Best Budget Blue Dress Shirt
With refined updates like a larger, more classic collar that tucks in neatly beneath the lapels of a blazer and a discreet French placket, Uniqlo’s budget-friendly option gives other blue dress shirts a real run for their money. It’s made from a glassy-smooth 2-ply, long-staple cotton poplin fabric that’s pre-treated to resist wrinkles so you won’t have to waste precious time or money running to the cleaners or ironing at home.
The Best Something Extra Blue Shirt
Maybe you’ve gone all in on this wild-style era, and now fear that a classic blue shirt won’t fit in with the rest of your trippy, balls-to-the-wall wardrobe. If that’s the case, Gucci’s got you covered. The brand knows how to put on a groovy show—the covered buttons and elongated point collar are the little touches here that propel the entire shirt to the next level. It’s weird enough to turn some heads, but not so much that it strips the shirt of its timelessness.
The Best Blue Dress Shirt for Business Trippin’
When you’re out on the road for work and absolutely need to make the right impression, this is the shirt to rely on. It’s streamlined and crisp in every respect, with an icy blue hue that’ll look razor sharp paired with a trim dark suit and tie. As an added bonus, the easy-iron cotton should hold up nicely in your suitcase—the less time you spend bent over a crappy hotel room iron, the better.
The Best Egregiously Luxe Blue Dress Shirt
How could a simple blue dress shirt possibly be worth over a grand, you ask? The answer lies largely in the fabric: this puppy is crafted entirely from Brioni’s treasured Giza 45 cotton which is said to be the longest-staple cotton in the world. It’s shockingly smooth and rivals thread counts of the finest, most luxurious bed sheets. It yields so little crops and is so rare that it’s only cultivated according to demand—hence the stratospheric price tag.
The Best Last-Minute Blue Dress Shirt
Surprise! An in-person meeting with the top brass pop ups on your calendar, but all your dress shirts are at the dry cleaner—or worse yet, hanging pit-stained and yellowing in your closet, waiting to go the dry cleaner. We’ve all been there. (If you find yourself there more often than not, the problem, dear reader, might be you.) What used to be cause for panic is now an excuse to order a grip of new dress shirts that’ll be by your door faster than you can say “promotion.” Convenience aside, Calvin Klein’s perfectly streamlined button-up would still be a winner. It comes with all the hallmarks of its pricier counterparts, including a sleek point collar, a fit that’s slim but not suffocating, and moisture-wicking properties aplenty so you can keep your cool under pressure. Congrats: you’ve got nothing to worry about except nailing those pesky talking points.
The Best In-a-Pinch Blue Dress Shirt
Working with a tight budget? Land someplace only to realize you forgot to pack a dress shirt? Nordstrom is your answer. Unlike most department store button-ups, this one is neither scratchy to the touch nor embarrassingly sheer. Instead, it packs a ton of value into one seriously wallet-friendly package: nice slim fit, quality fabric, sturdy collar. As far as entry-level options go, Nordstrom’s take is as rock solid and totally viable as it gets.
The Best Value Blue Dress Shirt
Kamakura’s shirts are a perennial insider favorite thanks to their high level of craftsmanship and ludicrously modest price points. To wit: each one is crafted in Japan by the type of shirt-making experts you’d expect to find nestled within a swanky Savile Row townhouse—except they cost just about a hundred bucks a pop.
