So you’re not the Prince of Wales who gets his bespoke (made-to-measure) shirts from Turnbull and Asser nor can you or would pay for such a service. Who cares anyway! There are ways you can fake the look of a custom shirt, but first you have find the right shirt to begin with--a canvas so to speak.

If you haven’t already, get measured for your shirt size. Any decent department store or suit retailer can do this for you. Sized shirts will allow you to find a shirt with neck size (measured in inches) and corresponding sleeve length (also measured in inches). Sometimes I find shirts that are sized small, medium, large and so on that have the right proportions and work well, but no matter what, just be sure to follow the five rules I have outlined below when shopping for your shirt.