Rules & traditions

Sleeve length
Find the correct sleeve length by standing with your hands down. The sleeves have the right length when the cuff is approx. one and a half centimetre longer than the wrist bone.

If you are wearing a jacket over your shirt, one and a half centimetre of the shirt’s cuff must be visible below the jacket’s sleeve.

In the heat of the summer
A light shirt is by far the most comfortable way to keep your cool and style on really warm days.
As a short-sleeved shirt signals holiday and relaxation, it is not good form to wear a tie with a short-sleeved shirt. You can roll up the sleeves on a light shirt instead to achieve a cooling effect without compromising your style.

Unbutton
If you do not wear a tie, unbutton the two top buttons, never just the top one.

Colours & patterns
Originally, a white shirt was only used with a suit but today both coloured shirts and shirts with a slight pattern can be worn under a jacket. However, make sure that the colour and pattern of the shirt match the tie and jacket for if you choose a suit and tie, the shirt is to serve as a neutral basis accentuating the rest of the clothes.

However, the rules for dinner jackets and dress suits remain conservative where only white or ecru shirts are accepted. However, a black shirt is also acceptable for a dinner jacket.