A button-up shirt may be your closet’s stealthiest chameleon, equally at home in a blue-chip law firm, an oonz-oonz dance club, and a Sunday farmers market. But this undeniable utility can make choosing a button-up overwhelming, especially since you can spend upwards of $300 on a bespoke version or just $10 for one from a mass retailer.
How we picked
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Fit and size
We recruited testers who wore sizes S to 3XL and looked for shirts in that range (though many brands cap at XXL).
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Quality and buttons
We looked for even stitching (with minimal to no loose threads!) and sturdy collars. We also checked for buttons that stay closed but are easy to undo in a pinch.
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Fabric
We sought shirts made with materials that are comfortable to wear and durable but still easy to care for (no dry-clean-only picks here!).
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Price
We considered shirts priced from $20 to $130, and found that the options in the $75-$100 range generally delivered an optimal combination of fit, style, quality, and comfort.
Sizing is key in all clothing choices. But it merits further mention in this guide, since button-ups employ two sizing conventions: alpha (S, M, L, XL) and numeric. For example, I’m a medium in some brands and a 16 x 33 (which represents neck circumference and sleeve length in inches) in others. We tried shirts from both sizing categories and enlisted a panel of five testers—who wear shirt sizes ranging from small to 3XL—to help us make our selections. In the end, we found four shirts—Oxford, dress, and linen—that stood out for their fit, quality, and all-day comfort.
Oxford cloth button-down shirts
A lightweight Oxford: J.Crew Broken-In Organic Cotton Oxford Shirt
How it feels: Light and soft, with a fit that felt customized.
Why it’s great: If you’re looking for a well-fitting, breathable Oxford that comes in a ton of cuts and colors, our panelists agree that the J.Crew Broken-In Organic Cotton Oxford Shirt is your best bet. Let’s start with the size range. This shirt comes in sizes XS to XXL, and a range of cuts: classic, slim, slim untucked, relaxed, and tall.
More fit options allow a shopper to zero in on body, sleeve, and hem measurements. In our testing and research, this level of customization wasn’t available with most Oxfords. So this element gave the J.Crew shirt an advantage, especially for those who often have trouble finding just the right fit from a standard shirt.
In our wash tests, the sleeve measurement shrank an inch, so keep this in mind for sizing.
Because of the customization, our panelists were all able to find a size and fit they loved. “This was my favorite fit out of the Oxfords that I tried,” said Treye Green. “The arms hit at the right length, and there wasn’t any extra fabric when it was tucked in.”
The J.Crew Oxford is made from lightweight, 100% cotton, so it’s nice for warmer weather or layering under a sweater. With its thinner fabric, this shirt has a little more give and allows for a bit more movement than our Uniqlo Oxford Slim-Fit Long-Sleeve Shirt pick. And yet the J.Crew shirt still has solid construction—the buttons are snug, secure, and easy to fasten, with extra buttons sewn inside. And the collar stands firmly.
We tested the J.Crew Oxford shirt with mixed blue-and-white stripes (I’m a sucker for heavy New England vibes), but the color range is ample, with 17 colors and patterns available. If you like to mix it up when it comes to your wardrobe, you won’t find more variety than with this shirt.
Flaws but not dealbreakers: The J.Crew Oxford feels less substantial than other Oxfords we wore. The fabric is light, and one tester thought the stitching seemed less sturdy and more likely to loosen over time. However, we’ve always found J.Crew’s clothing to be quite durable.
Sizes: XS to XXL
Fabric: 100% organic cotton
Front pocket: yes
Fit: classic, slim, slim untucked, tall, relaxed
Colors: rotating, up to 17 (including solids, stripes, and plaids)
A well-priced Oxford: Uniqlo Oxford Slim-Fit Long-Sleeve Shirt
How it feels: The Uniqlo shirt’s slim fit isn’t unwearable or stifling, but it is notable. This shirt is well-constructed enough to work into your weekly wardrobe.
Why it’s great: The Uniqlo Oxford Slim-Fit Long-Sleeve Shirt is a fairly good-quality Oxford button-down that’s decently priced and comes in a variety of colors and sizes. The shirt I tested had a few stray threads sticking out from the seams, but the combed-cotton fabric was thick. And the shirt has strong buttons and nice, rugged double-stitched seams. Though the Uniqlo shirt comes in fewer colors than our J.Crew Oxford pick, it’s also less than half the price. So the Uniqlo shirt is a great deal, especially if you want to try out a few unconventional colors.
This shirt comes in a wide variety of sizes: XXS through 3XL (though we’ve noticed that they aren’t always in stock). The shirt fit most of our panelists well in their normal sizes, but the biggest caveat is right there in the name: Slim-Fit. Curiously, the Uniqlo Oxford is offered only in a slim fit, with no other options.
In practical terms, that means the shoulder and chest measurements are an inch or so smaller than those of the brand’s regular-fit shirts, including Uniqlo’s flannel shirts. “It’s clear that Uniqlo is made for thinner people,” remarked test panelist Alan Henry after trying a 3XL, which had a chest measurement of 28 inches. (The brand’s regular 3XL measures 29.14 inches.) Even so, Alan found the fit wearable, as did his fellow panelists. If you’re worried about sizing issues, try it on in-store or order a few sizes online and factor in the $7 return shipping fee.
This all-cotton shirt instructs wearers to machine-wash but line-dry. That’s not always realistic, so we threw it in the dryer on low heat to see what would happen. The shirt shrank an inch in length and another inch in the sleeves; that’s not a huge amount, but it is more than on any other shirt we washed. Keep this in mind for sizing and when deciding how to launder this shirt.
The Uniqlo Oxford shirt comes in solid colors and stripes that are updated seasonally. I tested a navy shirt and was surprised at how polished, sleek, and expensive it felt, especially given the price. It’s also worth noting that although the lighter-color shirts have standard white buttons, the navy shirt had matching navy buttons, an unexpectedly elegant and cohesive touch.
Flaws but not dealbreakers: Although the Uniqlo Oxford’s fabric is generally comfortable, we preferred the more expensive J.Crew Oxford. Though both feel tough, the Uniqlo shirt was still stiff, even after weeks of testing and a few washes. That said, you’re paying about half the price for the Uniqlo shirt, and it’s a good-looking shirt, so this may be an acceptable trade-off.
As mentioned Uniqlo only makes this in a slim fit. If you prefer shirts that are a bit roomier, our other recommendations may suit you better.
Sizes: XXS to 3XL
Fabric: 100% cotton
Front pocket: yes
Colors: four solids (navy, blue, gray, off-white); two striped (gray, blue)
Dress shirt
A stylish dress shirt with a bit of stretch: Bonobos Tech Button Down
Note: Bonobos previously carried this shirt in extended sizes (up to 4XL), which we tested and liked; however, those have since been discontinued. The largest size this shirt is now available in is XXL.
How it feels: This smooth nylon and spandex button-up has just a bit of stretch, so it feels light and sleek against the skin, not cheap or staticky (like some synthetic blends). The sensation is completely different than what you get with most cotton shirts (which usually feel crisp and can drag against the skin).
Why it’s great: We have generally found Bonobos clothing to be comfortable and of high quality, so I was psyched to test its standard dress shirt. I wasn’t disappointed. Of the 12 dress shirts I tried, the Bonobos shirt fit and felt the best, and our panelists readily agreed.
The Tech Button Down comes in sizes XS to XXL; you also have a choice between a tailored, slim, standard, or athletic fit (based on chest and shoulder measurements) and regular, short, or long shirt length. As off-the-rack shirts go—that is, shirts that aren’t made especially for your body by a tailor—this is about as customized a fit as you can find. I loved the fit of my shirt, and so did every other panelist.
Like with most shirts we tested, this style has various sizes and colors that tend to go in and out of stock. But they’ve come back again every season reliably.
Senior staff writer Kimber Streams, who wore the Tech Button Down in a size S, found that the short length—which is 1.25 inches shorter than the regular—fit them better than any other button-up shirt. At 5-foot-6, they’re often left with too much bulk on dress shirts, making tucking unwieldy. Not so with the Bonobos shirt. Alan Henry wore a size 3XL (which has a 61-inch chest, 37-inch sleeve, and 33-inch body), and he loved the sizing and the shirt’s soft, pliant fabric. “It feels great with or without an undershirt,” he said. “The length of the sleeves and the width of the collar is perfect.” After it was machine-washed and -dried, this shirt shrank an inch in body length.
My test shirt (size medium regular) sat cleanly across my shoulders and tucked into my pants with minimal wrinkles. At 2 inches, the collar stood a little shorter than others we wore (most were around 2.5 inches); it looked streamlined, not diminutive, and still easily accommodated a standard tie. The collar wasn’t itchy or overly tight, and the stays (rigid plastic inserts that anchor a collar’s point) were thin and stable.
The synthetic fabric is a mix of 93% nylon and 7% spandex, so it has a subtle stretch and feels smooth. Unlike some synthetic blends we tried, this fabric didn’t feel slippery or overly thin; it didn’t feel like the kind of fabric you should be very careful wearing around a fire pit. I despise transparent dress shirts—in dressy settings, your nipples should never show through—and the Bonobos shirt offers full coverage, full stop. No nipple peeks at all, even without an undershirt, which wasn’t the case with a few of the other dress shirts I tested (the horror). That being said, the shirt also wasn’t so thick that it made me hot or sweaty.
This shirt is well constructed, with buttons that are easy to fasten. And the design allows for micro sleeve adjustments, thanks to the two buttons on the wrists. Another nice touch: two replacement buttons sewn inside the bottom of the placket.
One tester was so enthusiastic about his Bonobos shirt that the one he tested wasn’t enough. “Honestly, I’m about to go buy more of these shirts,” Alan enthused. “They’re some of the most comfortable and well-fitting dress shirts I’ve ever tried.”
Flaws but not dealbreakers: At first touch, the fabric of this shirt felt cheap, according to Kimber. And that’s an honest, subjective reaction to material that isn’t natural, like cotton or linen. Once they tried the shirt on, though, they said it felt smooth and comfortable.
We’re disappointed that Bonobos no longer carries this shirt in extended sizes.
Sizes: XS to XXL
Fabric: 93% nylon, 7% spandex
Front pocket: no
Fit: slim, tailored, athletic, standard (XS to XXL)
Lengths: short (XS to L), regular (XS to XXL), long (M to XXL)
Colors: over two dozen
Linen shirt
A slim, breezy linen shirt: Club Monaco Long Sleeve Solid Linen Shirt
How it feels: The Club Monaco Long Sleeve Solid Linen Shirt, previously called the Slim Linen Shirt, feels smooth, well constructed, and breathable but not flimsy.
Why it’s great: Linen fabric can evoke strong feelings—people usually love it or hate it. Its weave is more textured than that of cotton, and many people relish how the coarse, breathable fabric feels against their skin. Others don’t appreciate that texture, or the fact that linen is notorious for wrinkling—most shirts we tested ended up deeply creased and misshapen within an hour. Of course, that’s also part of the charm of linen. The rumpled look is part of the deal—it’s perfect for hot summer days, vacations, or other less-iron-crisp moments.
The Club Monaco Long Sleeve Solid Linen Shirt was the best of the eight linen shirts I tested. It wasn’t scratchy—not even on my first wear—and it wrinkled less than most, staying relatively sharp through a day of working, running errands, and grabbing dinner with friends. It skews more pleasantly disheveled than distractingly unkempt.
Like our Uniqlo Oxford pick, the Club Monaco linen shirt comes only in a slim fit. In general, that wasn’t something that irked our testers—or something they even noticed—except when it came to length. At 29.5 inches, the Uniqlo shirt is shorter than some button-ups we tried; this could be tricky if you prefer a tucked look or if you have a long torso. In those cases, I recommend checking out the J.Crew Baird McNutt Irish Linen Shirt (in the “Other good button-up shirts” section) instead.
The Club Monaco shirt comes in sizes XXS to XXL, or 35 inches to 47 inches across the chest and 32 inches to 38 inches in the sleeve. Some linen shirts we saw needed to be hand-washed, but this one is machine-washable and can tolerate the dryer, which helps cut down on wrinkles. In our tests, it shrank only half an inch in both body and sleeve length.
Although many of the linen shirts I tested were essentially see-through—pretty standard in the category—the Club Monaco shirt lent more-than-modest coverage. The brand describes the linen as lightweight. And while it’s certainly not thick or burlap-y, I could wear it to work without seeming indecent or overly casual.
The Club Monaco shirt isn’t inexpensive. But its value was immediately apparent. I particularly loved the stylish details, like the white shell buttons (on the white shirt I tried). It’s one of only two shirts we recommend with a high-quality thread shank to secure the buttons and make them easier to fasten. The collar buttons down, too, and the shirt comes in a sea of pleasant blue tones, as well as a nice crisp white.
Flaws but not dealbreakers: If you have an especially long torso and plan on wearing the shirt tucked, you might find the Club Monaco shirt too short. (And because the shirt has a slim fit, size up if you like your linen baggy.)
We’ve noticed availability issues with this shirt—it tends to go in and out of stock seasonally—so depending on when you want to buy it, you may be out of luck.
Sizes: XXS to XXL
Fabric: 100% linen
Front pocket: yes
Fit: slim
Colors: solids and patterns (availability changes seasonally)
