Make men's white shirts exciting again

To start with, you can choose between different types of cuffs, from the popular single-button cuff to the more formal French cuff which is folded back on itself and requires a cufflink to hold it closed. Occasionally, you might come across two-button cuffs which simply have an extra button added to the single-button cuff.

After playing with the cuff options, you can choose which type of collar suits you best. Cutback or spread collars are recommended for men with a slim long face. The spread collar, popularised by the Duke of Windsor, is usually worn with a Windsor knot tie. This is simply a large knot that can fills the wide gap between the collars. Regular collars provide balance to round faces.

Shirt collars are also used as shirt sizes so it pays to know your collar size in order to pick the right men's shirt without having to try it on.

The cloth material is very important. From polyester shirts to cotton, pure or 100% cotton, double-fold cotton and silk, there is a variety to choose from. Try to favour luxurious pure cotton shirts as much as possible as they are the most comfortable to the skin. There is a world of difference in comfort between a cheap polyester white shirt and a luxurious pure cotton one. If you have never tried a luxurious 100% cotton shirt, you don't know what you are missing. Once you've tried it, you will never want to come back to cheaper versions.

There are also shirts made of blends of cotton and polyester and the higher the percentage of cotton, the better. There is a reason for not choosing pure cotton shirts; that's because the blend versions allow shirts to be non-iron or easycare. The shirt does not get creased as easily as a pure cotton one, even after a long shift at work. Non-iron shirts made from a blend of cotton and polyester can feel just as comfortable as pure cotton shirts if the fraction of cotton is above 50%.

The last option that the cloth material can offer you is pattern. That's right, even on a white shirt, patterns are possible. These are of course going to be woven into the fabric and will look discrete. For example, a herringbone pattern may be woven into the cloth. A two-fold cotton cloth has pairs of single threads twisted together to make folded or plied yarns. This renders the fabric thicker, heavier and stronger.

You can also choose a white shirt without pockets, with a single breast pocket or double pockets. Van Heusen shirts are a great brand with many of these options.