The Mens Black Dress Shirt: Our Definitive Style & Buying Guide (2024)

Featured | Menswear | Shirts

Lloyd Hughes

The mens black dress shirt is a unique piece of menswear that (if worn cor­rect­ly) con­veys a rugged and mas­cu­line con­fi­dence. The man in black (aka John­ny Cash) owes his per­sona to this trade­mark look. There are plen­ty of ‘faux pas’ that you could make with the black dress shirt, which we’ll try to guide you on. The eas­i­est guid­ance we can offer is — KEEP IT SIMPLE.

The Mens Black Dress Shirt: Our Definitive Style & Buying Guide (2)

Do NOT wear a black dress shirt with oth­er dark­er tones

  • DO pair a black dress shirt with dark den­im. The mens black dress shirt was meant to be worn with jeans. It is a per­fect com­bi­na­tion and one the eas­i­est and sleek­est casu­al ensem­bles. You can also go tucked or untucked. For advise on the prop­er tucked shirt length, check out ourUntucked Shirt Length Guide.

Black Bam­boo / Cot­ton blend shirt w/ Dark Den­im

  • DO wear a black dress shirt with a dark blaz­er. It is a bold, clean look that you can use as a goto for any co*ck­tail hour event. Add a match­ing black tie for an even more for­mal look.

Black Blaz­er w/ Black Dress Shirt

  • DO NOT wear a black dress shirt with any­thing white. Where­as a white dress shirt goes per­fect with a black tie / sus­penders / suit / slacks, the same can­not be said for the oppo­site. A black dress shirt with a white tie is per­fect if you’re an under­world fig­ure from the 1920s. In any oth­er era, it will just draw stares — and not the good kind.

The Mens Black Dress Shirt: Our Definitive Style & Buying Guide (5)

Do NOT wear a black dress shirt with white acces­sories

  • DO wear a black dress shirt regard­less of your skin tone / hair col­or. A com­mon, short­sight­ed belief is that those with lighter skin / hair should not wear a black dress shirt as the con­trast is too “bold”. We whole­heart­ed­ly dis­agree. The mod­el shown in many of our pho­tos is obvi­ous­ly lighter skinned and has light brown hair. We think he looks fan­tas­tic. Don’t let a fool­ish and cul­tur­al­ly igno­rant opin­ion pre­vent you from wear­ing the look that you want to wear.

Metro Black Per­for­mance Stretch Shirt w/ an Ital­ian Spread Col­lar

The Formal Mens Black Dress Shirt

Metro Black Per­for­mance Dress Shirt

Fabric / Attributes:

  • Per­for­mance Stretch Poplin Fab­ric
  • Ital­ian Spread Col­lar
  • co*ck­tail Cuffs

This is one shirt every man should own. Our per­for­mance stretch will drape you ele­gant­ly but also give you just a small amount of stretch that will not only pro­vide ease but give you more of a fit­ted look that is not usu­al­ly achiev­able with a tra­di­tion­al fab­ric. The ele­gant Ital­ian Spread col­lar pairs per­fect­ly with this shirt and looks very dap­per under a blaz­er. Addi­tion­al­ly, we paired this shirt with spe­cial­ty co*ck­tail cuffs that give the shirt a much more unique appear­ance. As with all of the shirts here, we rec­om­mend either dry clean­ing or machine wash­ing on cold and then air dry­ing. NEVER machine dry. Dry­ers rob the shirts cot­ton of mois­ture which short­en their life.

Metro Black Per­for­mance Dress Shirt

Where to Buy It:

  • Deo Ver­i­tas — Metro Black Per­for­mance Shirt ($125)

The Casual, All Purpose Mens Black Dress Shirt

Black Bam­boo / Cot­ton Blend Dress Shirt

Fabric / Attributes:

  • 50% Bam­boo / 50% Cot­ton Poplin Weave
  • Eng­lish Spread Col­lar
  • 2 But­ton Square Cuffs

Our bam­boo / cot­ton blend is a unique fab­ric like no oth­er we offer. The bam­boo weave pro­vides ben­e­fits that you’re like­ly to only find on a dry fit / ath­let­ic shirt, i.e. mois­ture wick­ing, heat dis­si­pa­tion, and wrin­kle resis­tance. Though it can be worn for­mal­ly, we pre­fer it for more casu­al set­tings. In terms of attrib­ut­es, this shirt comes with our clas­sic Eng­lish spread col­lar and 2 but­ton square cut cuffs. The oth­er ben­e­fit of this shirt is it’s dura­bil­i­ty. Bam­boo has a life cycle almost 3x that of cot­ton. As such, you can expect to wear this shirt 2–3x a week if nec­es­sary for sev­er­al years.

Black Bam­boo / Cot­ton Blend Dress Shirt

Where to Buy It:

  • Deo Ver­i­tas — Black Bam­boo / Cot­ton Blend Shirt ($120)

Check out some of our other Popular Guides…

The Men’s White Dress Shirt — A Defin­i­tive Buy­ing Guide on our Favorites

Neck­tie Knots — A Defin­i­tive Guide to Wear­ing the Prop­er Knot

Untucked vs. Tucked In — A Guide to Dress Shirt Length

The Mens Black Dress Shirt: Our Definitive Style & Buying Guide (2024)

FAQs

Which color tie goes with a black shirt? ›

Pro Tip: A black shirt sets a bold tone. Complement it with a silver or grey tie for sophistication, or a red tie for a touch of energy and contrast.

What is the current style for men's dress shirts? ›

The current fashion trend for men's button down shirts is fitted shirts. This means that the shirt is more tailored to the man's body and gives off a more sophisticated look.

How to style a black dress shirt men's? ›

The Do's and Don'ts for Mens Black Dress Shirts

DO pair a black dress shirt with other black garments, i.e. a blazer, slacks, jeans, shoes, etc… As Johnny would attest, black goes great with black. An all black look is certainly bold but it can be pulled off as recent Academy Award winner Mahershala Ali can attest.

Which color pants match with a black shirt? ›

Q: What Color Pants To Wear With Black Shirt? A: Black pants are a classic choice to wear with a black shirt, creating a sleek and monochromatic look. You can also opt for grey, deep navy, or white pants for a stylish contrast.

What color matchs with a black shirt? ›

Matching your black shirt combination with pants for a formal occasion requires minimalism. Muted neutral-coloured pants such as black, blue, grey, and brown are perfect for a black shirt and pant combination.

What color suit goes with a black shirt? ›

Opt for a grey suit featuring a checkered pattern, adding a layer of boldness to your look. Complement it with a black shirt for a harmonious contrast that exudes confidence. This outfit is your go-to choice when you want to showcase your unique and sophisticated fashion sense.

What color dress shirt should every man have? ›

White: The ultimate classic, a white dress shirt is a staple in any wardrobe. It's clean, crisp, and can be paired with virtually any suit or tie. Light Blue: Offering a touch of color while still being neutral, light blue is perfect for both casual and formal events.

Is a formal shirt better with or without a pocket? ›

You can formal dress shirts available in both pocket and pocketless styles. With that said, many experts will agree that pocket dress shirts are more formal than pocketless dress shirts. Pocket dress shirts are just more than formal than pocketless dress shirts.

What color jeans to wear with black shirt men? ›

Among the black shirt outfits, the black shirt combination jeans which are either white, blue, grey, brown, olive green, maroon or even black themselves, look great on men, You can try any format like normal jeans or the ripped ones and even the rugged jeans, it all gels well, when you have black shirt.

What blazer goes with a black shirt? ›

Unquestionably, if you still want more options for 'which blazer suits on black shirt', the ideal blazer pairing would be a black shirt with Dark Magenta Colored Blazer. The perk of wearing a Men's Magenta Blazer and a black shirt is that it is a very appealing combination.

Is a black shirt considered formal? ›

Black is always associated with formal wear. So, this can make a jarring when worn with any outfit that is closely associated with both day or evening wear, but isn't technically formal wear. Essentially, the presence of the more formal black spoils the intended casual look of business casual or semi-formal.

Should I wear black pants with black shirt? ›

For a sleek and sophisticated look, pair your formal black pants with a black shirt. This combination is perfect for a formal event or a wedding and will make you look sharp and put together. To add a touch of personality, you can accessorize with a patterned tie or pocket square.

Which color jeans suit on a black tshirt? ›

You can't go wrong when you pair blue jeans with a black t-shirt. You can feel confident in a pair of thin jeans, distressed denim, sweatpants, and any other type of jeans you want. For a more sporty vibe, throw on a bold belt and some white sneakers. When going out, though, you should wear heels.

What color goes with a black top? ›

Which colors pair well with a black shirt for a polished look? For a sleek and polished look, combine your black shirt with neutrals such as white, grey, or beige. These shades add a subtle contrast and maintain a professional and clean appearance.

Should your tie be lighter or darker than your shirt? ›

A general rule when it comes to picking out the perfect tie is that your tie should be darker than your shirt. This way, it will stand out against your chest, and draw attention to the fact that you've made that extra effort.

What colour should I wear with black T shirt? ›

So what do you wear with a black t-shirt? For a casual style, wear it with denim jeans, or if you need something more formal consider pairing it with chinos or tailored trousers in lighter shades like grey or khaki. Complete the outfit with sneakers for a laid-back vibe or leather shoes for a smarter appearance.

Does a black shirt go with a blue tie? ›

Try wearing a solid navy blue tie, or an Oxford plaid tie to maintain a cohesive look. A blue that matches the tone of your suit can be a subtle complement. Solid, patterned, or floral ties can add dimension to the outfit. Avoid overly flashy or colorful ties that might clash with the black shirt.

Should you wear a black shirt with a black tie? ›

Shirts worn for a black tie event are better known as dress shirts. They should be white, with a Marcella bib front, turndown collar and double cuffs (not buttons). An everyday white shirt isn't completely off limits, but it will certainly bring the level of formality down a notch.

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