What to Look for in a Women's Dress Shirt

There is nothing quite as versatile as a classic button-down dress shirt. You can go from business to casual with travel in between while looking great the entire time. The following list of tips will help you buy a dress shirt that's right for you.

Know Your Measurements

If you don't know what your measurements are, you can have them taken by a professional tailor. Knowing your measurements is imperative when buying clothing online, especially dress shirts.

Mind the Gap

One of the biggest problems for women is the gap between the buttons in front of the bust. The best way to avoid this is by choosing a shirt that's the right size. However, some shirts also are designed with buttons on the inside of the placket at the bust to help reduce shirt gap.

Go for Stretch Cotton

This type of fabric is both flattering and comfortable. Van Heusen women's line of button downs includes stretch cotton shirts that are also a polyester and Lycra blend. These shirts are wrinkle-free and easy to care for.

Choose a Tailored Style

No matter type of figure you have, a fitted style is always going to be more flattering than a loose one. Darting and princess seaming (large, rounded seams) also are great features for ensuring a better fit.

Get a Long and Rounded Tail

The classic dress shirt looks best when tucked in. To ensure your shirt stays in place, opt for a shirt with a rounded tail long enough to cover your bottom. There should also be a scoop on the side to avoid bunching. However, the scoop should always stay tucked in.

Of course, dress shirts come in a variety of colors so don't be afraid to branch out from the classic white.

Care Tips for Pilot Shirts

Proper care can go a long way toward minimizing shrinking, pilling, and wrinkling, and maximizing the longevity of your clothing. High-quality pilot uniform shirts will serve you well over time if you follow these tips:

Pre-Treat Stains

Stained or heavily soiled areas should be pre-treated with liquid laundry detergent. Do not use other stain pre-treatments such as sprays or stain sticks. Pre-treating with laundry detergent makes sure the detergent starts working immediately exactly where it is needed.

Wash Shirts Alone

Do not wash your pilot shirts with anything else besides other pilot shirts. This will help reduce pilling and maintain whiteness. Avoid using bleach, as bleach can damage fabric fibers and when used in hard water, bleach can actually turn both the water and the shirts yellow or brown.

Get the Right Soap/Rinse Balance

Be careful not to use too much soap, especially if you've pre-treated a shirt. This will help avoid soap buildup in the fabric. Use a full-load water setting on warm and rinse with cool water. Be sure to use two rinse cycles to ensure all dirt and soap residue is removed. While liquid fabric softener can reduce pilling and static, use it sparingly.

Air Dry

The best option to avoid wrinkling is to remove the shirt immediately after washing, shake out, and air dry on a plastic hanger. Doing so will extend the shirt's life tremendously as tumble drying induces a heavy amount of wear as well as shrinkage and pilling. If you must use a dryer, dry on medium heat with the shirt inside out. Remove while still slightly damp and press immediately.

Avoid Commercial Laundering

If there's no other alternative, use a cleaner that takes a high level of care. Otherwise, your shirts will have an extremely short life.