Someone who tucks in a shirt the wrong way is very easy to spot. It is the person with a big bulge of shirt at the belly, looking like a mushroom just above the belt. It can also be a person giving a presentation who has to keep stuffing the shirt back into the trousers every few minutes.
Tucking in a shirt incorrectly can make you look like a mushroom
Or looking sloppy like this
Chances are, you are also getting this very simple thing wrong.
So the purpose of this article is to give you a few tactics that can eliminate the annoyances of tucking in a shirt the wrong way.
First, you need to recognize which shirts need to be tucked in. Shirts with a flat hem are designed to be worn untucked, while shirts with "tails" – that is, a hem that is longer in some places and shorter in others – need to be tucked in.
In fact, a shirt with tails does not strictly have to be tucked in, but wearing it out is only for teenagers. When you put a jacket or a suit jacket over it, you look even more ridiculous.
Do not dress like this if you are past your teens!
There are still people who always like to leave the shirt out, no matter what kind of shirt they are wearing. Even so, doing it the right way will give you a more mature appearance.
For flat-hem shirts, there are still some signs to help you decide whether to tuck the shirt in or not:
- Undershirts: Undershirts worn underneath always need to be tucked in, to avoid showing outside the main shirt. The ideal way is to tuck the undershirt inside the underwear (explained below).
- Polo shirts (collared T-shirts): This kind of shirt can be worn outside, but is often tucked in to look more serious, especially for golfers. On the other hand, long-sleeved collared shirts, also called rugby shirts, are usually not tucked in.
- Turtleneck sweaters: When worn with a jacket, this kind of shirt is usually tucked in, to emphasize the belt. Without a jacket, it is better to wear it untucked.
- Loud, colorful shirts: shirts like this should not be tucked in.
- Collarless T-shirts: The choice for this type of shirt depends a lot on the material and cut of the shirt, the belt and the trousers. But in general, if you do not want to look very unconventional (or odd), you should not tuck it in.
Tucking a collarless T-shirt into the trousers is not a common way to dress
How to tuck in a shirt so it looks good
Tucking the shirt in the right way
A properly tucked shirt will keep the front of your body smooth. The part of the shirt above should not spill over the trousers too much, forming a large wrinkled circle right at the belly.
You can also imagine a straight line running from the chin straight down to the lower body. The shirt buttons, belt buckle and trouser fly should lie on this straight line (the "gig line").
This imaginary line splits your body in half, creating a sense of balance. It also helps others notice that you pay close attention to small details.
And the most important thing for good-looking clothes is that they fit your body. Too much excess shirt below the hips makes tucking in harder work, while a shirt that is too short slips out of the belt easily. A shirt is of moderate length when its hem sits level with your trouser fly.
A shirt with a suitable length and width will always look better. From left: moderate hem, too short, too long.
And what counts as a disaster?
Of course, just as there are good ways to tuck in a shirt, there are also ways that make you look terrible. Here are the styles you should avoid:
Half-tucked: you tuck only the back of the shirt into the trousers, while one front panel (usually the left side) hangs out. Unless you are as handsome as Brad Pitt, this style will make you look as though you have just rushed out of the restroom.
And do not dress like this either!
Tucked in, then untucked: if you have decided to tuck your shirt in, keep it that way until you get home. If you pull it out and keep wearing it that way, you will look scruffy with a crumpled hem.
Tucked in without a belt: When you tuck your shirt in, the whole waistband of the trousers is on display. So you should wear a belt.
Four effective ways to tuck in a shirt
Video guide to effective ways of tucking in a shirt
1. The simple way
This is the most common way: the shirt tails go inside the long trousers but over the underwear, along with the body of the shirt.
It is also the quickest and most convenient way to dress: put on underwear, then the shirt and button it, and finally pull the long trousers on over everything. The shirt ends up inside the trousers simply as a result of the dressing process. And as long as your clothes are not too short or too loose, the whole outfit will not look too bad.
If you do not want to spend much time, this is the simplest way. But it bears repeating: it only looks good with well-fitting shirts, and not in the other cases. If you are not wearing a snug-fitting shirt, you will need a little more time to hide the layer of excess fabric.
2. The military tuck
This is the way of wearing uniforms taught in the army. In this way, the shirt tail is folded into two small creases before being tucked into the trousers, to ensure no excess shirt is left on your torso.
The process for tucking in a shirt the military way is as follows: first put on the shirt and trousers, but do not fasten the trousers. Use your fingers to grip the shirt tail tightly and pull firmly to draw out all the excess fabric. Then hold it with your thumb and fold the excess shirt toward the back, a little firmly so that the shirt is flat and creased. Finally, tuck the folded part into the trousers and fasten the fly and belt tightly.
The military-style tucking process
Clearly this way of tucking in is more complicated, and you may need several tries to get it right. But once you are used to it, you will find it simple and very convenient. The military style suits shirts made of soft fabric that folds easily. Use it when you find your shirt is loose at the two sides of the waist.
After tucking in, your shirt seen from above will look like this
3. Tuck the shirt inside the underwear
The shirt here is of course not your outer shirt, but the undershirt. When you wear two layers of shirt, the inner one should be tucked in innermost. You may not believe it, but wearing it this way, instead of having two layers of shirt sandwiched between the layers of underwear and trousers, will make you much more comfortable, and the outer shirt will also be less likely to come out.
4. The last resort: shirt stays
To make sure the shirt never comes out of the trousers, you can use the last resort, which is to use shirt stays to hold the shirt in place. One end of the strap is clipped to your shirt tail, and the other end is clipped to your sock. When adjusted to a suitable length, the strap pulls taut and holds the shirt straight.
You may think this measure is a bit over the top, but it is actually quite common among people who need to dress formally, and is also used for military uniforms. In addition, some accessories can now replace shirt stays, such as belts or underwear that can hold the shirt in place.