Common tuxedo shirt mistakes and how to fix them

Most tuxedo shirt mistakes come from using a business shirt under eveningwear. A button-down collar, a breast pocket, short sleeves, ordinary buttons, an off-centre bib and creased cloth are all visible from across a room, and all avoidable once you know where to look. Here is each one, and the fix.

1. The button-down collar

A button-down collar has two points fastened to the shirt body with small buttons. It was made for casual and office shirts and carries a sporty air. With a bow tie, the points are pinned down, the collar rolls up and cannot cradle the bow.

The fix: use a plain turndown or a wing collar, with no buttons on the points. See our piece on how a tuxedo shirt differs from a business shirt for the wider list of differences.

2. A breast pocket

Office shirts usually carry a chest pocket for a pen or card. A tuxedo shirt has none, because the bib should be one clean flat panel, and a pocket shows under the lapel even when it is empty.

The fix: choose an evening shirt without a pocket. If you only have a ready-made one with a pocket, have the tailor remove it and press out the stitch marks, or better, make a new shirt.

3. Sleeves too short

Standing straight, about one to two centimetres of shirt cuff should show past the jacket sleeve. If the shirt sleeve is shorter, the cuff vanishes whenever you reach for a glass, and the cufflinks are never seen. Too long, and the sleeve bunches at the wrist.

The fix: measure sleeve length from shoulder to wrist, ideally with the jacket on. A long sleeve can be shortened by a tailor; a sleeve that is already short usually means making a new shirt. More in a well-fitting tuxedo shirt.

4. Ordinary buttons instead of cufflinks

A tuxedo is worn with double (French) cuffs fastened by cufflinks, and sometimes studs down the placket. Ordinary buttons strip the outfit of its formal character, particularly when the jacket cuff rides up to show them.

The fix: choose a shirt with double cuffs, or cuffs with holes for links. Pick plain silver, gold or black links that agree with other metals such as the watch.

5. An off-centre bib

The placket must sit in the exact centre of the body, in line with the bow tie, the jacket button and the trouser fly. When the placket drifts to one side, or the studs do not line up, the eye catches it at once because the bib is a large white panel.

Common causes: misbuttoning, a shirt that has shrunk unevenly in the wash, or a shirt so loose that the body twists.

The fix: check the mirror, pull the tails evenly on both sides, and fasten from the bottom button up. If the shirt always drifts, the problem is the cut and it should be remeasured.

6. A creased shirt

A creased bib is the fault most often seen at weddings. Causes: not pressed, packed carelessly, or worn for hours without adjusting.

The fix: press the bib carefully, from the reverse side if it is piqué. Hang the shirt the moment you arrive. Consider a low-crease cloth if you travel often, and read our guide to non-iron shirts. Carry a spare as well.

7. A bib that bulges when you sit

Another familiar fault: the bib is longer than the waistband, so it pushes upward when you sit. The causes and remedies are in shirt bib bulging when seated.

Quick summary

Mistake	Sign	Fix
Button-down collar	Points pinned down	Turndown or wing collar
Breast pocket	Pocket shows under lapel	Pocketless shirt
Short sleeves	No cuff showing	Remeasure sleeves
Ordinary buttons	No cufflinks	Double cuffs
Off-centre bib	Placket, bow, buttons misaligned	Adjust when dressing, or remeasure
Creases	Folds across the bib	Press, hang, low-crease cloth

For faults across the whole outfit, see common mistakes when wearing a tuxedo.

Have the tailor check before the day

The simple way is to dress in the full outfit, standing and then sitting in front of a mirror, early enough to leave time for alterations. Book a fitting at a Mon Amie showroom: the consultant will go over collar, sleeve and bib with the jacket on and show you what to adjust.