# Paul Frederick Shirts



## NU81 (Jan 29, 2008)

Does anyone have any experience with Paul Frederick shirts? They have an introductory offer for new customers for up to four classic white dress shirts, choice of collar and cuff, 80's two-ply cotton pinpoint oxford for $19.95 each. Are these shirts OK for everyday work wear? Is there a need to buy them larger than normal due to shrinkage? Or are they not worth the money at the introductory price?


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## Financier (Mar 6, 2006)

I tried one at the $19.99 introductory price, and won't be getting another. Quality was poor, and it shrunk to the point of being difficult to wear within a few launderings.

Then again, one of the sales directors in my office, who wears decent MTM suits, swears by Paul Frederick shirts.


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## dfloyd (May 7, 2006)

*Paul Fredrick is a direct mail house....*

which can sell cheaper because they don't have the overhead of a store front. Their 100s, 2-ply shirts are a good entry level shirt, and I use to wear them many years ago. They wont shrink if you wash them yourself in cold water. If you send them to a commercial laundry they will probably shrink a bit. The special they run on white shirts, as you mentioned, are not very good shirts so you pay your money and take your chances.


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## cvac (Aug 6, 2006)

I'd recommend passing on this one.

I tried one of their 80s pinpoint oxfords for regular price, $40 plus S&H, and thought the quality was quite poor. The fabric is stiff as a board and they simply don't look that great. I returned the shirt and didn't bother ordering anything else from them.

I know at least one other member of this board has said their shirts in higher quality fabric, like broadcloth, are much better, but I fail to see how this would be a good value unless you are getting it from the clearance section of their website since decent, discounted dress shirts aren't that hard to find.

If you want a budget priced basic 80s cloth dress shirt that is better quality than PF, look at LandsEnd shirts, the regular ones, not the "non-iron" type.


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## brokencycle (Jan 11, 2008)

Their basic white shirts are pretty stiff, and they do shrink some - use cold water to reduce this. I would just go through their clearance list. I have one of their broadcloths and it is quite nice. From my experience just their basic 80s pinpoints are stiff.


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## NU81 (Jan 29, 2008)

Thank you all for your insight. I think I will skip this introductory offer.


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## capitalart (Apr 2, 2007)

I bought a several of there 140's. Love the way they feel, however, the sleeves seem to run a bit short.


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## brokencycle (Jan 11, 2008)

It is important to note that they have a really good return policy. They replaced a shirt for me, because it had pin-sized hole in it. They payed for shipping both ways and there were no complaints.


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## PaulFredrick.com (Mar 4, 2008)

NU81 said:


> Does anyone have any experience with Paul Frederick shirts? They have an introductory offer for new customers for up to four classic white dress shirts, choice of collar and cuff, 80's two-ply cotton pinpoint oxford for $19.95 each. Are these shirts OK for everyday work wear? Is there a need to buy them larger than normal due to shrinkage? Or are they not worth the money at the introductory price?


NU81,

So, being that I work at Paul Fredrick, I might be just a little biased. :icon_smile_wink:

You should do it! It's a great value. These shirts are the same pinpoint oxfords we sell in our regular catalog for $40+. We want you to try our shirts, because we think that once you do, you'll love them.

To the other commenters, sorry to hear about your issues with shrinkage. Hate to see anyone have a bad experience with our product. As brokencycle mentioned, we stand behind all our merchandise with a strong return policy.

If you do have any issues, email us or give us a call and we'll make it right...



> *Paul Fredrick Guarantee *
> *If, for any reason, your selection does not meet your expectations, simply return it for a prompt exchange or refund of your purchase price.*


We've also got a great neckwear sale that just launched yesterday on the site, all spring neckwear is 2/$75. You all should check it out.

--PaulFredrick.com


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## NewYorkBuck (May 6, 2004)

Used to be my workhorse shirts before AA. Not bad for money. Shrink less than CTs, thats for sure....


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## Tom Rath (May 31, 2005)

I think the only thing more depressing than a Jos A Bank post is a Paul Frederick post. Well, other than maybe a Florsheim post.


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## capitalart (Apr 2, 2007)

As stated earlier, i purchased three of there 140's dress shirts about two months ago. I love the shirts, they are well constructed and feel very silky. Unfortunately, after washing them the sleeves shrunk and now i am unable to wear them. I will be putting there gaurantee to the test, see if they can exchange them for me. Ill keep you posted.


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## miamimike (Oct 18, 2007)

I have about 8 PF dress shirts, all 100s and 140s. They are a good beginner/intermediate shirt and I wear them daily for work and going out. I enjoy the option of the trim fit which is what I buy and having indiv sleeve lengths is a major plus. Their custom shirts are not a bad deal also. 

I have had no problem with them and find that they are good for the money. Personally I dont see paying 175-300 for a dress shirt unless you have $$$. I rather spend that money on shoes which can make or break an outfit more than a dress shirt. 

When they have sales you can really make out on good on the shirts.
I do plan on moving up to better quality shirts someday but for not PF works great and have gotten good comments on them.


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## LD111134 (Dec 21, 2007)

I have about 20 PF shirts in various fabric grades and styles. I myself have found them to be a good value, but I only wear each shirt (at most) once a month. 

I have a number of Charles Tyrwhitt and Brooks Brothers shirts and I find that the PF shirts compare favorably.


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## brokencycle (Jan 11, 2008)

I agree with Mike. I've said before that when you factor in price, Paul Fredrick is a really nice bargain. They have a really nice assortment of colors and patterns, and for the slimmer gentlemen on this site, such as myself, they have plenty of trim fit shirts. I would tend to stay away from their basic 80's pinpoint, especially seeing you can get plenty of shirts on clearance for as little as $19.99.


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## capitalart (Apr 2, 2007)

Just received an email from Paul Fredrick's customer service regarding my shirts and my dissatisfaction of the sleeve shrinkage. They will accept my shirts and exchange them eventhough they were purchased months ago. They trully stand by there return policy.


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## HolyBull (May 10, 2007)

I like the fit of their Trim Fit shirts. I have several 80s Oxfords in blue and white and I feel they are a good value.


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## dfloyd (May 7, 2006)

*I have several PF shirfts that ....*

I don't wear much anymore since I started wearing shirts from Jermyn Street. I also have many CT shirts which are in my rotation. I have never had a PF or CT shirt shrink despite many washings. I would like to know how those who have had shrinkage problems wash and dry their shirts. Did you use a commercial laundry or wash your own? Did you wash in hot water or machine dry? I wash in cold water and hang dry. I'm just curious what makes so many of you have shrinkage problems when I never have any.


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## PaulFredrick.com (Mar 4, 2008)

capitalart said:


> Just received an email from Paul Fredrick's customer service regarding my shirts and my dissatisfaction of the sleeve shrinkage. They will accept my shirts and exchange them eventhough they were purchased months ago. They trully stand by there return policy.


Glad to hear everything got taken care of for you. :icon_smile:


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## Neal Shields (Mar 11, 2007)

*Returns*

They do stand behind their product. I had a problem with shrinkage on neck size and they replaced the shirts. They even replaced some from the same batch that had never been worn.

I wore their shirts for years exclusively and never had a problem with the made in USA product. When they went off shore, they shrank.

Someone there told me that it wasn't the shirt material but the material that is used inside the collar that shinks.

I have gone a bit more upscale on shirts and haven't worn the replacements enough to know if the problem is fixed.

I send my shirts out to a comercial laundry and to be fair the PF get normal service and I spring for the hand service on more expensive shirts.


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## TPS (Aug 21, 2006)

I've had mixed results but I think the low prices more than make up for it.

I bought five basic white shirts about two years ago in cotton broadcloth and they have been used about once a week. I wash my own shirts and there was very marginal shrinkage. Just a week ago I noticed fraying on one collar point, so considering the heavy use I think they've been very durable.

Later I purchased a couple of white shirts again, expecting to get the same ones as last time (same order code), but they turned out to be of different material and quality. They shrank so badly within a couple of months that I threw them away.

I would recommend the cheaper shirts for someone looking for affordable workhorse clothes. The selection of trim fit shirts is a definitive bonus.


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## Shirtmaven (Jan 2, 2004)

I remember when Paul's Father in law made the shirt's in Fleetwood, PA.
It was a good clean shirt. The same factory over the years made shirts for 
Ken gordan
Brooks Brothers
the custom shop
these were just a few.
The paul Fredricks story is a good one.
Good people who stand behind their product.

Carl


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## PJC in NoVa (Jan 23, 2005)

Since someone from PF has been kind enough to weigh in (thanks!), I'd like to post a suggestion based on having owned a number of PF shirts over the years:

Scale the collars up, especially by making the band higher in the back.

On PF shirts, the band is so shallow that I often find my tie peeking out from under it--really annoying.

My advice would be to get a Hilditch & Key shirt and copy the dimensions of their classic collar, or the dimensions of an Ike Behar "Scott" collar.


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## Wizard (Feb 29, 2008)

I recently tried the intro offer and so far am quite happy. But then again, I was thrilled to find shirts in my size with a selection of cuffs and collars too! PF is one of the few, reasonably priced places that I have found that give me a choice besides white or blue with barrel cuffs and straight or BD collar. I will buy again (probably this weekend)


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## cvac (Aug 6, 2006)

The shape of the collar was one of the main things I did not like about the PF shirt. I thought it was the shape of the points, but I think PJC is right on here...the width of the collar band makes the points look out of proportion. The reason I think this is the case is because J.Press uses a similar shape on their collar points, yet I like their collar shape just fine.

Additional suggestions:

Make the sleeves less puffy on the trim fit and figure out a way to make the 80s pinpoint fabric softer.



PJC in NoVa said:


> Since someone from PF has been kind enough to weigh in (thanks!), I'd like to post a suggestion based on having owned a number of PF shirts over the years:
> 
> Scale the collars up, especially by making the band higher in the back.
> 
> ...


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## Patrick06790 (Apr 10, 2005)

I have two PF tattersalls that are go-to shirts with tweed jackets in the fall. No problems with shrinking.


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## PaulFredrick.com (Mar 4, 2008)

PJC in NoVa said:


> Since someone from PF has been kind enough to weigh in (thanks!), I'd like to post a suggestion based on having owned a number of PF shirts over the years:
> 
> Scale the collars up, especially by making the band higher in the back.
> 
> ...


PJC and cvac,

Thanks for the comments. I've passed along your suggestions.

If you or anyone else has more suggestions like this, there is a "contact us" link on the bottom nav of our site. When you go there, one of the options for contact is "Ask a Paul Fredrick Designer". These emails honestly do go directly to our team of designers and I know for a fact that they read every single one of them.

We really appreciate when customers submit feedback, suggestions for new product, or changes to our existing ones . We've implemented a LOT of things suggested to us by customers. So, don't be afraid to tell us what we're doing wrong, or right (those guys like a pat on the back sometimes too).

Seems like a lot of trim fit guys on this thread. One of the things we've been trying to do over the past year or so, based in fact on comments we've received on the site, is add more and more skus to our trim fit selection. I don't know how long you all have been shopping with us, but hopefully you've noticed how much we've expanded our selection.

--PaulFredrick.com


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## PJC in NoVa (Jan 23, 2005)

Glad to hear that you do take such an interest in customer feedback.

I wore one of my PFs the other day--it was a "Windsor spread" collar. And sure enough, one of my coworkers noticed that my tie (and I even wore a skinnier one that day--my normal practice w/ PF shirts) was visible at the back of my neck b/c the collar band wasn't entirely covering it.

Other firms w/ decent collar shapes you could model on would be Chas. Tyrwhitt, T.M. Lewin, Harvie & Hudson, Coles, and New & Lingwood.

The last couple of PFs I got, I sent to Mike Maldonado of www.collarreplacement.com w/ instructions to put new collars on them modeled after shirts I already own. Making the bands deeper in back was a priority.

One more suggestion: Consider making the tab-collars less like point collars with tabs stuck on them and instead more squared-off, with shorter points and (again) higher bands across the back of the neck.


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## cycologist (Nov 20, 2006)

I bought a few shirts a couple of years ago and found the quality control to be poor. The neck size out of the package varied by over an inch between shirts that were supposed to be the same size. Granted, they may be better these days but there are lots of places to buy good shirts and every other internet retailer I've tried has been true to size.


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## Preu Pummel (Feb 5, 2008)

I just purchased a nice frenchy dress shirt with pinpoint last month. Works well for me. Hasn't shown any problem with shrinkage, but I am careful with the wash, and don't over dry on high, which caused me lots of problems years ago with shrinkage.

With their special $20 sale I can't imagine you would go wrong. I am not a huge PF buyer, so don't take me as commandment, scripture, or even pamphlet doled out on street corner.


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## Cordovan (Feb 1, 2008)

As others have said, PF shirts and all of their clothing is overpriced, like JAB and CT - IMO. But, like JAB and CT, they have frequent sales and promotion codes (search for them online as well as subscribe to email updates) which will often balance out their prices.

Cordovan


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## Andy (Aug 25, 2002)

They are a sponsor of this site and it would be great if you purchase anything, that you first go through this banner:

https://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/click?id=1GmxqfbT53Q&offerid=98225.10000264&type=4&subid=0

Rotating in the upper right or on the Menswear page linked in the upper left!

*Ask Andy Selected Merchants - Menswear, Shoes, Grooming*

My first experience was the introductory shirt which I got in a white French cuff model. It didn't last long and the cuffs got dirty (from my watch band?) past being able to launder.

BUT I have had better luck with their other shirts. Just got this one:

And like it so much for either a dress or casual shirt that I just ordered a second one!

And welcome *PaulFredrick.com* ! You'll be a nice asset to this Forum.


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## tasteful one (Oct 6, 2006)

Save your money, these shirts are real crap. Like you, I was taken in by the price, and found the detailing sub standard. The material is very thin, and it's that 'immediately wrinkled' cotton that makes you look like a dish rag by the time you get to your destination.

As they say, you get what you pay for. Or, in this case, you just throw your money out.


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## Mookie (Dec 10, 2007)

Andy said:


> BUT I have had better luck with their other shirts.


This basically sums up my experience as well: take a pass on their introductory offer, but definitely check out some of their other offerings, which can be quite good.

However, I will say this: that introductory deal was AWESOME when I was seriously overweight. It's hard to find any shirts readily available in a 19.5" neck, particularly since, back then, I wasn't even clued in to places like JAB.

I saw their ad in a bar association magazine and went for it.


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## capitalart (Apr 2, 2007)

Just received three new shirts (140's) from paul fredricks after sending them an email about my complaint, specifically that the sleeves on the shirt shrank. Even though i had purchased the shirts several months ago, they did not hesitate to exchange the shirts. They definately stand by there return policy. A quick update from my previous post.:icon_smile:


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## NoVaguy (Oct 15, 2004)

I've bought a number of their shirts recently, since they stock my size - 16x36 trim fit. I'm generally pleased as to what I got for the money. I generally stick to the twill and herringbone type fabrics (it wrinkles less during the day and works better with denim - this is something I try to do for all shirt brands), and stay away from the poplin and broadcloth.

2 of my shirts were sale fabrics (a blue/white satin stripe and a light blue houndstooth fabric) from the custom line and I just received those in the past week or two - right out of the box, I'm happy with them, but haven't worn them yet. One thing that is nice about the PF custom shirt I got is that they are a little longer in the body and have 7 buttons on the front, plus a collar button. Most shirts my size are 6 buttons and a collar button.


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## miamimike (Oct 18, 2007)

I found that PF has a larger selection of french cuff trim fit dress shirts now and at decent prices on their summer line. I would rather have better quality brands such as BB, Borrelli, Napoli etc but those add up and alterations can add up fast. The trim fit fits me perfectly and indiv sleeve length is great. Dollar for dollar I think you get a good deal on PF shirts, just dont pay over 100 for them and you will be ok. 

IMO suits, shoes, ties, belts you should have the best your can afford. Shirts as long as they fit good you can get away with a lesser brand. But nothing is almost as worse as a very expensive dress shirt hidden behind a cheap tie and suit.


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