# Silk dress shirts versus cotton dress shirts



## Casablanca (Apr 16, 2007)

I'm thinking of buying some silk dress shirts but I thought it would be helpful to know the advantages and disadvantages of silk over cotton. I assume that silk shirts would be more expensive in general than their cotton counterparts, but I'm also wondering if they would trap more heat than cotton. Overall, what are the main advantages and disadvantages of silk over cotton?


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## Flanderian (Apr 30, 2008)

I'd think again. The main advantage of silk is that it feels like and looks like, well, silk! That excepted, unless you have trouble staying warm, I don't see any advantages.

I once had a couple silk dress shirts. Technically they can be laundered, but I never had any luck having them look wearable afterward. That leaves dry cleaning. Which can become pretty expensive for shirts, also it often doesn't leave them looking too great either, and you'll spend a lot of time in very close proximity to dry cleaning chemicals.


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## cdavant (Aug 28, 2005)

I can't think of any advantage of silk over cotton for shirt wear. It gets hotter than you think and wrinkles much easier. If you like high maintenance women, you'll love silk shirts.


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## Preu Pummel (Feb 5, 2008)

Uhg. Seriously - get cotton. Those silk shirts will not be easy to wash properly. Don't waste the cash and tears.


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## Will (Jun 15, 2004)

I wear silk shirts on weekends fairly often. Silk is a bit nicer against the skin than anything less than a 170s cotton and it's less expensive to have silk shirts run up than high thread count cottons. But you need to send them to be hand laundered, which is much better for you and for them than dry cleaning. And you do need to be insensitive to the not inconsiderable cost of that hand laundering.


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## Pipps (Dec 20, 2005)

If the dress shirt is intended for business dress, then silk would my completely inappropriate in my opinion.


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## encyclopedia (Jan 3, 2008)

I have a few bespoke silk dress shirts. No they rnt appropriate for most business situations. But the silk is much softer and, um, silkier than any cotton I've ever held (most of my shirts r mason goldline or platinum for reference).

I hand wash them myself - yes this takes a fair amount of time. I wudnt trust anyone else anyway.

The silk irons up fine, holds the iron as well as a 170s cotton which I think is a fair comparison. No I wouldn't wear a silk shirt on a plane and head straight to a meeting.

If u can afford it and have time to treat the shirt well I'd say try one.


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## dwebber18 (Jun 5, 2008)

Also, another advantage of silk shirts is for the reason they were worn hundreds of years ago. To stop arrows from penetrating and getting lodged in you. So if you get in the occassional bow and arrow battle it may be a good idea as you can get the arrows out easier, haha


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## Rossini (Oct 7, 2007)

encyclopedia said:


> I have a few bespoke silk dress shirts. No they rnt appropriate for most business situations. But the silk is much softer and, um, silkier than any cotton I've ever held (most of my shirts r mason goldline or platinum for reference).


That's interesting, Encyclopedia. May I ask on what occasions and with what you wear your silk shirts? And, how do they come across in social situations, are they noticeably glossier and/or dandyish?


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## encyclopedia (Jan 3, 2008)

Rossini said:


> That's interesting, Encyclopedia. May I ask on what occasions and with what you wear your silk shirts? And, how do they come across in social situations, are they noticeably glossier and/or dandyish?


The silk isn't too glossy, the same sort of effect u get on a hard-finished 150s wool suit or with a lot of sea island cotton shirts. I think of it as a better-draping alternative to v fine cotton.

Wouldn't call it dandyish, but then again I've got off-white, pale yellow and light blue solids, ntg too over the top, and as I said its not overly shiny either.

Is fine for evening and more formal events. Weight hasn't been a concern for me, but then again I wear a 15/16oz wool sportcoat much of the year.


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## Scoundrel (Oct 30, 2007)

lol

You've got it all wrong. If you want a shirt to go clubbing in, you want polyester.

By the way, they make silk and silk blends, so the shirt doesn't look like silk!


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## Rossini (Oct 7, 2007)

encyclopedia said:


> The silk isn't too glossy, the same sort of effect u get on a hard-finished 150s wool suit or with a lot of sea island cotton shirts. I think of it as a better-draping alternative to v fine cotton.
> 
> Wouldn't call it dandyish, but then again I've got off-white, pale yellow and light blue solids, ntg too over the top, and as I said its not overly shiny either.
> 
> Is fine for evening and more formal events. Weight hasn't been a concern for me, but then again I wear a 15/16oz wool sportcoat much of the year.


Thanks - I've looked at those available from Emma Willis from time to time and wondered what they might be like and how people use them. Rather expensive to try out experimentally I suppose.


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## Journeyman (Mar 28, 2005)

I used to have a couple - one white and one cream.
I no longer wear them, as they can be quite hot, they wrinkle very easily, and they are a pain to both wash and iron. I don't mind hand-washing shirts, but they took about twice as long to iron - perhaps even longer - than the fiddliest of my cotton shirts. I decided that I preferred the "crisp" look of cotton rather than the softer look of silk, too.


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## encyclopedia (Jan 3, 2008)

Rossini said:


> Thanks - I've looked at those available from Emma Willis from time to time and wondered what they might be like and how people use them. Rather expensive to try out experimentally I suppose.


I don't know what EW charges (for anything) but if I remember right I've paid about a 20pct premium for silk vs cotton. Given how much longer it must take to sew without tearing I think that's fair.

Does anyone know different silk "brands" or weaves or lines or whatever? I only realized writing this I've no idea at all and have just gone with whatever (limited!) choices the shirtmaker had.


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