Love them or hate them, every man’s wardrobe needs to have a plethora of shirts for every occasion. From the casual checked shirt to the saucy James Bond-style dress shirt, your boudoir isn’t really complete unless you have at least one of each. As it is, the right shirt can be hard to find but when you take into account the different cuff styles there are, selecting the right shirt becomes even harder. This is where this style guide will come to your rescue.

The Barrel Cuff Shirt

Barrel cuff shirts are the most popular and most informal of all shirt styles. You can wear one with your chinos or formal trousers and walk into your office or any occasion that demands full-sleeve dressing with aplomb. Barrel cuffs come in two variations – the single and the double barrel. Single barrel cuffs have just one button at the wrist, while the double barrel carries two. When wearing the double barrel cuff, always remember to keep the lower button open. When rolling up the shirt sleeves, use the button on the forearm for a neat look and to keep your elbows covered. The Mard recommends – Park Avenue Blue Shirt

The Angled or Mitered Cuff Shirt

The angled or mitered cuff can be considered a variation of the barrel cuff, but many stylists would classify this separately for good measure. The mitered cuff is so called because it has a cut-out at the wrist which allows for greater wrist movement, so it’s great for those who spend a lot of time working on their computers. A mitered cuff is also a good choice to wear under jackets and blazers as the design on the wrist gives it a slight edge and a hint of interest. The Mard recommends – Pantaloons Mitered Cuff Shirt

The French Cuff Shirt

Considered the most formal of the lot, the French cuff is linked together with cufflinks instead of buttons and is normally reserved for black-tie dinners and such. However, it can also be worn with sweaters and a relaxed-looking pair of chinos if you do not go too overboard with the cufflink design. A hint of metal glinting from the corners of your wrists is enough for an informal day out, while for dressier occasions you can choose monogrammed or studded cufflinks to complete the look. The Mard recommends – Raymonds French Cuff Shirt

Hope this helps you the next time you get stuck choosing the right shirt for any event. And remember the golden rule – if you’re wearing it under a jacket or a tux, then allow at least half inch of your shirt sleeve to show and rule the room with your impeccable fashion sense.