THE JOURNAL
Tuck your shirt in, boy. This command might trigger a Pavlovian response thanks to social conditioning during our years of formal education. But should you? You’re now a grown adult, after all. And not all shirts – and certainly not T-shirts – are made to be tucked in. With some brands, they’d argue their wares actually look better letting it all hang loose.
Not that everyone will put up with this. For the dye-in-the-wool shirt tucker, a shirt should know its place, wedged firmly into the trousers. There are standards to uphold, after all.
Where do you stand on the issue? And is it with the hemline of your top inserted into your waistband? There’s only one way to decide – with an old-fashioned tuck off.
Give a tuck
Kit Swann, Fashion Editor
Whether it’s French, half or full, for me, a tuck is one of the easiest ways to make an outfit more interesting, while also adjusting its proportions without making any permanent alterations to pieces that might not fit perfectly. And, despite wearing shirts most days, they’re often the one item I find most difficult to get right. Thankfully, there’s rarely a situation I can’t rectify with a different type of shirt tuck.
I often find that shirts are simply too long to be worn completely untucked, particularly formal styles. I’ll put one on, look in the mirror and feel as though I’m about to play Scrooge in A Christmas Carol. Another issue with some formal shirts, particularly slim-fitting styles, is they can create an ever-so-slight bell shape around the bottom. Both problems are easily fixed with a little help from a tuck.
Full tucks can often feel too formal for the average day. That said, they can be a great way of creating volume with an oversized shirt while keeping a flattering shape, thanks to the cinched effect around the waist. If things are billowing a little too much, a military tuck should help. Simply pinch the excess fabric at either side of your torso and fold it back on itself before tucking it in. This creates a neater, slimmer silhouette while still allowing plenty of room for movement around the arms and shoulders.
“Whether it’s French, half or full, a tuck is one of the easiest ways to make an outfit more interesting”
A style that can sometimes divide opinion is the French tuck. This involves tucking just the front of your shirt into your waistband, allowing the remaining fabric to hang loosely around the sides and back. It’s a good way to draw attention to your belt, although I sometimes find it can feel a little too considered or staged. My preference is a half tuck. As the name suggests, this involves tucking one side of your shirt into your waistband while leaving the other loose. It introduces asymmetry to an outfit and still draws attention to your belt but feels much more relaxed and informal. It’s also a great trick for making longer shirts feel shorter.
For anyone looking to experiment with the way they put an outfit together, I think a simple tuck is a very approachable place to start. It takes very little effort and can make a surprising difference to how an outfit looks and feels.
Better luck untucked
Alfred Humphries, Fashion Assistant
I don’t think anyone can wear an untucked shirt badly. A tucked-in shirt, however? Some mornings, I’ll give it a go. But every time I try to make it work, I’m reminded of an American dad: checked flannel number hoicked into high-waisted jeans, on his way to the hardware store. And I think, Oh, maybe not that.
French tucks in particular stress me out. I’ve tried it and, again, it just doesn’t suit me. It sort of looks like when you had to tuck your shirt in at school and then the back comes out within the first 10 minutes, before your name is called out from the register. Why not just go all the way?
Me, I’m all leg. They’re the longest part of me. So, an untucked shirt makes me feel more proportional. It’s also an opportunity for a pop of colour when worn underneath a sweater. It can be a nice contrast. When you wear your shirt tucked in, there’s this sudden line at the waist, while by wearing your shirt untucked, there’s more flow. You can even leave the bottom buttons undone, for more dynamic movement. So, for me, it’s become something of a signature style.
“I’m all leg. They’re the longest part of me. So, an untucked shirt makes me feel more proportional”
Untucking does depend on the shirt, of course; how it fits and the hem. If it has a curved hem or a longer cut, then I would tuck it in. But if it’s a straight hem or has a very slight curve, I don’t see why you have to.
More brands are leaning into the untucked look, too. So, while I wouldn’t want to wear a Charvet shirt untucked, if I had one from COMME DES GARÇONS SHIRT, then I would be more likely to let it hang out.
For something formal, I would think about tucking it in. But anything less than black tie, if you want to wear a shirt and tie, I say go untucked. And at a wedding, your shirt should be untucked by the time you’re on the dance floor anyway.