In A Sea Of Shirt Brands, Should You Choose Charles Tyrwhitt?
Welcome to the Charles Tyrwhitt Extra Slim Review.
Charles Tyrwhitt is a London Brand with pretty good reputation. Their selection of patterns is impressive and so is the list of customization available. It makes sense then that when I was browsing through the internet for my first formal french cuff shirt I ended up on Charles Tyrwhitt’s website.
That presented me with a problem since I had never owned a Charles Tyrwhitt shirt. How do they fit? Is the quality good as they say? Most importantly, what about the fit?
I like my shirts having a tight fit so the Charles Tyrwhitt Extra Slim Fit in a beautiful Prince of Wales Check was a great choice. Until the moment I put it on however, I was anxious about buying online and having to return it. If you are reading this then you are probably too!
Which is exactly why we wrote the “Charles Tyrwhitt Extra Slim Fit Review“.
To help you understand the quality and learn more about the actual measurements before you invest in one.
Charles Tyrwhitt – From London To You
In 1986 a student by the name of Nicholas Charles Tyrwhitt Wheeler had an idea.
“I thought I could make a better shirt than anybody else.”
Nicholas Charles Tyrwhitt Wheeler
Quite bold statement! He is so confident and nonchalant which is a quality I find fascinating and important for success.
In 1997 he opened the first store in London and the rest is history. The Charles Tyrwhitt Brand is now synonymous with good quality affordable dress shirts.
They have since expanded their selection to include anything from suits and accessories. Not only that, but they also have frequent discounts and sales which is an excellent opportunity to get value out of your money.
Specifications
Enough with the chit chat! Let’s get to the meat of this Charles Tyrwhitt Review!
What is light blue, extra slim fit, has a Prince of Wales Pattern and french cuffs? The shirt of today’s showcase of course!
- Brand: Charles Tyrwhitt
- Fabric: 100% Cotton
- Fit: Extra Slim Fit, Non-Iron
- Design: Prince of Wales Check
- Colour: Light Blue
- Cuffs: French Cuffs
- Collar: Classic
- Collar Stays: Brass
- Sleeve Length: 32″
- Collar Size: 15″
- Purchased From: www.ctshirts.com
- Guarantee: 6 months
- Price: 859 SEK/95 $/84 Euros/74 £
Delivery & Unboxing | 9/10
The package was delivered to my door by DHL in only 4 business days from the UK. I am pretty happy with that but what was even more impressive was the packaging.
The box is from recyclable cardboard and the items were neatly placed and protected inside. Your Charles Tyrwhitt Shirt will arrive in good condition, folded and protected by your typical plastic wrap. The extra touch of adding a little bit of storytelling to a shipment is always welcome too!
Ordering is a good experience and with such a long return policy you cannot go wrong with Charles Tyrwhitt.
The Fit | 9/10
Misiu Academy is a firm believer that fit is the most important aspect of any clothes. As previously mentioned, there is a choice of 4 different fits depending on your preference. Classic/Regular, Slim Fit, Extra Slim Fit and Super Slim Fit.
In the picture above you can see the approximate measurements of the Extra Slim Fit Shirt I own. There could be a small variation from place to place but it shows it is really Extra Slim.
The armhole length, waist and bottom are tighter than most shirts I own. I am 177 cm tall and weight about 74 kg with an athletic build, so this puts emphasis in all the right places without being too tight for me.
I do feel the cuffs are a little too wide but we will talk about it later in detail.
In general I am very satisfied with the fit of the Charles Tyrwhitt Extra Slim Fit and if you are looking for a tighter shirt than usual, it is a great option. Especially for a Ready-To-Wear Shirt.
Here’s a shot from the back as well! I like that there is not so much excess fabric running around loose even though the shirt is not properly tucked in.
Pro Tip: Don’t forget to double the difference if you compare it to another shirt, since you are only measuring only one side due to the shirt laying flat.
The French Cuffs – 7/10
This is my first experience with french cuffs, I must admit that. As I mentioned above, I feel they are a little too wide and the suit jackets “swallow” them a little. While the length of the sleeves appears quite normal (if not a tiny bit shorter) they tend to look shorter because of that.
This is not true for all of my suits though and is very specific to the french cuffs. It means that you would probably not run into such an issue with normal cuffs.
Sleeve length is something worth expanding a little more. While I did mention they feel slightly shorter, to the defence of Charles Tyrwhitt the suggested length for a 15″ collar is 33″ and I chose 32″ instead.
My advice is that if shirts in general are too long for you to size down one inch with Charles Tyrwhitt. Otherwise you can always go with the recommended choice and tailor them afterwards.
The Quality – 8/10
Is this the best shirt I have in my collection? Is the quality so good as Tyrwhitt himself claims?
Absolutely not, it is a sales pitch and a pretty good one actually. My best shirts when it comes to fabric and feel come from ETON and Suitsupply currently. You pay a premium price for the former but Suitsupply’s shirts are in the same price range with Charles Tyrwhitt shirts.
This does not mean that this shirt is bad. By all means, this is a great shirt and I enjoy wearing it every time! The collar is exquisite and the brass collar-stays work wonderfully well for a more structured look.
The material feels strong and will last quite a while but I notice a little more dirt accumulation behind my neck. Which is exactly what my main issue with this is. The whole thing feels a little plasticky or synthetic for a lack of better word. I think this is the result of the non-iron feature, which involves pre-treatment with chemicals.
All in all, this Charles Tyrwhitt Extra Slim Shirt is a solid shirt that will allow you to wear it every week and still hold shape.
The Price – 7/10
If I judged this shirt for the original price, I would give it a 7/10. However, if I judge it for the discounted price that I got it for, it would get a 10/10.
I paid less than 40 $ for that shirt because it was on sale. And this is where the value lies with Charles Tyrwhitt. Their frequent discounts and sales or combo deals.
They have a clearance very often which makes them a great buy and that is exactly what you should be looking for. TM.Lewin is another British shirtmaker that can rival those prices but until I try them, I know I can rely on Charles Tyrwhitt.
Charles Tyrwhitt Review – Final Grade | 8/10
Woohoo, it is time to wrap this review up gentlemen! So what should you expect from a Charles Tyrwhitt Extra Slim Fit Shirt?
| Pros | Cons |
| Good quality | Does not have premium feel when touching |
| Fast shipment | Non-Iron not worth the full price |
| Great unboxing experience | French cuffs seem a little wide |
| Extreme value during Sales | |
| Very good Slim Fit without being too tight | |
| Feels and looks durable | |
| Great for business settings | |
| Superb collar and collar stays |
I do think the pros outweigh the cons and I believe you would agree with me!
Check Out Shirtdetective For Extra Details!
While browsing for news, updates and general information, I came across Shirtdetective. It is a very nice website focusing on comparing and reviewing shirts from various brands.
They have an excellent review article on Charles Tyrwhitt that dives very deep into numbers and statistics.
A Great Candidate In Extra Slim Format
When I look in my closet I see some shirts that are better than others. The Charles Tyrwhitt Extra Slim Fit is not the best of the bunch but it surely is one that I can rely on week in, week out. It is a classic reputable Brand with outstanding value, especially when I know I paid 4 times more for my ETON shirt (but it was totally worth it).
I am glad to end the “Charles Tyrwhitt Review” with a definite recommendation! Make sure you buy during sales and you got yourself a bargain.
And now that we are speaking about wardrobe, do you know we just released a FREE “Minimalist Wardrobe Guide“? Sounds good doesn’t it? Subscribe and get your copy today!
I wanted to thank you all personally for your nice comments on Instagram and the great support we have received over the past few months. Your engagement is valuable and appreciated! Stay on the lookout for two upcoming Carlos Santos Shoe Reviews (or check here!) and an interview with another Swiss Gentleman.
Thank you for reading,
Kostas Mandilaris,
Misiu Academy
What size is this? Youve gone in to extreme detail then forgot to mention the size?
Hey Daniel, thanks for the reminder. I will go through the text to see if I actually forgot, but usually the neck size gives you a clue. The shirt is a 38!
The shirts are decent but do not buy the suits. I bought two of CT suits, overpriced at 750 USD total. One of the suits failed in the seat and the other in the jacket lining, outside of course of the six month return, after 8 moths and maybe 10 wears. I took said suits back to the DC store in October of 2020. I did not receive any acknowledgement or receipt after this drop off, and the suits needed to go back to England for inspection, even though the store clerk saw and acknowledge the failures. The suits came back in an oversized box in March of 2021 without any protective wrapping. The note said that the Inspection Team found nothing wrong. After I contacted CT via the website, they said the failures were due to “wear and tear”, with no refund or anything offered. They then told me not to bring the suits to the DC store, regarding the inadequate shipping process, because they could not help, even though that is where I bought the suits. So not only did I go without the suits for several months, they were shipped back to me carelessly, and I can’t do anything about it (in CT’s eyes). And supposedly since the Inspection Team determined that the suit failures were “wear and tear”, nothing more is needed from CT, and no refund was offered. I have purchased three Ted Baker suits, all for less that the 375 USD per suit that CT charged, and they are of the highest quality, without failure of the fabric or stitching for consistent wearing over 4 to 6 years. I suggest Ted Baker suits over CT suits 10 out of 10 times. I’m still going to try and get a refund because the CT products and services are not worth the price charged.
Hey Scott, sorry to hear about all this but thank you for sharing your experience. Since this article I have moved on to other shirts and I would never buy CT again, nor those TM Lewin horrific ones.
for suits of decent quality and better service I recommend Suitsupply or Spier and Mackay. You can read multiple reviews on the blog.
As for a course of action, I definitely recommend you to talk to PayPal or your bank and file a dispute or chargeback.
Most of my shirts are CT and I’ve been happy with them for the price. I’m interested though, you say you’ve now ‘graduated’ from CT onto another brand. Which brand would you now recommend? I am interested to try them out. Great site btw, some very solid sartorial advice here. 🙂
Hi Alex! Thanks!
They are not bad (certainly not as the disaster that T.M. Lewin was!).
I moved on to Spier & Mackay (There’s a review on the blog), Suitsupply RTW and now I make custom shirts with Apposta (Review on Blog) and Lanieri (No shirt review yet, but suit reviews and trousers).
You are welcome. I agree that Suit Supply suits are excellent. Since these CT suits failed outside of the six month return period, my bank likely will not do anything. My next step is to go to the CT store in DC with the oversized boxes my suits were returned in. Seriously, I would not have shipped a well-used pair of running shoes to my brother as poorly wrapped as these were.
It’s always worth a try regardless! Give them a call to discuss it, as this is clear consumer manipulation and you didn’t receive the product you wanted.
Good luck!
I purchased a dress shirt on April, 14th. My confirmation said, I would receive it on April, 23rd. Then, a update said, I would revive it on the 24th. It is now April, 28th and I still haven’t received my shirt. I’ve had no correspondence. And I have no tracking number. Maybe, you could give me an idea of when it will arrive?
Hi Tommy,
honestly I am not the one to ask about tracking and delivery times. I stopped buying from CT when I found higher quality shirtmakers.
It is quite possible Brexit might have custom implications outside the UK. My advice is to call them/mail them or both. In any case if you never receive your product you should contact your bank or paypal and dispute the charge with a chargeback if you receive no further information.
Best,
Kostas