Tom James Company is the world's largest manufacturer and retailer of custom clothing. Our highly trained Tailors come directly to your home or office, saving you valuable time. They plan, coordinate, and maintain your wardrobe so you are perfectly attired for any situation - business, casual, social, or formal. Our Tailors are wardrobe consultants, well-versed in fabrics, style and patterns. They assist you in selecting a wardrobe that will compliment you with the finest clothing and the best value at a price that is comfortable to you.

Shirts

What is the Best Shirt Fabric for Me?

The weave and construction of cotton fabrics produce dramatic differences
in appearance and performance

	Poplin: Very cool and crisp to the touch. Makes a great shirt for warmer climates, or the humid heat of summer. Starch not necessary.			Broadcloth: Lightweight and finely woven with no visible surface texture. Also great in warm climates or simply as a year-round dress shirt. A longtime favorite for most. Starch is not needed for performance throughout the day.

	Oxford: Traditional weave of a 'beefy' nature that will withstand the most rigorous of daily use. A classic as a button-down collared shirt. Takes an awesome starching for that sturdy appearance.			Pinpoint: A durable, well respected cloth, known for its soft feel and dressier luster than its cousin the Oxford. The perfect shirt to have in multiples. A natural in any climate, it performs fantastically well with or without starch.

	End on End: A time proven variation of the broadcloth. Woven with colored threads alternating with white. Offers the overall appearance of a solid color, yet with unique visual interest upon close inspection.			Twill: Characterized by a very fine diagonal weave, resulting in a cloth with a soft hand and a perfectly subtle elegant luster. Considered a relatively dressy cloth. Performs nicely with a light starch.

	Sea Island: Extremely fine, long staple cotton. Produces a deliciously light and extremely comfortable cloth. Revered for its ability to take dyes and produce vibrant colors, allowing for unique and intricate patterns. Laundered shirts acquire an incredibly silky feel. Starching will reduce the tactile sense of this wonderful cloth.			King Twill : True elegance for those desiring a distinctive cloth possessing a clear visual texture.

Construction:

I. Thread-Count - Thread-count tells you how many threads were used to produce the fabric. The higher the thread-count, the finer the fabric will feel. For example, a 100's pinpoint is of higher quality and will feel finer than a 40's pinpoint.

II. Plying - The ply of a fabric expresses how many threads were twisted together before weaving them into the finished fabric. For example, a two-ply 100's pinpoint takes two strands of the 100's thread and twists them together before weaving the cloth. A two-ply fabric is more durable than a single ply fabric.

III. Staple Length - The third factor in the quality and luxuriousness of a shirt is the raw cotton from which the yarns are spun. Longer staple fibers such as Sea Island are those from which the finest cotton goods are made, because their fineness permits them to be spun into exceptionally tight yarns. This allows for very fine multi-ply yarns and high thread count finished goods - the ultimate in cotton!

Do you like the advice you are getting from The Virtual Tailor? It's all here in our book "Business Class". When the time comes to seal the deal, to host the business lunch to close the deal, and to spend the evening with the chairman of the board celebrating the deal, you'll know exactly what to do. You'll know what to wear, which fork to use, where and when to tip, and all those added touches that etch good impressions.