When a tee sticks out in front of the waistband, it's tempting to order it smaller. That can cure the tent shape while making the stomach cling. Look at the stiffness of the jersey and...

A shirt can clear the chest and still catch halfway down on a belt or stomach. To get a straight fall, the fabric needs enough lower-body room as well as softness. A very narrow hem...

Pick up a dense tee by the shoulder and watch the lower edge. Some fabrics fall in soft vertical folds; others hold their own outline like a little tent. Weight tells you how much fabric...

One fold at each hip looks normal when you tuck a tee. A padded ring around the whole waistband makes a jacket harder to button. The best tucked tee has enough tail to stay inside...

A bright patch of reflected light can make a shirt look shinier than you expected at dinner. White cotton ranges from dry and faintly textured to smooth enough to catch the light. The weave of...

A slimmer shirt leaves less fabric under the coat, but it can show more texture across the chest. A straight shirt gives the body breathing room and sometimes leaves a little extra cloth at the...

An unstructured blazer follows the shirt underneath more closely than a stiff, lined sport coat. A tall rib can make a soft lapel look crisper; excess fabric at the shoulder can make that same lapel...

A navy blazer acts like a frame around a white tee. You notice the neckline first, then the part across the chest between the lapels. The right white shirt is opaque enough in that opening...

Your jacket draws a horizontal line across the outfit. A long tee can either echo that line or hang below it in a single curved point. Lay the jacket over the shirt before buying: the...